Abstract

The paper presents an approach to modeling heterogeneous objects as multidimensional point sets with multiple attributes (hypervolumes). A theoretical framework is based on a hybrid model of hypervolumes combining a cellular representation and a constructive representation using real-valued functions. This model allows for independent but unifying representation of geometry and attributes, and makes it possible to represent dimensionally non-homogeneous entities and their cellular decompositions. Hypervolume model components such as objects, operations and relations are introduced and outlined. The framework's inherent multidimensionality allowing, in particular, to deal naturally with time dependence promises to model complex dynamic objects composed of different materials with constructive building of their geometry and attributes. Attributes given at each point can represent properties of arbitrary nature (material, photometric, physical, statistical, etc.). To demonstrate a particular application of the proposed framework, we present an example of multimaterial modeling – a multilayer geological structure with cavities and wells. Another example illustrating the treatment of attributes other than material distributions is concerned with time-dependent adaptive mesh generation where function representation is used to describe object geometry and density of elements in the cellular model of the mesh. The examples have been implemented by using a specialized modeling language and software tools being developed by the authors.