Trimming swept volumes

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.