The trimming problem for swept volumes - concerning the excision of points
ostensibly on the boundary that actually lie in the swept volume interior -
is investigated in detail. Building upon several techniques that have appe
ared in the literature, efficient methods for both local and global trimmin
g of swept volume are developed. These methods are shown to be computationa
lly cost effective when combined with the sweep-envelope differential equat
ion algorithm for the approximate calculation and graphical rendering of sw
ept volumes for quite general objects and sweeps. Examples are presented to
demonstrate the efficacy of the trimming strategies. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci
ence Ltd. All rights reserved.