GPU material assignment for 3D printing using 3D distance fields
AssigneeStratasys, Inc.
InventorsBlake Zachary Courter, Stephen Demai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for generating slice data for additive manufacturing, comprises a graphics processing unit (GPU) that receives a digital model of an object in a three-dimensional build space defined over a plurality of slices, computes a three-dimensional signed distance field over voxels in the build space, assigns a building material to each voxel based on a respective distance field value, and generates slice data output pertaining to the building material assignments for each slice. The slice data output can be used for printing the object in layers corresponding to the slices. The distance field comprises one or more vector having a vertical component with respect to the slices.
Claims20
A method of generating additive manufacturing data for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
- receiving a digital model of an object in a build space defined over a plurality of voxels;
- computing over said build space a distance field associating a vector to each voxel;
- assigning a building material to each voxel based on at least one periodic function of a respective vector associated with said voxel, wherein said at least one periodic function is selected to define a lattice structure in said build space;
- generating additive manufacturing data pertaining to said building material assignments for printing said object in layers by additive manufacturing.
A system for generating additive manufacturing data for additive manufacturing of an object described by a digital model in a three-dimensional build space defined over a plurality of voxels, the system comprising:
- an image processor, being in communication with a controller of an additive manufacturing system and having a circuit configured to receive the digital model, to compute over said build space a distance field associating each voxel with a vector, to assign a building material to each voxel based on at least one periodic function of a respective vector associated with said voxel, said at least one periodic function being selected to define a lattice structure in said build space, and to generate additive manufacturing data pertaining to said building material assignments for transmission of the additive manufacturing data to said controller.
A three-dimensional object, manufactured by additive manufacturing, and comprising:
- a first periodic lattice structure within a first layered region of the object;
- a second periodic lattice structure within a second layered region of the object;
- and
- a blending of said first periodic lattice structure and said second periodic lattice structure within a layered lattice blending region extending from said first region to said second region within said object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.