MeshEditing

Mesh editing is the process of altering the geometry and topology of polygonal meshes used in 3D computer graphics. A mesh is typically defined by a set of vertices, edges, and faces, usually triangles or quadrilaterals. Mesh editing tools enable users to move vertices, edit edges, and modify faces, as well as perform higher-level topological operations such as splitting or collapsing edges, merging vertices, filling holes, or retopologizing surfaces.

Common operations include smoothing to reduce noise, decimation to lower polygon counts, subdivision to add detail, and remeshing to improve element quality or adapt to sampling density. Retopology creates a clean, animation-friendly mesh topology. Editing also involves attributes such as vertex colors, normals, texture coordinates, and UV maps, which may be preserved or transferred during edits.

Efficient mesh editing relies on connectivity data structures such as half-edge, winged-edge, or DCEL representations to support local edits. Algorithms used include Laplacian smoothing, Taubin smoothing, mean value coordinates for deformation, and constraint-based methods to preserve features or boundaries. Topology-aware editing addresses challenges such as hole filling, boundary constraints, and preserving volume or sharp edges.

Applications span character modeling, architectural visualization, industrial design, scientific visualization, and medical imaging, where meshes often originate from 3D scans or simulations. File formats commonly used for mesh editing include OBJ, STL, PLY, and FBX, with GLTF gaining popularity for real-time workflows.

Mesh editing is supported by various software packages, including general-purpose 3D modeling tools and specialized mesh processing programs, enabling users to sculpt, repair, optimize, and annotate 3D surfaces.