A fast algorithm for plotting and contour filling radiation patterns in three dimensions

An algorithm is presented for plotting antenna and scattering patterns in three dimensions. The algorithm exploits the property of single-valued surfaces to allow the implicit removal of hidden lines with virtually no extra computation. This reduces the processing time significantly over that required by more general plotting methods. The algorithm is based on finding a systematic sequence to draw the plot from back to front as a collection of quadrilaterals. Each quadrilateral can be broken into two triangles, which allows a simple contour filling scheme to be incorporated into the algorithm