Question 1

What's the fastest JavaScript library for Delaunay triangulation?

Accepted Answer

Delaunator is currently the fastest, as benchmarks show it handles millions of points in seconds, significantly outperforming alternatives like d3-voronoi and incremental-delaunay. Its speed comes from efficient algorithms and flat array data structures.

Question 2

How to draw a Voronoi diagram with Delaunator?

Accepted Answer

Delaunator only computes the Delaunay triangulation; for Voronoi diagrams, you need to use a companion library like d3-delaunay which builds on Delaunator. Alternatively, you can derive Voronoi cells manually from the triangulation output, but this requires extra coding.

Question 3

Delaunator vs d3-voronoi: which should I use for mapping?

Accepted Answer

Delaunator is faster and more memory-efficient for core triangulation, while d3-voronoi includes built-in Voronoi generation and rendering. For high-performance mapping with custom visualization, use Delaunator; for quick, out-of-the-box diagrams, d3-voronoi might be easier.

Question 4

Can Delaunator handle geographic latitude/longitude coordinates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it treats coordinates as planar 2D points, so for accurate geographic use, you should project coordinates first (e.g., using D3's geo projections). Libraries like d3-geo-voronoi extend Delaunator specifically for spherical geometry.

Question 5

How to update a triangulation when points move in real-time?

Accepted Answer

Use the update() method after modifying the coords array in place; this avoids reallocation and is efficient for small changes. For large-scale dynamic updates, benchmarks suggest Delaunator's performance remains strong compared to incremental alternatives.

Question 6

Does Delaunator work with Node.js for server-side processing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's compatible with Node.js via npm install and has no browser-specific dependencies. It's commonly used in server environments for batch processing of spatial data due to its speed and low memory usage.

Question 7

What are halfedges in Delaunator and how do I use them?

Accepted Answer

Halfedges are indices that allow traversing the triangulation mesh; they're stored in an Int32Array and are useful for algorithms like mesh refinement or navigation. The README explains they correspond to triangle vertices, but using them requires understanding of computational geometry concepts.

Delaunator

What is Delaunator?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions