Patent ID: 7068273

Claim:
A recording medium which stores an executable 3D image processing program for combining first and second patches which are each comprised of a plurality of polygons respectively, said 3D image processing program configuring a computer to function as: vertex coordinate setting means for setting vertex coordinates of vertexes of each polygon constituting said first and second patches; combining vertex selection means for selecting a first set of vertexes of the vertexes of the polygons from said first patch which form a first side and a second set of vertexes of the vertexes of the polygons of the second patch which form a second side for joining the polygons of the first and second patches wherein the first side and the second side define a gap therebetween, and the first set of vertexes includes a number vertexes equal to H and the second set of vertexes includes a number vertexes equal to K, and H is greater than K; and vertex coordinate change means for removing the gap by matching the vertex coordinates of a side of said first patch and the vertex coordinates of a side of said second patch for the vertex coordinates of the selected polygons by setting the coordinates of the vertexes of the first set of vertexes equal to the coordinates of the vertexes of the second set of vertexes wherein the number of vertexes of the first set of vertexes is reduced by setting in at least one instance the coordinates of at least two adjacent ones of said vertexes of said first set of vertexes equal to the coordinates of one of said vertexes of said second set.