Clarified triangulation code and added docs.

triangulation.scad

@@ -1,33 +1,44 @@
 use <math.scad>
 
 
-function winding_dir(points, face) =
+// Given an array of vertices (`points`), and a list of indexes into the
+// vertex array (`face`), returns the normal vector of the face.
+//   points = Array of vertices for the polyhedron.
+//   face = The face, given as a list of indices into the vertex array `points`.
+function face_normal(points, face) =
 	let(count=len(face))
+	normalize(
 		sum(
 			[
 				for(i=[0:count-1]) cross(
 					points[face[(i+1)%count]]-points[face[0]],
 					points[face[(i+2)%count]]-points[face[(i+1)%count]]
 				)
-		],
+			]
-		0
+		)
 	)
 ;
 
 
-function find_convex_vertex(dir, points, face, i=0) =
+// Returns the index of a convex point on the given face.
+//   points = Array of vertices for the polyhedron.
+//   face = The face, given as a list of indices into the vertex array `points`.
+//   facenorm = The normal vector of the face.
+function find_convex_vertex(points, face, facenorm, i=0) =
 	let(count=len(face),
 		p0=points[face[i]],
 		p1=points[face[(i+1)%count]],
 		p2=points[face[(i+2)%count]]
 	)
 	(len(face)>i)?
-		(cross(p1-p0, p2-p1)*dir>0)? (i+1)%count : find_convex_vertex(dir, points, face, i+1)
+		(cross(p1-p0, p2-p1)*facenorm>0)? (i+1)%count : find_convex_vertex(points, face, facenorm, i+1)
 	: //This should never happen since there is at least 1 convex vertex.
 		undef
 ;
 
 
+//   points = Array of vertices for the polyhedron.
+//   face = The face, given as a list of indices into the vertex array `points`.
 function point_in_ear(points, face, tests, i=0) =
 	(i<len(face)-1)?
 		let(
@@ -52,6 +63,8 @@ function check_point_in_ear(point, tests) =
 ;
 
 
+// Removes the last item in an array if it is the same as the first item.
+//   v = The array to normalize.
 function normalize_vertex_perimeter(v) =
 	(len(v) < 2)? v :
 		(v[len(v)-1] != v[0])? v :
@@ -59,21 +72,15 @@ function normalize_vertex_perimeter(v) =
 ;
 
 
-function triangulate_faces(points, faces) =
+// Given a face in a polyhedron, and a vertex in that face, returns true
-	[
+// if that vertex is the only non-colinear vertex in the face.
-		for (i=[0 : len(faces)-1])
+//   points = Array of vertices for the polyhedron.
-			let(facet = normalize_vertex_perimeter(faces[i]))
+//   facelist = The face, given as a list of indices into the vertex array `points`.
-			for (face = triangulate_face(points, facet))
+//   vertex = The index into `facelist`, of the vertex to test.
-				if (face[0]!=face[1] && face[1]!=face[2] && face[2]!=face[0]) face
+function is_only_noncolinear_vertex(points, facelist, vertex) =
-	]
-;
-
-
-function is_last_off_a_line(points, facelist, vertex) =
 	let(
 		face=wrap_range(facelist, vertex+1, vertex-1),
-		count=len(face),
+		count=len(face)
-		dir=winding_dir(points, face)
 	)
 	0==sum(
 		[
@@ -88,30 +95,34 @@ function is_last_off_a_line(points, facelist, vertex) =
 ;
 
 
+// Given a face in a polyhedron, subdivides the face into triangular faces.
+// Returns an array of faces, where each face is a list of vertex indices.
+//   points = Array of vertices for the polyhedron.
+//   face = The face, given as a list of indices into the vertex array `points`.
 function triangulate_face(points, face) =
 	let(count=len(face))
 	(3==count)?
 		[face]
 	:
 		let(
-			dir=winding_dir(points, face),
+			facenorm=face_normal(points, face),
-			cv=find_convex_vertex(dir, points, face),
+			cv=find_convex_vertex(points, face, facenorm),
 			pv=(count+cv-1)%count,
 			nv=(cv+1)%count,
 			p0=points[face[pv]],
 			p1=points[face[cv]],
 			p2=points[face[nv]],
 			tests=[
-				[cross(dir, p0-p2), cross(dir, p0-p2)*p0],
+				[cross(facenorm, p0-p2), cross(facenorm, p0-p2)*p0],
-				[cross(dir, p1-p0), cross(dir, p1-p0)*p1],
+				[cross(facenorm, p1-p0), cross(facenorm, p1-p0)*p1],
-				[cross(dir, p2-p1), cross(dir, p2-p1)*p2]
+				[cross(facenorm, p2-p1), cross(facenorm, p2-p1)*p2]
 			],
 			ear_test=point_in_ear(points, face, tests),
 			clipable_ear=(ear_test[0]<0),
 			diagonal_point=ear_test[1]
 		)
 		(clipable_ear)? // There is no point inside the ear.
-			is_last_off_a_line(points, face, cv)?
+			is_only_noncolinear_vertex(points, face, cv)?
 				// In the point&line degeneracy clip to somewhere in the middle of the line.
 				flatten([
 					triangulate_face(points, wrap_range(face, cv, (cv+2)%count)),
@@ -131,4 +142,18 @@ function triangulate_face(points, face) =
 ;
 
 
+// Subdivides all faces for the given polyhedron that have more than 3 vertices.
+// Returns an array of faces where each face is a list of 3 vertex array indices.
+//   points = Array of vertices for the polyhedron.
+//   faces = Array of faces for the polyhedron. Each face is a list of 3 or more indices into the `points` array.
+function triangulate_faces(points, faces) =
+	[
+		for (i=[0 : len(faces)-1])
+			let(facet = normalize_vertex_perimeter(faces[i]))
+			for (face = triangulate_face(points, facet))
+				if (face[0]!=face[1] && face[1]!=face[2] && face[2]!=face[0]) face
+	]
+;
+
+
 // vim: noexpandtab tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 nowrap