Method and apparatus for generating geometric data for use in additive manufacturing

Apparatus for generating geometric data for use in an additive manufacturing process, the apparatus comprising a processing unit arranged to receive data defining surface geometry of objects to be built together in an additive manufacturing process, define each of the objects using a hierarchy of data structures, each data structure of the hierarchy defining at least one further attribute type of the objects and attributes of each object defined by a corresponding instance of each data structure of the hierarchy, the instance of each non-terminal data structure capable of defining at least one attribute common to a plurality of objects, carry out a slicing operation for determining sections of at least one of the objects to be built in the additive manufacturing process and, for each section, carry out a scan parameter operation to determine scan parameters for a laser or electron beam to use when solidifying areas of a powder layer to form the section, wherein the scan parameter operation is carried out on an object definition provided by the corresponding instance of one of the non-terminal data structures of the hierarchy.

A method for generating geometric data for use in an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising receiving data defining surface geometry of objects to be built together in an additive manufacturing process, defining the objects by creating instances of data structures of a hierarchy of data structures, each data structure defining at least one further attribute type of the objects and attributes of each object defined by a corresponding instance of each data structure of the hierarchy, at least one instance of a non-terminal data structure defining at least one attribute common to a plurality of the objects, and carrying out a slicing operation for determining sections of at least one of the objects, wherein the slicing operation is carried out on an object definition provided by the at least one instance of the non-terminal data structure of the hierarchy defining at least one attribute of the plurality of the objects.

A method for generating geometric data for use in an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising receiving data defining surface geometry of objects to be built together in an additive manufacturing process, defining the objects by creating instances of data structures of a hierarchy of data structures, each data structure defining at least one further attribute type of the objects and attributes of each object defined by a corresponding instance of each data structure of the hierarchy, at least one instance of a non-terminal data structure defining at least one attribute common to a plurality of the objects, carrying out a slicing operation for determining sections of a plurality of the objects to be built in the additive manufacturing process and, for each section, carrying out a scan parameter operation to determine scan parameters for a laser or electron beam to take in solidifying areas of a powder layer to form the section, wherein the scan parameter operation is carried out on an object definition provided by the at least one instance of a non-terminal data structure of the hierarchy defining at least one attribute of the plurality of the objects.