Shifting a Curing Location During 3D Printing

A system comprising:

• a base plate configured to support a three-dimensional structure;
• a resin container that is movable with respect to the base plate;
• one or more light sources operable to emit radiation that cures resin in the resin container;
• a control system that is operable to generate control signals that coordinate movement of at least the resin container to form the three-dimensional structure from layers of the resin, wherein the generated control signals comprise control signals that:
• (a) cause a first layer of the three-dimensional structure to be formed from resin in a first area of the resin container;
• (b) after formation of the first layer, cause the resin container move with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the three-dimensional structure is formed from resin in a second area of the resin container, wherein the second area and the first area are at least partially non-overlapping;
• and
• (c) cause the second layer of the three-dimensional structure to be formed from resin in the second area of the resin container.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising:

• controlling one or more components of a 3D printer to form first layer of the 3D structure from resin in a first area of a resin container, wherein the one or more components comprise one or more of:
• (i) a base plate, wherein the resin container is movable with respect to the base plate, and (ii) one or more light sources operable to emit radiation that cures resin;
• after formation of the first layer, moving the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the 3D structure can be formed in a second area of the resin container, wherein the second area and the first area are at least partially non-overlapping;
• and
• controlling the one or more components of the 3D printer to form the second layer of the 3D structure from resin in the second area of the resin container.