Arc-Length Parameterized Spline Curves for Real-Time Simulation

Abstract

Abstract. Parametric curves are frequently used in computer animation and virtual environments to control the movements of synthetic objects. In many of these applications it is essential to efficiently relate parameter values to the arc length of the curve. Current approaches to compute arc length or to construct an arc-length parameterized curve are impractical to use in real-time applications. This paper presents a simple and efficient technique to generate approximately arc-length parameterized spline curves that closely match spline curves typically used to model roads in high-fidelity driving simulators. Parametric cubic splines are the curves of choice for many applications of computer graphics. They are widely used in computer animation and virtual environments to define motion paths [6]. As the parameter variable ranges over the interval of definition, the computed position traces