Content-based retrieval of 3D models in distributed Web databases by visual shape information
Jobst Löffler · 2002
Digital documents assembled from different components, like text, images, video, audio and 3D models, are supported today by many distributed applications. This paper presents a new approach to retrieving 3D models as part of digital documents using content-based image retrieval functionality. To find a 3D model best-fitting the user's query, shape information is extracted from the retrieved models and a score is generated by comparing shape images with the graphical user input. A distributed database environment with a WWW interface is presented and used as a generic implementation platform for this technique. The new retrieval method for 3D geometry is then described by extending the generic architecture in two steps, with a server-side module and an interactive client display. I outline how this method can be used for partial geometry downloading of 3D models in digital libraries.