We present a general method for automatic reconstruction of accurate,

concise, piecewise smooth surface models from scattered

range data. The method can be used in a variety of applications

such as reverse engineering — the automatic generation of CAD

models from physical objects. Novel aspects of the method are its

ability to model surfaces of arbitrary topological type and to recover

sharp features such as creases and corners. The method has proven

to be effective, as demonstrated by a number of examples using both

simulated and real data.