Development of a Python Application Aiming at the Teaching-learning Process of the Half-Edge Data Structure

Resumo

Solids modeling is an area of research and development with diverse applications spanning several fields
such as mathematics, computer science and engineering. All these applications require the computational
representation of physical objects as well as the storage of information related to the geometry and physical
properties of these objects. In all these cases, solid modeling aims to produce geometric models that can be used
to perform analyzes of physical phenomena. These geometric models store information describing the position,
dimension, and shape of a physical object. In this way, geometric modeling aims to create computational
representations of real objects so that it is possible to address all geometric and topological issues in a simple, fast,
and efficient way. The representation and manipulation of geometric models properly requires the use of a data
structure that allows to manage all the information necessary to describe such models. This data structure must
have characteristics such as efficiency and economy in the use of memory Therefore, understanding how the data
structure works is essential for researchers and students in the field. With this premise in mind, a Python application
called Hetool was developed to help understand the Half-Edge data structure that is commonly used in many

applications. The developed application aims to help teachers, researchers, and students during the teaching-
learning process. Furthermore, the code developed in the application will be open to users.