Smooth Curves with John Hobby’s Algorithm
Primary Source: https://jake-low.github.io/hobby-curves/
Author: Jake Low & John Hobby · Year: 2019 · Publisher: Interactive Computational Geometry Essay
Summary
Jake Low’s comprehensive breakdown of John D. Hobby’s smooth curve algorithm (originally created for Metafont). The algorithm solves for visually pleasing, aesthetically natural spline curves passing through arbitrary points using tension parameters and curvature minimization.
Key Points
- Aesthetic Spline Interpolation: Solves the common pitfalls of standard Catmull-Rom and natural cubic splines (such as unwanted inflection points and looping).
- Linear System of Angles: Formulates mock-curvature equations into a tridiagonal matrix system that solves efficiently in linear time O(n).
- Tension and Curl Control: Provides intuitive parameters for artists and designers to adjust curve tightness at control points.