Offsetting in geometric modelling (Q1110243)

The capabilities of current solid modelling systems are limited by the available representation schemes, geometric coverage, and types of operations allowed within a modelling system. Most of today's modellers can hardly do anything beyond graphic display and mass property calculation. Modelling systems need to extend their representations, geometry and operations to enable them to meet the requirements of the variety of engineering applications. This paper addresses the introduction of a class of operations called offsetting into solid modelling environments. A range of potential applications that could benefit from an offsetting utility has been identified, and a formal mathematical framework that rigorously characterizes the offsetting function is developed.