Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Other

Juan Manuel Garcia Reyero Vinas

Jan Morovic

Peter Morovic

Marti Rius Rossell

Scott A White

Jun Zeng

Ronald Albert Askeland

Jay Stephen Gondek

Alejandro Manuel De Pena

Montserrat Solano Pallarol

Utpal Kumar Sarkar

Lluis Abello Rosello

Michel Georges Encrenaz

Alex Andrea Tallada

Andreas Muller

Scott White

David Gaston Llado

Paolo Faraboschi

A method is described in which data representing a three-dimensional object to be printed is obtained. The data comprises sub-volumes representing the three-dimensional object. A characteristic for the three-dimensional object to be printed is identified. Based on the identified characteristic, property data is set for individual sub-volumes to be used in printing the three-dimensional object. The identified characteristic is a function of the property data. The property data comprises material property data, structural property data and printing property data.

Method for setting printing properties of a three-dimensional object for additive manufacturing process

Methods and apparatus relating to three-dimensional object models are described. In one example, (i) data representing a geometrical description of a three-dimensional object defining object geometry in a geometric space and (ii) at least one object property description describing an object property in an object property space are received. The object property space and the geometric space are intersected to define an object model, wherein an object property is defined at an intersection between a described object property and defined object geometry.

Three-dimensional object representation

Apparatus and methods for transforming three dimensional object data are disclosed. In some examples, data representing a three dimensional object is received, the data comprising object property data indicative of at least one attribute of at least a portion of the three dimensional object. The object property data is transformed into a plurality of device independent object property data objects having a common data structure, each object property data object comprising a value indicative of each of a predetermined set of object properties.

Transforming three dimensional object data into object property data objects

A method for color mapping is disclosed based on obtaining a measurement of one or more characteristics of an imaging system. A set of color mappings are provided and the color mapping is selected based on the measurement. Each of the color mappings enables a mapping from a first color space to Neugebauer Primary area coverage vector space. A method for generating a color mapping is disclosed.

Color mapping

Methods and apparatus relating to substructures for three-dimensional objects are described. In an example, a processing apparatus includes: an interface to receive data representing a three-dimensional model object, the data including object model data and object property data; a mapping module to map received data to a print material coverage representation; a halftone module to provide halftone threshold data; and a substructure module to define a substructure for a three-dimensional object to be generated, the substructure specifying in at least a region thereof a consistent lattice structure and a variable material distribution. The apparatus is to apply a substructure and a halftoning to the print material coverage representation to generate control data for the production of a three-dimensional object having the substructure.

Three-dimensional object substructures

The application refers to a method for generating three-dimensional object models for an additive manufacturing process in a layer-by-layer manner, e.g. 3D-printing, and to generating control data for use by the print apparatus. The object models are generated from a geometric description and from object generation data, which comprise the print apparatus and attributes such as a halftone scheme, a print apparatus setting, an object structure and a print material coverage representation. The method is implemented in the form of a computer software product and generates data specific for each identifies printing device.

Method for generating three dimensional object models for an additive manufacturing process

Methods and apparatus associated with three-dimensional objects are described. In an example, a method comprises receiving data representing a three-dimensional model object, the data comprising object model data and object property data. For at least one object property, a sub-region of the object in which the object property is non-variable is identified and, for at least one location within the object, all sub-regions in which the location is situated are identified. Based on the combination of identified sub-regions for a location, print material data is determined for the location. Control data for the production of a three-dimensional object is generated according to the print material data.

Control data based on sub-regions with non-variable object properties

Cells of an n-dimensional object are indexed. A plurality of indexing digits are grouped for each axis of the n dimensions of the n-dimensional object. A first indexing digit of a given group is allocated to each of at least two cells resulting from at least one subdivision of the dimension of the object along the axis of the given group; and an msubsequent indexing digit of the given group is allocated to any subsequent at least two cells resulting from any subsequent at least one subdivision of at least one cell of the at least two cells resulting from the m&#x2212;1subdivision of the dimension of the object along the axis of the given group.

Indexing cells of N-dimensional objects

Methods and apparatus for three-dimensional object representation are described. In an example, data representing a three-dimensional object is received, the data comprising an object property description associated with each of a plurality of locations within the object. Distinct object property descriptions are identified and a data object, which has a plurality of addresses, is populated with data indicative of the distinct object property descriptions, such that data indicative of each distinct object property description is represented at a different address. Data comprising a representation of the object is generated, the data comprising a data object address associated with each of a plurality of locations, wherein the data object address corresponds to the address of data indicative of the object property description for that location.

Three-dimensional object presentation

Methods and apparatus relating to substructures for 3D objects are described. In an example, a method for providing a three-dimensional halftone threshold matrix is described. The method may comprise receiving a substructure model representing a three-dimensional material structure and populating each location in the substructure model at which the structure exists with a halftone threshold value.

Certain examples described herein relate to a three-dimensional threshold matrix. The three-dimensional threshold matrix may be used for three-dimensional halftoning. In one example, values for a predefined two-dimensional threshold matrix are shifted with respect to a third dimension to provide the three-dimensional threshold matrix. In one example, the three-dimensional threshold matrix may then be processed in association with a digital representation of a three-dimensional object to output discrete material arrangement instructions for at least one production material. The instructions may be used to control an additive manufacturing system to produce the three-dimensional object.

Three-dimensional threshold matrix for three-dimensional halftoning

Methods and apparatus relating to substructures for three-dimensional objects are described. In an example, a method comprises receiving a lattice model having a consistent dimensionality and determining a substructure model representing a three-dimensional material structure, the substructure model being based on the lattice model and specifying a variable material distribution. The substructure model may be populated with halftone threshold data to provide a three-dimensional halftone threshold matrix.

In an example, a method for generating control data for production of a three-dimensional object is described. A model of the three-dimensional object is obtained as a array of voxels, and it is determined for each voxel whether that voxel comprises part of a first or a second sub-object of the three-dimensional object. Each first sub-object voxel is mapped to a volume coverage representation defining print material data for that voxel. The second sub-object voxels are mapped to a volume coverage representation defining common print material data for the voxels of second sub-object. Control data for printing the first sub-object is generated from the print material data for that voxel common print material data for the Control data for printing the second sub-object is generated according to the volume coverage representation for the second sub-object.

Growing community of inventors

Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain

Juan Manuel Garcia Reyero Vinas