Pintamalli

Pintamalli, literally meaning “surface model” in Finnish, is a term used in Finnish technical discourse to refer to a representation of a surface geometry used for analysis, design, and simulation. In practice, pintamalli can be expressed analytically through parametric or implicit equations, or discretely as a mesh, a point cloud, or a height field.

It serves as the basis for tasks such as surface visualization, finite element analysis of contact and wear, texture and coating simulations, and quality control in manufacturing. Pintamalli provides a common abstraction that researchers and engineers can use to compare, modify, and analyze surface behavior across different tools and workflows.

In CAD and computer graphics, pintamalli supports operations like surface editing, subdivision, and texture mapping. In metrology and surface engineering, it is used to compare measured surface data with a nominal model to compute deviations, roughness, and other quality metrics. The concept underpins many workflows where accurate representation of a surface is essential for prediction, fabrication, or inspection.

The term derives from Finnish pinta (surface) and malli (model). Internationally, the idea is closely related to surface modeling or surface representation, with common implementations including parametric surfaces, NURBS, meshes, and height maps.