octree-based cutting simulator

there are a few approaches to cutting-simulation
- Z-vectors (can not simulate undercuts, or 4/5-axis machining)
- voxels (very memory hungry)
- CSG (complex to code?)
- Octree (hierarchical space decomposition, memory use is roughly
proportional to the surface area of the part).

The octree-approach would require:
- an octree class with a function that can build an octree-representation
of the stock and of the tool-swept volume for a move.
- a swept-volume generator which given a cutter and a move can generate an
octree of the tool-swept-volume
- a difference operation where the swept-volume octree is subtracted from
the stock octree (the resolution of the stock octree may have to be refined
first)
- a prune operation where the octree is searched for nodes with all white
or all black children and they are collapsed into one white/black node.
- a function which can visualize the octree. This should already be
available in VTK, but may have to be written from scratch for HeeksCNC
and/or EMC2

Original issue reported on code.google.com by anders.e...@gmail.com on 20 Mar 2010 at 4:46

davidwusea / opencamlib

octree-based cutting simulator #4