In this bachelor thesis we intend to create a tool for the Maya modelling software which allows the user to deform a mesh based on simple view-dependent sketching. Compared to most deformation tools that require complex controls to deform a set of vertices, our tool allows the user to deform a mesh with only two simple strokes. With the first stroke the user sketches the silhouette intended to deform and with the second stroke the new shape of the silhouette is sketched.
The approach to this problem discussed in the thesis is to first extract the view-dependent mesh silhouette corresponding to the first sketch and then deform the mesh according to the second sketch such that the mesh silhouette matches with the new sketched silhouette, while shape details and smoothness are preserved as much as possible. The extraction of the mesh silhouette from the sketch depends on some closeness and visibility constraints and to preserve details and smoothness we apply a Laplacian deformation.
This functionality is implemented as a plug-in for the Maya modelling software which extends the provided toolset to allow fast and intuitive mesh deformations based on simple and intuitive view-dependent 2D sketches.