Automatic Generation of Bas-reliefs from 3D Shapes

In this paper, we introduce and study a new problem of converting a given 3D shape (or a 2.5D range data) into a bas-relief. The problem can be considered as a geometry counterpart of the HDR image compression problem widely studied in computer graphics. In our approach to the shape bas-reliefing problem, we combine the concepts of mesh saliency, shape exaggerating, and discrete differential coordinates. The final bas-relief has a small width, preserves salient features of the original 3D shape, and, therefore, can be used for shape decorating purposes.