Multiresolution free-form deformation with subdivision surface of arbitrary topology

A new free-from deformation method is presented in this paper. Object deformation is controlled by a mesh of arbitrary topology, namely a control mesh. The subdivision surface determined by the control mesh spans an intermediate deformation space. The object is embedded into the space by the nearest point rule. When the shape of the control mesh is changed, the object embedded in the intermediate deformation space will be deformed accordingly. Since the subdivision surface has a multiresolution property, the proposed deformation method naturally has a multiresolution property. A technique for generating control meshes is also introduced in the paper. Compared with previous deformation methods with arbitrary topology control tools, the proposed method has the advantages of flexible control and computational efficiency.