[Insight-users] Marching Cubes itkReadITKImage3DSegmentShowVTK

[Bill Lorensen]

Luis,

A minor addition (or correction) to your comments on vtkMarchingCubes.
The SynchronizedTemplates code you mentioned also resided in the vtk
Patented directory. I'm pretty sure those algrotihms never eceived a
US patent. Your employer can clarify this. While they resided in the
Patented directory, the ST code did have the comments:
 	  	  	 THIS CLASS IS PATENT PENDING.
 	  	  	
 	  	  	Application of this software for commercial purposes requires
 	  	  	a license grant from Kitware. Contact:
 	  	  	Ken Martin
 	  	  	Kitware
                        28 Corporate Drive Suite 204,
                        Clifton Park, NY 12065
      	  	  	Phone:1-518-371-3971
         	  	for more information.

The vtkMarchingContourFilter uses Marching Cubes if the data set is appropriate.

Bill

On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 11:09 AM, Luis Ibanez <luis.ibanez at kitware.com> wrote:
>
>  Hi Prabhat,
>
>  The surface extraction in this example is performed by the VTK filter
>
>                     vtkContourFilter
>  http://www.vtk.org/doc/nightly/html/classvtkContourFilter.html
>
>
>  you will find the relevant code in lines 185-196
>
>
>     // Draw contours around the segmented regions
>     vtkContourFilter * contour = vtkContourFilter::New();
>     contour->SetInput( vtkImporter2->GetOutput() );
>     contour->SetValue(0, 128);
>
>     polyMapper->SetInput( contour->GetOutput() );
>
>
>
>  "Marching Cubes" is one among several other algorithms that this filter
>  can execute. If you look at the collaboration diagram in the HTML
>  Doxxygen-generated documentation (above), you will find the filters:
>
>
>            vtkGridSynchronizedTemplates3D
>            vtkSynchronizedTemplates3D
>            vtkGridSynchronizedTemplates2D
>            vtkSynchronizedTemplates2D
>
>
>  as the potential delegates for implementing this task.
>  Note that "Marching Cubes" is not in the list.
>
>
>
>  One of the reasons why alternative implementations to Marching Cubes
>  are available, is the GE patented Marching Cube algorithms, and in this
>  way deprived the larger community from using it.  This intellectual
>  monopolization resulted in the creation of alternative algorithms.
>
>
>
>  One interesting counter-example of how patents promote progress....  :-)
>
>       This time by forcing people to invent new
>       methods *different* from the patented ones   :-)
>
>
>  BTW:
>
>    The Marching Cubes patent has now expired, and the algorithm,
>    after 20 years of monopoly has entered the public domain.
>
>
>
>
>    Luis
>
>
>
>  -------------------
>
>  prabhat246 wrote:
>
> > I wanted to run marching cubes on my Dicom image set.
> > I was told to refer example
> >
> > InsightApplications-3.4.0\Auxiliary\vtk\ itkReadITKImage3DSegmentShowVTK
> >
> > I can successfully run this example. but I could not find where the actual
> Marching cube algorithm is being
> > called?
> > also How can I change the parameters of Marching cube algorithm?
> > (If I want output mesh to be coarse or dense)
> >
> > Thanks a lot.
> > Prabhat
> >
>
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