1. A computer-implemented process for smoothing and compression of data having an ordered list of points including a first point, a second point and a third point, each of the points being on the perimeter of a polygon, the method comprising: determining whether the triangle defined by line segments joining the first, second, and third points has a point of significance in its interior; and if no point of significance is present in the region, removing the second point of the ordered list of points.