Grayscale rendering in 3d printing
AssigneeMakerBot Industries, LLC
InventorsNathaniel B. Pettis, Adam G. Mayer, Anthony James Buser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An additive three-dimensional fabrication process uses multiple build materials with different optical properties (e.g., color, opacity) at different surface depths to achieve grayscale-rendered images on exterior surfaces thereof.
Claims22
A method comprising:
- obtaining a grayscale pattern for an image, the grayscale pattern including a predetermined number of grayscale levels;
- determining a pattern for a plurality of two-dimensional layers of a first material and a second material to impart the grayscale pattern onto an exterior surface of an object, the first material being substantially opaque and the second material being substantially translucent;
- and
- fabricating the object with the plurality of two-dimensional layers using the first material and the second material according to the pattern.
A structure comprising a lamination of multiple layers of at least two build materials, the structure including an exterior surface having a grayscale image comprising regions with three or more grayscale levels, each one of the three or more grayscale levels rendered using a different number and arrangement of layers of the at least two build materials, wherein the at least two build materials include an opaque build material and a translucent build material.
A system for additive fabrication comprising:
- a supply of two materials including a substantially opaque material and a substantially translucent material;
- an extruder controllable to selectively deliver one of the two materials;
- an x-y-z positioning system controllable to move the extruder relative to a build platform;
- and
- a controller configured to operate the extruder and the x-y-z positioning system to fabricate an object from the two materials, the controller including a processor configured to receive a digital image and to control delivery of the two materials in a manner that imparts a grayscale image of the digital image to an exterior surface of the object by selectively layering the substantially translucent material over the substantially opaque material to obtain one or more predetermined grayscale levels of the grayscale image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.