Signed Distance Function (SDF)

A Signed Distance Function (SDF) is a mathematical function that describes a shape in space. It gives the shortest distance from a given point in space to the surface of the shape.

Distance Value

The distance is positive if the point is outside the shape, negative if inside, and zero if on the surface.

Saw this in nvblox. Kajanan explained it to me.

Resources

• https://hackaday.com/2023/04/12/signed-distance-functions-modeling-in-math/
• https://developer.nvidia.com/gpugems/gpugems3/part-v-physics-simulation/chapter-34-signed-distance-fields-using-single-pass-gpu

In Nvblox, they use Truncated Signed Distance Function (TSDF).