Part recognition–based simplification of triangular mesh models for ships and plants

Among the methods of expressing the shapes of components in ships and plants, the triangular mesh model provides a simple structure and convenient visualization, supports numerous support tools, and can be used in various engineering tasks. Recently, there have been efforts to visualize entire ships and plants for design review, interference checks, process monitoring, and establishing maintenance space; however, because such triangular mesh models are very large, they require high-performance computing resources and are time-consuming. In order to resolve such issues, a method of triangular mesh model simplification is proposed considering the features of large-capacity ship and plant structures. This method generates B-rep models for each part that constitutes the triangular mesh model. Also, the part types including beams, shells, and small parts are recognized from the B-rep model. Finally, mesh simplification corresponding to the recognized part type is carried out. Application of the proposed mesh simplification method enables rapid generation of a low level of detail (LOD) version of the large-scale triangular mesh model.