US 2015/0309494 A1Published application

Three-dimensional printing apparatus and three-dimensional printing method

AssigneeRoland Dg Corporation

InventorsKouichi KOBAYASHI, Akihiro SUZUKI

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing apparatus receives or generates three-dimensional data representing a shape of a three-dimensional object to be formed, and generates cross-sectional image data from the three-dimensional data to form the three-dimensional object in accordance with the generated cross-sectional image data. The apparatus includes a display that presents images, a generator that adds thickness information to the cross-sectional image data of each layer of the object, thus generating layer image data three-dimensionally representing each layer of the object, an output interface that outputs the generated layer image data, and a display controller that causes the display to present a first image upon formation of a predetermined layer of the object in accordance with the cross-sectional image data of the predetermined layer. The first image is based on the layer image data of the predetermined layer output from the output.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A three-dimensional printing apparatus that receives or generates three-dimensional data representing a shape of a three-dimensional object to be formed, and generates cross-sectional image data from the three-dimensional data so as to form the three-dimensional object in accordance with the generated cross-sectional image data, the cross-sectional image data representing cross sections obtained by dividing the three-dimensional object, which is to be formed, into a plurality of layers continuous in a predetermined direction, the apparatus comprising:

a display configured or programmed to present images;
a layer image data generator configured or programmed to add thickness information to the cross-sectional image data of each of the layers, thus generating layer image data three-dimensionally representing each of the layers;
a layer image data output configured or programmed to output the layer image data generated by the layer image data generator;
and
a display controller configured or programmed to cause the display to present a first image upon formation of a predetermined layer of the three-dimensional object in accordance with the cross-sectional image data of the predetermined layer, the first image being based on the layer image data of the predetermined layer output from the layer image data output.

2 more elements

A three-dimensional printing method for forming a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

(a) preparing a display configured or programmed to present images;
(b) preparing or generating three-dimensional data representing a shape of a three-dimensional object to be formed;
(c) generating cross-sectional image data from the three-dimensional data, the cross-sectional image data representing cross sections obtained by dividing the three-dimensional object, which is to be formed, into a plurality of layers continuous in a predetermined direction;
(d) adding thickness information to the cross-sectional image data of each of the layers, thus generating layer image data three-dimensionally representing each of the layers;
(e) outputting the layer image data generated in the step (d);
(f) causing the display to present a first image upon formation of a predetermined layer of the three-dimensional object in accordance with the cross-sectional image data of the predetermined layer, the first image being based on the layer image data of the predetermined layer output in the step (e);
and
(g) forming the three-dimensional object in accordance with the generated cross-sectional image data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.