Patent ID: 7924277

Claim:
A three-dimensional model modification system for modifying a three-dimensional model, defined by a plurality of surfaces and representing an arbitrary object, the system comprising: a base-curve generating unit that fits skeleton lines, representing a prerecorded approximate outline of the object, to a three-dimensional model to be modified and generates base curves on a basis of the skeleton lines, representing an approximate outline of the three-dimensional model to be modified; a first polygon forming unit that forms polygons from free-form surfaces of the three-dimensional model to be modified and generates a group of points representing the free-form surfaces of the three-dimensional model to be modified; a base-curve modifying unit that arbitrarily modifies the base curves of the three-dimensional model, generated by the base-curve generating unit, according to an instruction from an operator; a group-of-points displacing/determining unit that displaces the group of points, generated by the first polygon forming unit and representing the three-dimensional model to be modified, based on base curve displacements from the base curves, generated by the base-curve generating unit before arbitrary modification, to the base curves, generated by the base-curve modifying unit after arbitrary modification, and determines the modified group of points corresponding to the displacement of the base curves, generated by the base-curve modifying unit after arbitrary modification; and a second polygon forming unit that forms new polygons from the modified group of points determined by the group-of-points displacing/determining unit and generates a three-dimensional model defined by a plurality of surfaces, generated from the new polygons.