Direction fields over point-sampled geometry

We describe techniques to establish local frames over point-sampled manifold surfaces. The tangential alignment of local frames is determined using a wave front algorithm starting from a set of pre-defined directions and conquering the remaining points. The repeated application of this algorithm is a relaxation procedure that maximizes coherence along the surface and minimizes the discrepancy to user defined or surface features. The resulting direction field serves as a parameterization for subsequent processes.