Generation and Editing of 2D Shapes using a Branched Representation

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new planar shape representation, the medial branch graph representation (MBGR) which allows to easily generate, vary and edit all-new sorts of parametric shapes. Each MBGR shape is described by a collection of connected control circles organized as a graph. Each pair of connected circles generates a branch of the shape. The boundaries of the branches are designed using cubic Bézier curves which enable shape representation in a compact SVG format. Each circle is associated with a regularity parameter locally controlling the smoothness of the branch connections. In this way, we can manage shapes having both sharp corners and smooth boundaries. To illustrate the potential of the MBGR representation we have created an online facility (https://mbgrg.github.io/mbgrg/) where the user can create/edit MBGR shapes automatically or interactively.