Just a couple weeks ago I had to do something pretty similar (reduce a complex outline to a simpler one) and found a pretty simple starting point: Ramer Douglas Peucker algorithm. I'd suggest taking the leftmost and rightmost points to use as the endpoints, and make two paths (upper and lower). Then, if you're finding the error at the left and right ends to be apparent, then select a couple points near the left and right sides and run on the shorter paths. Then merge them. I didn't need to do that, so I contented myself with the upper and lower paths it created. Worked nicely, and pretty simple to code, too. It was actually *harder* to find the appropriate search terms than to code it.
Update: forgot to mention it--the first step would be to provide a list of points defining the boundary. Then use the algorithm to cull the list of points to the most efficient set.
...roboticus
When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.
In reply to Re^2: pixel in ellipsis:
by roboticus
in thread Graphics math.
by BrowserUk
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