Computing bounding volume hierarchies using model simplification

Abstract

This paper presents a framework that uses the outputs of model simplification to guide the construction of bounding volume hierarchies for use in, for example, collision detection. Simplified models, besides their application to multiresolution rendering, can provide clues to the object's shape. These clues help in the partitioning of the object's model into components that may be more tightly bounded by simple bounding volumes. The framework naturally employs both the bottom-up and the top-down approaches of hierarchy building, and thus can have the advantages of both approaches. Experimental results show that our method built on top of the framework can indeed improve the bounding volume hierarchy, and as a result, significantly speedup the collision detection.