Posted by David Faught on Sep 20, 2006; 6:45pm
URL: https://forum.world.st/Newest-CCPainter-underinflated-tp129418.html

From the MC package description:
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This version of CCPainter contains a partially successful test of a
different method of "plumping" a 2D drawing into a 3D object.

** For a more stable CCPainter, use either an older or newer version. **
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The method of inflation that was tested here is based on building a
"neighbor map" by accumulating successive increasingly offset BitBlt
copies of a mask of the 2D drawing, and then using a form of "marching
squares" to build a mesh from this heightmap.

This approach basically works, but is less than an exciting
breakthrough.  Here are some initial observations:

1. The speed of the process is relatively stable, partially because of
the way that the marching squares algorithm was done.  I believe
subjectively that the marching squares part of the process is the most
time consuming part.

2.  The result is less than great because I did not (yet) eliminate
flat background portions of the mesh nor knit together openings along
the edges.

3.  The result looks more like embossing than rounded inflating.

4.  Smaller details may not be picked up in the heightmap because of
the increment of the marching squares.

5.  I believe the process to be relatively bulletproof in terms of
lack of failures because of unusual input drawings.  I could be wrong.

Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for improving
on this process.  Otherwise, I will probably just file it away.