SBIR Phase II: T-Splines for Surface Intersection

This SBIR Phase II project addresses what is considered to be a significant unsolved problem in the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) industry; the fact that many CAD models contain numerous small, unwanted holes or gaps. These gaps occur most often along the seams where two surfaces in a CAD model meet, such as where a wing meets the fuselage of an airplane, and result from fundamental mathematical limitations. Software for analyzing a CAD model for physical properties such as aerodynamics, deflection, or stress cannot work unless those holes are repaired; a time consuming process that causes a significant bottleneck in the CAD workflow. Under Phase I funding, a solution to this gap problem was devised that uses a new surface formulation called T-Splines. Tasks to be performed in Phase II include extending the algorithms to work in arbitrary cases, designing and implementing algorithms for converting trimmed-NURBS models into gap-free T-Splines, adding fillets to the surface intersection, and incorporating the core software into two existing CAD packages using the idea of a "plugin." The gap problem has vexed the CAD industry for over 25 years. The solution to the gap problem conceived in previous efforts involves a new technology called T-Splines, which some researchers in the CAD community believe represents a significant advance in the field of surface modeling theory. This project will help the T-Splines technology to mature and will hasten its adoption into the CAD industry.