Consumer-driven personalization of three-dimensional objects

A computer-aided design system comprising:

• a processor operatively coupled to a data storage system, the data storage system storing a three-dimensional (3D) model;
• and
• a data storage memory operatively coupled to the processor and comprising instructions to configure the processor to:
• create in the data storage system the 3D model of a personalized object, wherein:
• the personalized object is a representation of a real-world physical product;
• the 3D model contains one or more symbol parts, wherein each of the one or more symbol parts is a computer representation of a symbol;
• and
• a 3D font determines a shape of each of the symbol parts;
• provide a user interface to enable a user to specify the one or more symbol parts, wherein the specified one or more symbol parts personalize the real-world physical product;
• perform a transformation operation that transforms at least one symbol part of the specified one or more symbol parts of the 3D model, wherein:
• the transformation operation produces movement of the at least one symbol part in any one of six degrees of freedom;
• and
• the transformation operation enables a user to visualize in three dimensions on a computer screen a representation of the real-world physical product with the personalization, such that the transformation operation results in the 3D model being a transformed 3D model;
• perform a validation process that analyzes geometry of the transformed 3D model and determines whether the transformed 3D model is usable for manufacturing the real-world physical product;
• and
• in response to the transformed 3D model being determined as usable, define a manufacturing process to create the real-world physical product using data of the transformed 3D model;
• the validation process including (i) analyzing the transformed 3D model to determine whether the transformed 3D model includes gaps disallowed by the manufacturing process, and (ii) analyzing the transformed 3D model to ensure a sufficient thickness of the real-world physical product given a type of material to be used to manufacture the real-world physical product.

A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium comprising instructions causing a computer to:

• create in computer memory a three-dimensional (3D) model of a personalized object, wherein:
• the personalized object is a representation of a real-world physical product;
• the 3D model contains one or more symbol parts, wherein each of the one or more symbol parts is a computer representation of a symbol;
• and
• a 3D font determines a shape of each of the one or more symbol parts;
• provide a user interface to enable a user to specify the one or more symbol parts, wherein the specified one or more symbol parts personalize the real-world physical product;
• perform a transformation operation that transforms at least one symbol part of the specified one or more symbol parts of the 3D model, wherein:
• the transformation operation causes a motion of the at least one symbol part in any one of six degrees of freedom;
• and
• the transformation operation enables a user to visualize in three dimensions on a computer screen a representation of the real-world physical product with the personalization, such that the transformation operation results in the 3D model being a transformed 3D model;
• perform a validation process that analyzes geometry of the transformed 3D model and determines whether the transformed 3D model is usable for manufacturing the real-world physical product;
• and
• in response to the transformed 3D model being determined as usable, define a manufacturing process to create the real-world physical product using data of the transformed 3D model;
• the validation process including (i) analyzing the transformed 3D model to determine whether the transformed 3D model includes gaps disallowed by the manufacturing process, and (ii) analyzing the transformed 3D model to ensure a sufficient thickness of the real-world physical product given a type of material to be used to manufacture the real-world physical product.