> The other issue that comes up again and again is self-intersecting paths. Most published algorithms you'll find don't bother to support them, which also makes them not very useful in reality because self-intersecting paths are everywhere.
Exactly this. This is the biggest challenge when doing useful stuff with curves in graphics design/3D.
Curve offsetting is a common tool to produce paths (2D), extrusions & bevels (3D) etc. Whenever the offset distance exceeds the local radius of curvature intersections occur.
When you have some clever algorithm to deal with those, e.g. clipping them out, you're then faced with offset curves that have different parameterization than the original. Try to create a patch mesh from those then.
This is a huge brain fuck and every time you think you got it worked out another edge case you didn't think about will creep up from out of nowhere.
Exactly this. This is the biggest challenge when doing useful stuff with curves in graphics design/3D.
Curve offsetting is a common tool to produce paths (2D), extrusions & bevels (3D) etc. Whenever the offset distance exceeds the local radius of curvature intersections occur.
When you have some clever algorithm to deal with those, e.g. clipping them out, you're then faced with offset curves that have different parameterization than the original. Try to create a patch mesh from those then.
This is a huge brain fuck and every time you think you got it worked out another edge case you didn't think about will creep up from out of nowhere.