A search engine for 3D models

TLDR

The growing availability of 3D models on the Web creates a need for a dedicated search engine, as conventional text‑based techniques often fail to retrieve such data effectively. This study explores novel shape‑based search techniques for locating 3D models. The authors built a web‑based engine that accepts 3D sketches, 2D sketches, 3D models, or text queries, and employs a spherical‑harmonics‑based matching algorithm that avoids model repair or orientation alignment. The system achieves 46–245 % higher precision–recall than existing shape‑matching methods, returns results for 20,000 models in under a second, and supports a growing interactive index of 3D models comparable to Google for 3D models.

Abstract

As the number of 3D models available on the Web grows, there is an increasing need for a search engine to help people find them. Unfortunately, traditional text-based search techniques are not always effective for 3D data. In this article, we investigate new shape-based search methods. The key challenges are to develop query methods simple enough for novice users and matching algorithms robust enough to work for arbitrary polygonal models. We present a Web-based search engine system that supports queries based on 3D sketches, 2D sketches, 3D models, and/or text keywords. For the shape-based queries, we have developed a new matching algorithm that uses spherical harmonics to compute discriminating similarity measures without requiring repair of model degeneracies or alignment of orientations. It provides 46 to 245% better performance than related shape-matching methods during precision--recall experiments, and it is fast enough to return query results from a repository of 20,000 models in under a second. The net result is a growing interactive index of 3D models available on the Web (i.e., a Google for 3D models).