how to extrude a path in 3d?

Question

I'm trying to extrude a path in 3d. Nothing fancy yet, just following some points and using a regular polygon for 'tubing'. I'm using Processing for now to quickly prototype, but will later turn the code into OpenGL.

My problem is rotating the 'joints' at the right angles. I think I have a rough idea how to get the angles, not sure.

I've started from a sample by Simon Greenwold(Processing > File > Examples > 3D > Form > Vertices).Here's my attempt so far:

UPDATE > REFACTORED/SIMPLIFIED CODE

Here is the main sketch code:
int pointsNum = 10;
Extrusion star;

int zoom = 0;

void setup() {
  size(500, 500, P3D);

  PVector[] points = new PVector[pointsNum+1];
  for(int i = 0 ; i <= pointsNum ; i++){
    float angle = TWO_PI/pointsNum * i;
    if(i % 2 == 0)
      points[i] = new PVector(cos(angle) * 100,sin(angle) * 100,0);
    else
      points[i] = new PVector(cos(angle) * 50,sin(angle) * 50,0);
  }

  star = new Extrusion(10,10,points,3);
}

void draw() {
  background(0);
  lights();
  translate(width / 2, height / 2,zoom);
  rotateY(map(mouseX, 0, width, 0, PI));
  rotateX(map(mouseY, 0, height, 0, PI));
  rotateZ(-HALF_PI);
  noStroke();
  fill(255, 255, 255);
  translate(0, -40, 0);
  star.draw();
}

void keyPressed(){
  if(key == 'a') zoom += 5;
  if(key == 's') zoom -= 5;
}

And here is the Extrusion class:

import processing.core.PMatrix3D;

class Extrusion{

  float topRadius,bottomRadius,tall,sides;
  int pointsNum;
  PVector[] points;

  Extrusion(){}

  Extrusion(float topRadius, float bottomRadius, PVector[] points, int sides) {
    this.topRadius = topRadius;
    this.bottomRadius = bottomRadius;
    this.points = points;
    this.pointsNum = points.length;
    this.sides = sides;
  }

  void draw() {
    if(pointsNum >= 2){  
      float angle = 0;
      float angleIncrement = TWO_PI / sides;

      //begin draw segments between caps
      angle = 0;
      for(int i = 1; i < pointsNum ; ++i){
        beginShape(QUAD_STRIP);
        for(int j = 0; j < sides + 1; j++){
          vertex(points[i-1].x + cos(angle) * topRadius, points[i-1].y, points[i-1].z + sin(angle) * topRadius);
          vertex(points[i].x + cos(angle) * bottomRadius, points[i].y, points[i].z + sin(angle) * bottomRadius);

          angle += angleIncrement;
          }
        endShape();
      }
      //begin draw segments between caps
    }else println("Not enough points: " + pointsNum);
  }
}

UPDATE

Here is how my sketch looks like:

processing extrude http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/extrude.gif

The problem is the joints aren't at the right angle, so the extrude looks wrong. This isn't a very good example, as this could be achieved with a lathe. If I can get a lathe to work with an arbitrary set of points and an axis that will be great. I am using extrusion because I am trying to create geometric bodies based on the art of Liviu Stoicoviciu.

Here are some samples:

star painting http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/star_painting.jpg

star paper sculpture http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/star_paper_sculpture.jpg

triangles http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/triangles_pencil.jpg

Sorry about the poor quality.

As you can see in the triangles image, that would be achieved with extrusions.

UPDATE

Here's my attempt to use drhirsch's help in the draw method:

void draw() {
    if(pointsNum >= 2){  
      float angle = 0;
      float angleIncrement = TWO_PI / sides;

      //begin draw segments between caps
      angle = 0;
      for(int i = 1; i < pointsNum ; ++i){
        beginShape(QUAD_STRIP);
        for(int j = 0; j < sides + 1; j++){

          PVector s = new PVector(0,0,1);
          PVector cn = new PVector();
          points[i].normalize(cn);
          PVector r = s.cross(cn);
          float a = acos(s.dot(cn));
          PMatrix3D rot = new PMatrix3D(1,0,0,0,
                                        0,1,0,0,
                                        0,0,1,0,
                                        0,0,0,1);
          rot.rotate(a,r.x,r.y,r.z);
          PVector rotVec = new PVector();
          rot.mult(points[i],rotVec);
          rotVec.add(new PVector(cos(angle) * topRadius,0,sin(angle) * topRadius));

          vertex(points[i-1].x + cos(angle) * topRadius, points[i-1].y, points[i-1].z + sin(angle) * topRadius);
          vertex(rotVec.x,rotVec.y,rotVec.y);

          //vertex(points[i-1].x + cos(angle) * topRadius, points[i-1].y, points[i-1].z + sin(angle) * topRadius);
          //vertex(points[i].x + cos(angle) * bottomRadius, points[i].y, points[i].z + sin(angle) * bottomRadius);

          angle += angleIncrement;
          }
        endShape();
      }
      //begin draw segments between caps
    }else println("Not enough points: " + pointsNum);
  }

I've refactored the code so now the class that used to be called CShape is called Extrude, the code is less and hopefully simples, and I use an array of PVector objects instead of a Vector of PVector objects which might be confusing.

Here is my yet another attempt with some escher-esque results:

upated draw

void draw() {
    if(pointsNum >= 2){  
      float angle = 0;
      float angleIncrement = TWO_PI / sides;

      //begin draw segments between caps
      angle = 0;
      for(int i = 1; i < pointsNum ; ++i){
        beginShape(QUAD_STRIP);
        float angleBetweenNextAndPrevious = 0.0;
        if(i < pointsNum - 1) angleBetweenNextAndPrevious = PVector.angleBetween(points[i],points[i+1]);

        for(int j = 0; j < sides + 1; j++){

          PVector s = new PVector(0,0,1);
          PVector s2 = new PVector(0,0,1);
          PVector cn = new PVector();
          PVector cn2 = new PVector();
          points[i-1].normalize(cn);
          points[i].normalize(cn);
          PVector r = s.cross(cn);
          PVector r2 = s.cross(cn2);
          PMatrix3D rot = new PMatrix3D(1,0,0,0,
                                        0,1,0,0,
                                        0,0,1,0,
                                        0,0,0,1);
          PMatrix3D rot2 = new PMatrix3D(1,0,0,0,
                                        0,1,0,0,
                                        0,0,1,0,
                                        0,0,0,1);

          rot.rotate(angleBetweenNextAndPrevious,r.x,r.y,r.z);
          rot2.rotate(angleBetweenNextAndPrevious,r2.x,r2.y,r2.z);

          PVector rotVec = new PVector();
          rot.mult(points[i-1],rotVec);
          rotVec.add(new PVector(cos(angle) * topRadius,0,sin(angle) * topRadius));
          PVector rotVec2 = new PVector();
          rot2.mult(points[i],rotVec2);
          rotVec2.add(new PVector(cos(angle) * topRadius,0,sin(angle) * topRadius));

          vertex(rotVec.x,rotVec.y,rotVec.z);
          vertex(rotVec2.x,rotVec2.y,rotVec2.z);
          //vertex(points[i-1].x + cos(angle) * topRadius, points[i-1].y, points[i-1].z + sin(angle) * topRadius);
          //vertex(points[i].x + cos(angle) * bottomRadius, points[i].y, points[i].z + sin(angle) * bottomRadius);

          angle += angleIncrement;
          }
        endShape();
      }
      //begin draw segments between caps
    }else println("Not enough points: " + pointsNum);
  }
}

fix_test http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/extrude2.gif

Edit by drhirsch This should work:

void draw() {
    if(pointsNum >= 2){  
      float angle = 0;
      float angleIncrement = TWO_PI / sides;

      //begin draw segments between caps
      angle = 0;
      for(int i = 1; i < pointsNum ; ++i){
        beginShape(QUAD_STRIP);
        float angleBetweenNextAndPrevious = 0.0;
        if(i < pointsNum - 1) angleBetweenNextAndPrevious = PVector.angleBetween(points[i],points[i+1]);
        PVector s = new PVector(0,0,1);
        PVector s2 = new PVector(0,0,1);
        PVector cn = new PVector();
        PVector cn2 = new PVector();
        points[i-1].normalize(cn);
        points[i].normalize(cn2);
        PVector r = s.cross(cn);
        PVector r2 = s.cross(cn2);
        PMatrix3D rot = new PMatrix3D(1,0,0,0,
                                      0,1,0,0,
                                      0,0,1,0,
                                      0,0,0,1);
        PMatrix3D rot2 = new PMatrix3D(1,0,0,0,
                                       0,1,0,0,
                                       0,0,1,0,
                                       0,0,0,1);

        rot.rotate(angleBetweenNextAndPrevious,r.x,r.y,r.z);
        rot2.rotate(angleBetweenNextAndPrevious,r2.x,r2.y,r2.z);
        PVector rotVec = new PVector();
        PVector rotVec2 = new PVector();

        for(int j = 0; j < sides + 1; j++){
          // I am still not sure about this. Should the shape be in the xy plane 
          // if the extrusion is mainly along the z axis? If the shape is now in
          // the xz plane, you need to use (0,1,0) as normal vector of the shape
          // (this would be s and s2 above, don't use the short names I have
          // used, sorry)
          PVector shape = new PVector(cos(angle) * topRadius,0,sin(angle) * topRadius);

          rot.mult(shape, rotVec);
          rot2.mult(shape,rotVec2);

          rotVec.add(points[i-1]);
          rotVec2.add(points[i]);

          vertex(rotVec.x,rotVec.y,rotVec.z);
          vertex(rotVec2.x,rotVec2.y,rotVec2.z);
          //vertex(points[i-1].x + cos(angle) * topRadius, points[i-1].y, points[i-1].z + sin(angle) * topRadius);
          //vertex(points[i].x + cos(angle) * bottomRadius, points[i].y, points[i].z + sin(angle) * bottomRadius);

          angle += angleIncrement;
          }
        endShape();
      }
      //begin draw segments between caps
    }else println("Not enough points: " + pointsNum);
  }
}

UPDATE

Here is a simple illustration of my problem:

description http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/description.gif

The blue path is equivalent to the points[] PVector array in my code, if pointsNum = 6. The red path is what I'm struggling to solve, the green path is what I want to achieve.

UPDATE

Some minor issues with the order of vertices I think. Here are some print screens using 6 points and no (if/else % 2) star condition.

points1 http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/points1.gif

alt text http://doc.gold.ac.uk/~ma802gp/points2.gif

Answer 1

Assuming your shape has a normal vector S. In your example S would be (0,0,1), because your shape is flat in xy. You can use the cross product between the current path vector V (normalized) and S to obtain the rotation axis vector R. You need to rotate your shape around R. The angle of rotation can be obtained from the dot product between S and V. So:

R = S x V
a = arc cos(S . V)

Now you can setup a rotation matrix with R and a and rotate the shape by it.

You can use glRotate(...) to rotate the current matrix on the stack, but this can't be done between glBegin() and glEnd(). So you have to do the matrix multiplication by yourself or with a library.

Edit: After a short look at the library you are using, you should be able to setup the rotation matrix with

PVector s = new PVector(0,0,1);  // is already normalized (meaning is has length 1)
PVector cn;
current.normalize(cn);
PVector r = s.cross(cn);
float a = acos(s.dot(cn));
PMatrix rot = new PMatrix(1, 0, 0, 0,
                          0, 1, 0, 0,
                          0, 0, 1, 0,
                          0, 0, 0, 1);
rot.rotate(a, r.x, r.y, r.z);

and now multiply each element of your shape with rot and translate it by your current path vector:

PVector rotVec;
rot.mult((PVector)shape[i], rotVec);
rotVec.add(current);