Three-dimensional printing with multi-material support

A computer program product for fabricating a external structure for a multi-material object, the computer program product comprising non-transitory computer executable code embodied in a computer-readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

• receiving a digital model of an object, the digital model specifying two or more different build materials;
• prioritizing the two or more different build materials with a ranking;
• identifying exclusive locations in the plurality of layers where a surface layer of the object has one of the two or more different build materials;
• generating an external structure for the object according to one or more design rules;
• matching a first build material of the external structure to a second build material of the object at each of the exclusive locations;
• and
• generating tool instructions for fabricating the object and the external structure using at least the first build material and the second build material.

A method for fabricating a support structure for a multi-material object, the method comprising:

• receiving a digital model of an object, the digital model specifying two or more different build materials;
• prioritizing the two or more different build materials with two or more priorities having a ranking;
• generating a support structure for the object according to one or more design rules;
• identifying a number of locations on a surface of the object contacting the support structure, and identifying one of the two or more different build materials of the object at each of the number of locations;
• matching a build material of the surface to a build material of the support structure at any immediately adjacent locations;
• projecting each of the number of locations on the surface into the support structure in a number of projections;
• selecting a build material for the support structure at a point where two projections from two locations on the surface intersect based upon the ranking of the build material at each of the two location on the surface;
• and
• generating tool instructions for fabrication of the object and the support structure using a three-dimensional printer.

A computer program product for fabricating a support structure for a multi-material object, the computer program product comprising non-transitory computer executable code embodied in a computer-readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

• receiving a digital model of an object, the digital model specifying two or more different build materials;
• prioritizing the two or more different build materials with two or more priorities having a ranking;
• generating a support structure for the object according to one or more design rules;
• identifying a number of locations on a surface of the object contacting the support structure, and identifying one of the two or more different build materials of the object at each of the number of locations;
• matching a build material of the surface to a build material of the support structure at any immediately adjacent locations;
• projecting each of the number of locations on the surface into the support structure in a number of projections;
• selecting a build material for the support structure at a point where two projections from two locations on the surface intersect based upon the ranking of the build material at each of the two location on the surface;
• and
• generating tool instructions for fabrication of the object and the support structure using a three-dimensional printer.