Calculating surface proximity

[Miller, James V (CRD)]

You can put one of the surfaces into a vtkCellLocator, then query the locator for the "closest point"
by calling FindClosestPoint() with a vertex from the other surface.  If you are only looking for
points within a certain distance, you can use the FindClosestPointWithinRadius() method of
vtkCellLocator. These methods have been optimized about as much as we can using the current geometric
data structure.  (We actually spend most of our time searching empty space).
 
These methods are not wrapped by TCL, so you'll need to access them from C++. I believe someone
submitted a class to the mailing list that essentially provides TCL access to these methods.
 
Jim 

-----Original Message-----
From: Goodwin Lawlor [mailto:goodwin.lawlor at ucd.ie]
Sent: Friday, October 08, 1999 3:40 PM
To: vtk
Subject: Calculating surface proximity


Does anyone know of a quick way of calculating the minimum distance from a vertex on one  surface to
an opposing surface? I was thinking of orienting a cone along the normal at the vertex then clipping
the opposite surface with the cone. Then testing the vertices on the clipped surface for min.
distance to the vertex. Is there a better way,
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Goodwin



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