Compact representation of 3D models using mesh merging

Applications using 3D objects are increasing rapidly in Internet services, computer graphics, and synthetic image codings. Since the 3D model contains a huge amount of information, a compact representation method of 3D objects is required for efficient storage and transmission. In this paper, we propose an idea of generating a hierarchy of LOD (level-of-detail) approximations for a given 3D polygon using a mesh merging algorithm. By applying multiple passes over triangular meshes and using local and global errors, we can control approximation errors accurately and treat multi-resolution representation easily.