Decimation

Decimate a mesh

import pyvista as pv
from pyvista import examples

mesh = examples.download_face()

# Define a camera position that shows this mesh properly
cpos = [(0.4, -0.07, -0.31), (0.05, -0.13, -0.06), (-0.1, 1, 0.08)]
dargs = dict(show_edges=True, color=True)

# Preview the mesh
mesh.plot(cpos=cpos, **dargs)

Now let’s define a target reduction and compare the pyvista.PolyData.decimate() and pyvista.PolyData.decimate_pro() filters.

target_reduction = 0.7
print(f"Reducing {target_reduction * 100.0} percent out of the original mesh")

Reducing 70.0 percent out of the original mesh

decimated = mesh.decimate(target_reduction)

decimated.plot(cpos=cpos, **dargs)

pro_decimated = mesh.decimate_pro(target_reduction, preserve_topology=True)

pro_decimated.plot(cpos=cpos, **dargs)

Side by side comparison:

p = pv.Plotter(shape=(1, 3))
p.add_mesh(mesh, **dargs)
p.add_text("Input mesh", font_size=24)
p.camera_position = cpos
p.reset_camera()
p.subplot(0, 1)
p.add_mesh(decimated, **dargs)
p.add_text("Decimated mesh", font_size=24)
p.camera_position = cpos
p.reset_camera()
p.subplot(0, 2)
p.add_mesh(pro_decimated, **dargs)
p.add_text("Pro Decimated mesh", font_size=24)
p.camera_position = cpos
p.reset_camera()
p.link_views()
p.show()