Point-Based Graphics

Foreword

In any established field, doing something “different” presents a challenge. Even in computer graphics, an area that evolves rapidly, the notion of treating simple points as primitive modeling and display elements did not get off to a fast start. Nevertheless, every good idea has its time. Two timely factors that promote the idea of point-based graphics are procedural shape definition and automated shape acquisition. The former has the flexibility to produce as many or as few points as needed to accurately represent itself. The latter naturally produces a massive flood of points. The sheer complexity of such models begs for a representation that is inherently simple. Points are simple. However, effectively acquiring, editing, animating, ...