Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Spradley, JP; Pampush, JD; Morse, PE; Kay, RF
Published in: American journal of physical anthropology
May 2017

Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) is a metric of surface topography that has been used to evaluate the relationship between the surface complexity of primate cheek teeth and dietary categories. This study examines the effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on DNE. We examine how different protocols influence the DNE of a simple geometric shape-a hemisphere-to gain a more thorough understanding than can be achieved by investigating a complex biological surface such as a tooth crown.We calculate DNE on 3D surface meshes of hemispheres and on primate molars subjected to various retriangulation protocols, including smoothing algorithms, smoothing amounts, target face counts, and criteria for boundary face exclusion. Software used includes R, MorphoTester, Avizo, and MeshLab. DNE was calculated using the R package "molaR."In all cases, smoothing as performed in Avizo sharply decreases DNE initially, after which DNE becomes stable. Using a broader boundary exclusion criterion or performing additional smoothing (using "mesh fairing" methods) further decreases DNE. Increasing the mesh face count also results in increased DNE on tooth surfaces.Different retriangulation protocols yield different DNE values for the same surfaces, and should not be combined in meta-analyses. Increasing face count will capture surface microfeatures, but at the expense of computational speed. More aggressive smoothing is more likely to alter the essential geometry of the surface. A protocol is proposed that limits potential artifacts created during surface production while preserving pertinent features on the occlusal surface.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

American journal of physical anthropology

DOI

EISSN

1096-8644

ISSN

0002-9483

Publication Date

May 2017

Volume

163

Issue

1

Start / End Page

94 / 109

Related Subject Headings

  • Surface Properties
  • Software
  • Primates
  • Odontometry
  • Molar
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Anthropology, Physical
  • Anthropology
  • Animals
  • Algorithms
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Spradley, J. P., Pampush, J. D., Morse, P. E., & Kay, R. F. (2017). Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 163(1), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23188
Spradley, Jackson P., James D. Pampush, Paul E. Morse, and Richard F. Kay. “Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy.American Journal of Physical Anthropology 163, no. 1 (May 2017): 94–109. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23188.
Spradley JP, Pampush JD, Morse PE, Kay RF. Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy. American journal of physical anthropology. 2017 May;163(1):94–109.
Spradley, Jackson P., et al. “Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy.American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 163, no. 1, May 2017, pp. 94–109. Epmc, doi:10.1002/ajpa.23188.
Spradley JP, Pampush JD, Morse PE, Kay RF. Smooth operator: The effects of different 3D mesh retriangulation protocols on the computation of Dirichlet normal energy. American journal of physical anthropology. 2017 May;163(1):94–109.
Journal cover image

Published In

American journal of physical anthropology

DOI

EISSN

1096-8644

ISSN

0002-9483

Publication Date

May 2017

Volume

163

Issue

1

Start / End Page

94 / 109

Related Subject Headings

  • Surface Properties
  • Software
  • Primates
  • Odontometry
  • Molar
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Anthropology, Physical
  • Anthropology
  • Animals
  • Algorithms