For some time I have been considering how to make extremely complex
shapes such as Babylon 5. I considered on huge mesh but that is hugely
memory intensive and has smoothing problems. Then a spline fit to points
and making as surface of rotation but that precludes sharp angles that
will hold up when moving to a close view. 

	Both suffer from the problem of producing a texture that will survive a
closeup view. 

	Finally it dawns on me to try to make a model that imitates life.
Consider it the Lego approach rather than brick texture approach. I have
not tried this yet. I am presenting it as a way of talking it outself to
myself and inviting comments. 

	A structure such as B5 would be a set of plates welded to a framework.
Thus for each area of the structure, regardless of how odd the shape,
only need only one mesh (or heighfield or CGS) rotated and translated
enough times to make a ring. Another plate can be a junction to a
different shape. Each plate can have a texture that survives a closeup
and would hopefully appear realistic with a long shot. At least it will
look consistant. 

	Creating each plate by means other than CGS will be a modest to severe
math challenge depending upon the shape desired. And CGS would not
always be applicable unless spline section of rotation. And the more
methods are mixed the more difficult making the math used for each
congruent. 

	Obviously there are downsides to this method. It appears essential to
do everything from start to finish not only with a calculator but with
everything in terms of analytic geometry, I think called algebraic
geometry since I went through the drill. If CGS then the size of the
surface is defined in terms of angular size and the cutting planes
positioned by those angles. 

-- 
Alice: I'm voting for Gore because he is handsome.
Sarah: I'm voting fore Bush because he is cute.
Remember guys, those girls are voting. 
	-- The Iron Webmaster, 34

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