System and method of determining support locations for additively manufactured build parts

An additive manufacturing system comprising:

• a display device;
• and
• one or more processors operably coupled to the display device, the one or more processors configured to determine one or more geometrical characteristics of each of multiple segments of a build part at a candidate position of the build part relative to an additive manufacturing instrument, wherein the one or more geometrical characteristics, for each corresponding segment of the segments, include an angle of incidence between (i) a beam line extending from an electromagnetic energy source of the additive manufacturing instrument to a surface layer of the build part at the corresponding segment and (ii) a surface normal vector of a respective skin of the corresponding segment proximate to the beam line, wherein the skin of the corresponding segment is a side surface of one or more layers of the build part immediately below the surface layer,
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine, based at least on the one or more geometrical characteristics including the angles of incidence, one or more locations of support material to be formed adjacent the build part during a build process of the build part at the candidate position, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate and display a virtual representation of the build part at the candidate position on the display device, the virtual representation including the support material at the one or more locations that are determined.