Evaluation of a Quadric-Based Surface adaptive LOD for MPEG-4 FA

Level of detail (LoD) techniques provide efficient and established tools to represent 3D models, while these are well documented and applied with proven results there is not much research and proven results that offer a solution that is both compatible with MPEG-4 (Motion Picture Experts Group) facial animation standard, and which considers a human face mesh simplification. In this paper we present our work on an adaptive LoD algorithm and attempt to preserve the human face features and simplify animation streams when possible by analyzing the scene and the model. Our approach is to apply continuous LOD to a MPEG-4 compliant model using an extension of Garland´s Quadric-Based Surface algorithm. This is achieved with a novel approach that attempts a selective model simplification that is both compatible with MPEG-4 and also could simplify animation streams.