A FEM MODEL FOR FINDING GEODESIC ON DISCRETE SURFACES COMPOSED OF TRIANGLES

摘要

The use of geodesic lines is a practical and economical method in the cutting process of textile structures. In this paper, methods for finding geodesic between two points are described. A new method based on FEM theory is proposed and equations are derived for finding the geodesic on discrete surfaces composed of triangles. Numerical examples show that the method of this paper is suitable for both developable and undevelopable surfaces, and is with high efficiency and high accuracy.