FULL COLOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT FABRICATION

• US 20140277661A1
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McGatha, Jesse D., Jin, Yulin, Boettcher, Shanen Jon, Amadio, Louis, Iverson, Kristofer N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,643,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49014 Calculate number and form of 2-D slices automatically from volume on screen

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards technology managing three-dimensional object fabrication in full color. In order to transform the object'"'"'s model into an instruction set for a fabrication device, a fabrication manager computes color values corresponding to geometry within a later of the object'"'"'s model. After determining an amount of each colored material to deposit, the fabrication manager generates coordinated instructions configured to deposit a combination of colored materials according to the geometry and efficiently transitioning between colored materials during object fabrication.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor, comprising, transforming a three-dimensional model into instructions for a fabrication device, including computing color values corresponding to at least a portion of at least one partition of a three-dimensional model, determining an amount of each colored material to deposit for a geometry corresponding to the at least one partition, and generating an instruction set comprising coordinated instructions corresponding to using the geometry and at least one combination of colored materials to fabricate an object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the instruction set further comprises generating the coordinated instructions comprising instructions for moving a tool head according to at least one tool path, instructions for depositing an appropriate amount of each colored material, and transitioning between colored materials during color changes.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the color values to produce at least one lighting effect.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a color change within a partition or a color change between the partitions.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying areas of the geometry for depositing a transitional material.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating an instruction configured to cause the fabrication device to identify a color change and deposit material into at least one of a purge structure, a support structure or an infill area.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the coordinated instruction set further comprises setting a positive rate or a negative rate for moving each colored material into a mixing chamber.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the coordinated instruction set further comprises setting a positive rate or a negative rate for extruding a mixture of the colored elements through a nozzle.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the coordinated instruction set further comprises adding at least one of support structures or purge structures to the three-dimensional model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the color values further comprises generating instructions for mixing the colored materials with another material, the other material having a degree of transparency.

11. A fabrication device, comprising, a first mechanism comprising a set of movable components, a second mechanism configured to deposit a colored material for three-dimensional object fabrication, and a controller coupled to the first mechanism and the second mechanism and configured to execute instructions for actuating the first mechanism and the second mechanism and causing the first mechanism to move according to a three-dimensional geometry and the second mechanism to change the colored material corresponding to color values of the three-dimensional geometry.

12. The fabrication device of claim 11, wherein the second mechanism comprises a motor driven carousel supporting vats for colored resins or resins of different properties, and a cleaning vat for removing uncured resin from an object being fabricated before switching colors or properties.

13. The fabrication device of claim 11, wherein the second mechanism comprises a tool for managing ultra-violet light application duration and intensity order to create a stippling pattern representing shades of color.

14. The fabrication device of claim 13 further comprising a control unit comprising components configured to partition a three-dimensional model into layers, decompose each layer into voxelized data comprising the color values, and generate a coordinated instruction set corresponding to a mixture of colored materials and an application of the mixture when fabricating the object.

15. The fabrication device of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to remove uncured resin using a spray or a dip with agitation.

16. The fabrication device of claim 11, wherein the second mechanism further comprises a chamber for blending colored materials into the multi-colored material.

17. The fabrication device of claim 16, wherein the second mechanism further comprises an extruder configuration, wherein the extruder configuration comprises a head having a rifled nozzle.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media or logic having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

decomposing a layer of a three-dimensional model into geometric elements;

generating data for addressable units in the layer in which each addressable unit represents a minimum amount of colored material for application on at least a portion of a geometric element associated with that unit;

storing color values in the addressable units that correspond to the geometric elements; and

generating an instruction set for applying colored materials using at least one mechanism.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

generating voxelized data from a three-dimensional mesh model and texture information, including mapping each polygon face to texture information, and mapping each vertex of a polygon face to coordinates within the texture information;

generating the voxelized data from lighting information; and

computing the color values using the voxelized data.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

converting the color values into a halftone pattern appropriate for resin curing properties.