Created by: gwideman, Jan 23, 2014 4:44 pm
Revised by: gwideman, Feb 15, 2014 12:36 pm (4 revisions)

Overview

Notes on tools, libraries etc for working with surface meshes.

Obstacles

This territory seems beset with some problems:

• Libraries that depend on very outdated versions of Python
• Libraries that have many dependencies on other libraries, which themselves have awkward dependencies
• Libraries where the only reasonable way to use them is to first install some large custom Python distribution, or an entire virtual machine (as with Neuro-Debian).

Distributions

• NeuroDebian: http://neuro.debian.net/index.html Not a Python distibution per se, but includes:
  • python-surfer: http://neuro.debian.net/pkgs/python-surfer.html
• pythonxy: http://code.google.com/p/pythonxy/wiki/DeveloperGuide
• Enthought: https://www.enthought.com/
  • Canopy: https://www.enthought.com/products/canopy/
    • Mayavi: http://docs.enthought.com/mayavi/mayavi/overview.html#introduction

Libraries

• OpenCTM (Open Compressed Triangle Mesh format): http://openctm.sourceforge.net
• Python Computer Graphics Kit: http://cgkit.sourceforge.net/introduction.html
  • cgkit: Package the extends Python with 3D-related functionality
  • Maya plugin sourcepy, integrating Python interpreter into Maya
  • Some stant-alone utilities
• pyfsio: "I/O routines in Python (Numpy) to handle Freesurfer types" https://code.google.com/p/pyfsio/
  • But only seems to include read/write for mgh/mgz

Format specs

• Brainder
  • 
    

Functions

• Calculating normals of a triangle mesh using numpy: https://sites.google.com/site/dlampetest/python/calculating-normals-of-a-triangle-mesh-using-numpy
• Mesh generation with Python: http://prideout.net/blog/?p=44

Utilities

• meshconv: http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~min/meshconv/
  • converts to and from several popular 3D file formats. Currently only geometry conversion is supported.

Miscellaneous references

• http://www.dgp.toronto.edu/~rms/links.html
•