An Integrated Approach to Filling Holes in Meshes

Data obtained by scanning 3D models typically contains missing pieces and holes. This paper describes an integrated approach for filling holes in triangular meshes obtained during the process of surface reconstruction, which consists of three steps: triangulation, refinement and smoothing. The approach first generates a minimal triangulation to the hole, and then iteratively subdivides the patching meshes making it assort with the density of surrounding meshes. Finally, geometric optimization is enforced to the patching meshes for improving regularity. The approach can deal with arbitrary holes in oriented connected manifold meshes. Experimental results on several triangular meshes are presented.