Three-dimensional object production

Apparatus to produce a three-dimensional object, the apparatus being to:

• receive object data representing an object to be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, the object data comprising data representing a plurality of planar surfaces of the object;
• determine a plurality of sets of angles, each of the plurality of sets of angles corresponding to a respective object orientation of the object and comprising a respective plurality of angles, each of the respective plurality of angles being an angle between a respective planar surface of the plurality of planar surfaces and a plane of a reference surface of the apparatus for the respective object orientation;
• and
• select a manufacturing orientation of the object on the basis of the determined plurality of sets of angles and a further property of the object different to the determined sets of angles.

A method of selecting a manufacturing orientation of an object to be formed by an additive manufacturing apparatus, the method comprising:

• receiving object data representing an object to be manufactured by an additive manufacturing process, the object data comprising data representing a plurality of planar surfaces of the object;
• iteratively processing the object data to generate a plurality of values of an orientation parameter, each of the plurality of values corresponding to a respective candidate manufacturing orientation of a plurality of candidate manufacturing orientations of the object, the plurality of values being determined based on at least two of:
• orientations of respective planar surfaces of the object when the object has a respective orientation;
• an extent of the object in a direction perpendicular to a plane of a reference of an additive manufacturing apparatus when the object has a respective orientation;
• a two-dimensional extent of the object parallel to the plane of the reference surface when the object has a respective orientation;
• and
• a tensile strength of the object in a direction parallel to the plane of the reference surface when the object has a respective orientation;
• and
• selecting a preferred manufacturing orientation of the object based on the plurality of values.