One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for zippering meshes of primitives. The technique involves identifying a first vertex associated with a first mesh boundary and having a first position and identifying a second vertex that is proximate to the first vertex and associated with a second mesh boundary, where the second vertex has a second position. The technique further involves determining a third position based on the first position, the second position, and a zippering strength factor, where the third position is located in a region between the first position and the second position. Filially, the technique involves moving the first vertex to the third position.