TriAna

Abstract

At the University of Chile, prof. dr. N. Hitschfeld Kahler is conducting research on the automatic generation of meshes in both 2D- and 3D-environments based on images or 3D-models. At the moment she is researching the analysis of images of tree stems by generating 2D meshes of triangles (triangulations) over the image and retrieving data based on these triangulations and the image, for example the amount of tree rings and specific data about the climate in the region from where the tree originated. The analyses performed using this method could be faster than performing them using traditional pixel calculations. However, the current tools that are available for research are inadequate in three aspects. First of all, they're simplistic, non-intuitive tools that aren't designed for useful interaction but only create a single, simple output. They lack any kind of advanced functionality that could help speed up the research. Secondly, the program has little extendability and reusability, meaning it's difficult to improve the functionality and to modify it for different research within the same domain. And lastly, the triangulation algorithm and tools were produced as research for the Integrated Systems Laboratory (IIS), ETH Z who retain ownership of them. This means that prof. N. Hitschfeld Kahler currently doesn't have the required permissions to continue her research with the current tools. Our job was to create a visual tool which solved the previously mentioned weaknesses and which would enable an easy way to integrate a new triangulation algorithm and implement new tools to analyse the triangulations in conjunction with the images. We've named the program 'triAna', 'short for triangulation analysis . This report will discuss the process and results of our project. First we'll give a progress report of the entire project. The analysis of the requirements and the design of triAna will be discussed in the consequent chapters. The implementation and its problems and solutions will be discussed thereafter.