Meeting Agenda

Date:	September 1, 2010
Location:	DC 1331
Time:	1:30
Chair:	Bill Cowan

1. Acceptance of the Agenda - additions or deletions

2. Coffee Hour

Coffee hour last week:: Philippe - thanks!
Coffee hour this week:: Volunteers?
Coffee hour next week:: Volunteers?

3. Forthcoming

Date:	September 8, 2010	September 15, 2010	September 22, 2010	September 29, 2010
Location:	DC 1331 1:30	DC 1331 1:30	DC 1331 1:30	DC 1331 1:30
Chair:	Elodie Fourquet	Eugene Greene	Marshall Hahn	Tiffany Inglis
Technical Presentation:	Bill Cowan	Gabriel Esteves	Elodie Fourquet	Eugene Greene

4. Technical Presentation

Marshall Hahn	Title : Software Simulation of 5-Axis CNC Milling using Multidirectional Heightmaps Abstract: Machinists often simulate a part program to verify its correctness, since mistakes can cause damage to the part, machine, yourself, or others. A popular approach for part program simulation involves representing the stock (the material the part is being carved from) as a heightmap. Although this approach is computationally fast and memory efficient, only objects that are representable as functional surfaces (e.g., z = f(x,y)) can be machined. A new heightmap-based data structure, called a multidirectional heightmap, does not have this limitation. A multidirectional heightmap, in response to an overhang, recursively subdivides itself until each piece can be represented by an axis-aligned heightmap. More precisely, a multidirectional heightmap is a kD-tree with the property that all cells are ``functional'': each cell contains a heightmap that represents a functional portion of the stock. In this talk, I will focus on the techniques used to minimize the total number of subdivision operations required.

Marshall Hahn

Title : Software Simulation of 5-Axis CNC Milling using Multidirectional Heightmaps
Abstract:
Machinists often simulate a part program to verify its correctness, since mistakes can cause damage to the part, machine, yourself, or others. A popular approach for part program simulation involves representing the stock (the material the part is being carved from) as a heightmap. Although this approach is computationally fast and memory efficient, only objects that are representable as functional surfaces (e.g., z = f(x,y)) can be machined. A new heightmap-based data structure, called a multidirectional heightmap, does not have this limitation. A multidirectional heightmap, in response to an overhang, recursively subdivides itself until each piece can be represented by an axis-aligned heightmap. More precisely, a multidirectional heightmap is a kD-tree with the property that all cells are ``functional'': each cell contains a heightmap that represents a functional portion of the stock. In this talk, I will focus on the techniques used to minimize the total number of subdivision operations required.

5. Discussion Items

Rudolfo is taking a little vacation.

6. Action Items

Poster!
Esen is taking a little vacation.
Zainab will be doing her tech talk on Marshall's day.

7. Conferences and Special Journal Issues

Recent Additions

Upcoming Deadlines

8. Directors' Meeting

9. Seminars and Events

None of the above. Whew!

and CS postings.