CGAL 2.2 released

Changelog

Supported platforms

• The KAI compiler (4.0) on Solaris 5.8
• Borland C++ (5.5)

General

• There is a new, non-reference-counted kernel, Simple_cartesian. Because reference counting is not used, and thus coordinates are stored within a class, debugging is easier using this kernel. This kernel can also be faster in some cases than the reference-counted Cartesian kernel.
• A generator for ``random’’ simple polygons is now available.
• In directory demo/Robustness, programs that demonstrate typical robustness problems in geometric computing are presented along with the solutions to these problems that CGAL provides.
• The binary operations on polygons (union, intersection …) have been removed. Those operations were not documented in the previous release (2.1). Arrangements can often be used as a substitute.

New optimisation algorithms

• Min_annulus_d: Algorithm for computing the smallest enclosing annulus of points in arbitrary dimension
• Polytope_distance_d: Algorithm for computing the (squared) distance between two convex polytopes in arbitrary dimension
• Width_3: Algorithm for computing the (squared) width of points sets in three dimensions

2D Triangulations

• There are now two triangulation data structures available in CGAL. The new one uses a list to store the faces and allows one to represent two-dimensional triangulations embedded in three spaces as well as planar triangulations.
• The triangulation hierarchy which allows fast location query is now available.

3D Triangulations

• Removal as well as insertions of vertices for 3D Delaunay triangulations is now possible.

Planar Maps

• Inifinite objects can now be included in planar maps.