Alternatives to Convex Hull or pointcloud to mesh processing

Question

I'm trying to wrap my head around rendering point clouds. Right now I'm using Processing/Java, and have a pseudo working thing using QuickHull 3D, but it's not what I've been looking for, effect wise.

This is a sample of what I have: http://vimeo.com/17509829 Here's the javadocs for Quickhull3D: http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~lloyd/java/doc/quickhull3d/index.html

The Convex hull method is effective for identifying a bounding type of mesh, but not what I'm looking for, which is closer to a "shrink wrap" effect. I had hoped that I might be able to limit the distance two vertices might be joined by the QuickHull3D, but no go. Long story short, what's happening is this: http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~algorith/files/convex-hull.shtml

And I want to be able to identify that the G is a G, however crudely.

Can anyone recommend a different approach for tackling this, a second step that I'm missing/unaware of, or alternatively, a way of actually limiting the distance for joining those vertecies? I know that's kinda not the point of the convex hull approach, so I shy from asking that, but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer 1

It looks like Alpha shapes might be what you're looking for.