[HN Gopher] Implicit UVs: Real-time semi-global parameterization...
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       Implicit UVs: Real-time semi-global parameterization of implicit
       surfaces [pdf]
        
       Author : ibobev
       Score  : 43 points
       Date   : 2025-05-12 10:46 UTC (12 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (baptiste-genest.github.io)
 (TXT) w3m dump (baptiste-genest.github.io)
        
       | whizzter wrote:
       | Interesting paper for someone fiddling with implicit surfaces,
       | but it's gonna take a little while to digest it. Also there's no
       | examples of resulting UV maps used in this (while on-model
       | painting is simplified, afaik classically artists still preferred
       | to get clearly delineated maps to modify in regular painting
       | software even if stuff like Substance painter seems to have
       | shifted that).
       | 
       | Implicit surface modelling tools are still evolving quickly, and
       | one point that seems overlooked is how this would tie with
       | authoring tools (since this is about a fairly raw numeric
       | algorithm solution).
       | 
       | Post-modelling it should hold up, but would the maps retain
       | similarity (or enable transferability) if the implicit model
       | structure changes?
       | 
       | Imagine 2 disjoint spheres in space, the user drags them
       | together, would this algorithm want to merge the UV mapping of
       | them if they are smoothly joined? (no sharp creases).
        
         | baptiste-genest wrote:
         | Hi, I'm the first author of the article. Thank you very much
         | for your interest in the method!
         | 
         | For the 2 spheres, it's as you wish ! It depends on where you
         | place the uv system in the CSG tree, if it is above a single
         | sphere then it will remain on it, if it's above the union, the
         | field should extent on both.
         | 
         | The main interest of the method is the fact that the output
         | remains implicit so one can easily plug it in a CSG pipeline.
        
       | jplusequalt wrote:
       | What a great paper. This paper is an example of why I find
       | computer graphics to be the most interesting subset of computer
       | science.
        
         | baptiste-genest wrote:
         | Hi, I'm the first author of the paper. Thank you so much for
         | your comment, it means the world to me!
        
       | kaoD wrote:
       | Related question: I'm coding a demo (as in "demoscene") and want
       | to displace a plane SDF (think e.g. a heightmap) for raymarching.
       | 
       | This produces some visible discontinuities in the plane at larger
       | slopes. My surface is still at f(x,y,z) = 0 but the rest of the
       | field is completely messed up. From the little maths I know, that
       | is no longer an SDF because among other issues, it no longer
       | satisfies the Eikonal equation mentioned in the article.
       | 
       | Is there any way to fix this or am I SOL?
        
         | bhouston wrote:
         | You need to take the minimum of the two SDF fields in the
         | surrounding region (up to the global context if you need to) if
         | you want it to maintain an SDF. The minimum of two SDFs is
         | always a new SDF.
         | 
         | My suspicion is that the new plane isn't an SDF anymore, that
         | is why you are getting artifacts or your ray marcher has
         | problems with large scope angles, or something.
        
         | akomtu wrote:
         | sdf(p + sin(p)*0.01)
        
         | GistNoesis wrote:
         | See "Deformations and distortions" paragraph in
         | https://iquilezles.org/articles/distfunctions/ where it
         | suggests playing with the ray-marching step size.
        
       | Remnant44 wrote:
       | Great timing on this paper. I actually just started tackling a
       | problem that is essentially exactly what is under discussion here
       | (creating a coherent UV set for implicit geometry), so I'm very
       | looking forward to reading it in depth.
       | 
       | At a first glace through, it seems to be written at a good blend
       | between concept and implementation followthrough, something that
       | notoriously is not always there for CG papers :) And it's also
       | refreshing to read something that is not neuro-AI-generation of
       | this or that for a change!
        
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       (page generated 2025-05-12 23:01 UTC)