# Alpha Shapes
A Python package for reconstructing the shape of a 2D point cloud on the plane.
## Introduction
Given a finite set of points (or point cloud) in the Euclidean plane, [alpha shapes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_shape) are members of a family of closed polygons on the 2D plane associated with the shape of this point cloud. Each alpha shape is associated with a single non negative parameter **α**.
Intuitively an alpha shape can be conceptualized as follows. Imagine carving out the plane using a cookie scoop of radius 1/**α**, without removing any of the points in the point cloud. The shape that remains **is** the shape of the point cloud. If we replace the arc-like edges, due to the circular rim of the scoop, with straight segments, we are left with the alpha shape of parameter **α**.
Given a finite set of points (or point cloud) in the Euclidean plane, [alpha shapes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_shape) are members of a family of closed polygons on the 2D plane associated with the shape of this point cloud. Each alpha shape is associated with a single non negative parameter **α**.
Intuitively an alpha shape can be conceptualized as follows. Imagine carving out the plane using a cookie scoop of radius 1/**α**, without removing any of the points in the point cloud. The shape that remains **is** the shape of the point cloud. If we replace the arc-like edges, due to the circular rim of the scoop, with straight segments, we are left with the alpha shape of parameter **α**.
## Installation
```console
pip install alpha_shapes
```
## Usage
```python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from alpha_shapes import Alpha_Shaper, plot_alpha_shape
```
Define a set of points. Care must be taken to avoid duplicate points:
```python
points = [(0., 0.), (0., 1.), (1., 1.1),
(1., 0.), (0.25, 0.15), (0.65, 0.45),
(0.75, 0.75), (0.5, 0.5), (0.5, 0.25),
(0.5, 0.75), (0.25, 0.5), (0.75, 0.25),
(0., 2.), (0., 2.1), (1., 2.1),
(0.5, 2.5), (-0.5, 1.5), (-0.25, 1.5),
(-0.25, 1.25), (0, 1.25), (1.5, 1.5),
(1.25, 1.5), (1.25, 1.25), (1, 1.25),
(1., 2.), (0.25, 2.15),
(0.65, 2.45), (0.75, 2.75), (0.5, 2.25),
(0.5, 2.75), (0.25, 2.5), (0.75, 2.25)]
```
Create the alpha shaper
```python
shaper = Alpha_Shaper(points)
```
For the alpha shape to be calculated, the user must choose a value for the `alpha` parameter.
Here, let us set `alpha` to 5.3:
```python
# Calculate the shape
alpha = 5.3
alpha_shape = shaper.get_shape(alpha=alpha)
```
Visualize the result:
```python
fig, (ax0, ax1) = plt.subplots(1, 2)
ax0.scatter(*zip(*points))
ax0.set_title('data')
ax1.scatter(*zip(*points))
plot_alpha_shape(ax1, alpha_shape)
ax1.set_title(f"$\\alpha={alpha:.3}$")
for ax in (ax0, ax1):
ax.set_aspect('equal')
```

Good results depend on a successful choise for the value of `alpha`. If for example we choose a sligtly smaller value, e.g. $\alpha = 4.8$:
```python
# Calculate the shape for smaller alpha
alpha = 4.8
alpha_shape = shaper.get_shape(alpha=alpha)
fig, (ax0, ax1) = plt.subplots(1, 2)
ax0.scatter(*zip(*points))
ax0.set_title('data')
ax1.scatter(*zip(*points))
plot_alpha_shape(ax1, alpha_shape)
ax1.set_title(f"$\\alpha={alpha:.3}$")
for ax in (ax0, ax1):
ax.set_aspect('equal')
```

We find out that the hole is no longer there.
On the other hand, for larger alpha values, e.g. $\alpha = 5.6$
```python
# Calculate the shape for larger alpha
alpha = 5.6
alpha_shape = shaper.get_shape(alpha=alpha)
fig, (ax0, ax1) = plt.subplots(1, 2)
ax0.scatter(*zip(*points))
ax0.set_title('data')
ax1.scatter(*zip(*points))
plot_alpha_shape(ax1, alpha_shape)
ax1.set_title(f"$\\alpha={alpha:.3}$")
for ax in (ax0, ax1):
ax.set_aspect('equal')
```

We find out that mabe we have cut out too much. The point on the bottom right is no longer incuded in the shape
## Features
### Optimization
A satisfactory calculation of the alpha shape requires a successful guess of the alpha parameter. While trial and error might work well in some cases, users can let the `Alpha_Shaper` choose a value for them. That is what the `optimize` method is about. It calculates the largest possible value for `alpha`, so that no points from the point cloud are left out.
```python
alpha_opt, alpha_shape = shaper.optimize()
alpha_opt
```
5.331459512629298
```python
fig, (ax0, ax1) = plt.subplots(1, 2)
ax0.scatter(*zip(*points))
ax0.set_title('data')
ax1.scatter(*zip(*points))
plot_alpha_shape(ax1, alpha_shape)
ax1.set_title(f"Optimal $\\alpha={alpha_opt:.3}$")
for ax in (ax0, ax1):
ax.set_aspect('equal')
```

The optimize method runs efficiently for relatively large point clouds. Here we calculate the optimal alpha shape of an ensemble of 1000 random points uniformly distributed on the unit square.
```python
from time import time
import numpy as np
np.random.seed(42) # for reproducibility
# Define a set of random points
points = np.random.random((1000, 2))
# Prepare the shaper
alpha_shaper = Alpha_Shaper(points)
# Estimate the optimal alpha value and calculate the corresponding shape
ts = time()
alpha_opt, alpha_shape = alpha_shaper.optimize()
te = time()
print(f'optimization took: {te-ts:.2} sec')
fig, axs = plt.subplots(1,
2,
sharey=True,
sharex=True,
constrained_layout=True)
for ax in axs:
ax.plot(*zip(*points),
linestyle='',
color='k',
marker='.',
markersize=1)
ax.set_aspect('equal')
_ = axs[0].set_title('data')
plot_alpha_shape(axs[1], alpha_shape)
axs[1].triplot(alpha_shaper)
_ = axs[1].set_title(r'$\alpha_{\mathrm{opt}}$')
```
optimization took: 0.087 sec

### used as triangulation
The Alpha_Shaper class implements the interface of matplotlib.tri.Triangulation. This means that it will work with algorithms that expect a triangulation as input (e.g. for contour plotting or interpolation)
```python
# Define a set of points
np.random.seed(42) # for reproducibility
points = np.random.random((1000, 2))
x = points[:, 0]
y = points[:, 1]
z = x**2 * np.cos(5 * x * y - 8 * x + 9*y) + y**2 * np.sin(5 * x * y - 8 * x + 9*y)
# If the characteristic scale along each axis varies significantly,
# it may make sense to turn on the `normalize` option.
shaper = Alpha_Shaper(points, normalize=True)
alpha_opt, alpha_shape_scaled = shaper.optimize()
# mask = shaper.set_mask_at_alpha(alpha_opt)
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.tricontourf(shaper, z)
ax.triplot(shaper)
ax.plot(x, y, ".k", markersize=2)
ax.set_aspect('equal')
```

### Normalization
Before calculating the alpha shape, Alpha_Shaper normalizes by default the input points so that they are distributed on the unit square. When there is a scale separation along the x and y direction, deactivating this feature may yield surprising results.
```python
# Define a set of points
points = [
(0.0, 2.1),
(-0.25, 1.5),
(0.25, 0.5),
(-0.25, 1.25),
(0.75, 2.75),
(0.75, 2.25),
(0.0, 2.0),
(1.0, 0.0),
(0.25, 0.15),
(1.25, 1.5),
(1.25, 1.25),
(1.0, 2.1),
(0.65, 2.45),
(0.25, 2.5),
(0.0, 1.0),
(0.5, 0.5),
(0.5, 0.25),
(0.5, 0.75),
(0, 1.25),
(1.5, 1.5),
(1.0, 2.0),
(0.25, 2.15),
(1.0, 1.1),
(0.75, 0.75),
(0.75, 0.25),
(0.0, 0.0),
(-0.5, 1.5),
(1, 1.25),
(0.5, 2.5),
(0.5, 2.25),
(0.5, 2.75),
(0.65, 0.45),
]
# Scale the points along the x-dimension
x_scale = 1e-3
points = np.array(points)
points[:, 0] *= x_scale
# Create the alpha shape without accounting for the x and y scale separation
unnormalized_shaper = Alpha_Shaper(points, normalize=False)
_, alpha_shape_unscaled = unnormalized_shaper.optimize()
# If the characteristic scale along each axis varies significantly,
# it may make sense to turn on the `normalize` option.
shaper = Alpha_Shaper(points, normalize=True)
alpha_opt, alpha_shape_scaled = shaper.optimize()
# Compare the alpha shapes calculated with and without scaling.
fig, (ax0, ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(
1, 3, sharey=True, sharex=True, constrained_layout=True
)
ax0.scatter(*zip(*points))
ax0.set_title("data")
ax1.scatter(*zip(*points))
ax2.scatter(*zip(*points))
plot_alpha_shape(ax1, alpha_shape_scaled)
ax1.set_title("with normalization")
ax2.set_title("without normalization")
plot_alpha_shape(ax2, alpha_shape_unscaled)
for ax in (ax1, ax2):
ax.set_axis_off()
for ax in (ax0, ax1, ax2):
ax.set_aspect(x_scale)
```

## Inspiration
This library is inspired by the [alphashape](https://github.com/bellockk/alphashape) library.