Seam cutting of meshes to minimize distortion.

• Alla Sheffer, Applying texture to models with high curvature using seam cutting, First UK-Israel Workshop on Computer Graphics, 2002.
• Paper A. Sheffer, Spanning Tree Seams for Reducing Parameterization Distortion of Triangulated Surfaces, Shape Modelling International, 61-66, 2002
• Paper. A. Sheffer, J. Hart, Seamster: Inconspicuous Low-Distortion Texture Seam Layout, IEEE Visualization (Vis02), 291-298, 2002.

First, pick the vertices that have high Gaussian curvature.

• Local curvature: Sum of angles around vertex - 2 pi.
• Region curvature: Take the n-ring and turn it into a 1 ring (vertex to boundary edges) and do above.

Label nodes that have local/region or local + region curvature > threshold.

Create a sub-graph by connecting nodes to the boundary and between pairs using shortest paths.

Compute a minimum spanning tree and slice the mesh open.

The second paper provides an extension to the first that favors seams in low-visibility areas. Runs quicker, too.

The visibility is computed by rendering the mesh from several angles and counting the number of times a face appears.

Compute a minimal Steiner tree (can split other topologies).