[prev] What is CySlice? [next]

CySlice is a tool for converting polygonal mesh (polymesh) geometry into a variety of other forms.

(1) Using the original Slicing tool, you can extract polylines and splines from polygonal meshes. These slices can then be imported into modeling packages as an aid to the construction of spline surfaces.

(2) The Networks tool, introduced in v2, allows you to build NURBS patches directly on polygonal meshes. Tangency between patches is automatic, and color and displacement UV maps can be easily extracted for each patch in the network.

(3) The Polymesh Maps tool, available since the release of v2.2k, uses automatic polygon reduction to reduce the complexity of a polymesh. Cylindrical and planar color maps can be extracted before the polygon reduction, and applied as a texture afterwards, to retain apparent detail.

(4) In v3, the Networks tool has been extended to allow you to build SUBD (subdivision) surfaces. As with the NURBS fitting tools, color and displacement maps can be extracted.

(5) Also new in v3 is the ability to create simplified ordered polymeshes, useful for web based, real-time or gaming type applications.

In the following chapters, tools common to all approaches are first described. Then the details of each tool are fully examined. And finally some appendices complete the CySlice v3 User Guide.

How to Run CySlice - SGI IRIX

If CySlice has been installed correctly, and your login environment has been configured, you should be able to type cyslice in a shell window to get the program up and running. To load a PLY mesh at the same time, simply add its name to the command line.

How to Run CySlice - Windows NT

With a correct installation, there are three ways of running CySlice:

(1) Drag and drop a PLY file onto the CySlice icon.

(2) Double click the CySlice Desktop icon and use the file selection window to load a PLY file.

(3) Click on the PLY filename/icon with the right mouse button and select "Slice".

When you run CySlice from the Desktop icon it will, by default, open in your home directory. You can change this location by clicking on the icon with the right mouse button, then select Properties from the menu that pops up, click on the Shortcut tab, and edit the "Start in" field.

The CySlice User Interface

[click to zoom]
Figure 1. CySlice v3 GUI

CySlice uses a Motif style graphical user interface (GUI) with such things as buttons, sliders, input fields and file selection windows (see Figure 1). You can get more details on the general functionality of the GUI from the chapter titled The headus GUI.

Conventions Used in This Guide

Sections that have been changed or added since the last major revision are highlighted with a green line down the margin. Section headers are also highlighted so you can quickly find changes from the Contents page (this feature requires a browser with support for style sheets).

Sections that were changed or added in the last major revision (i.e. v3.3) are highlighted with a red line down the margin.

Sections that were changed or added in the previous major revision (i.e. v3.2) are highlighted with a dark red line down the margin.


[prev] [top] [next]