Support generation method and system for 3D model

Abstract

The invention discloses a support generation method and system of a 3D model, a 3D printing method and device, a binder jet manufacturing system, a photocuring printing system, a laser printing system, a computer device, a computer readable storage medium and a computer program product. The support generation method of the 3D model comprises the following steps: generating a main body structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a predefined size parameter and a first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane, and generating an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a margin parameter; wherein the size parameter is not smaller than the size of a bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to a building plane; a Boolean operation is performed to remove the intermediate structure from the body structure to generate a support for the 3D model.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and specifically to a support generation method and generation system for a 3D model, a 3D printing method and printing equipment, a binder jetting manufacturing system, a photocuring printing system, a laser printing system, a computer device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] In binder jetting 3D printing technology, the printed parts need to go through a subsequent sintering process. During the sintering process, the parts will experience a 15-20% volume shrinkage to form a dense part. The shrinkage process will generate friction with the sintering furnace bottom plate, causing the parts to deform. Therefore, a sintering base needs to be printed simultaneously during the printing process to contact the sintering furnace bottom plate and protect the parts. The valve support (also called a raft structure) provides a quick way to generate a sintering base, helping users to quickly generate a bottom plate that wraps the parts, thereby protecting the parts during the sintering process.

[0003] In 3D printing technology, the simultaneously printed packaging box (also called packaging structure) can be used as part of the final product together with the parts. It can not only support and protect the printed parts during the printing process, but also protect the parts during transportation and storage after printing.

[0004] In view of this, how to automatically generate a raft support or a packaging box for a 3D model during the pre-processing process is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned related technologies, the purpose of the present application is to provide a support generation method and generation system for a 3D model, a 3D printing method and printing equipment, a binder jet manufacturing system, a photocuring printing system, a laser printing system, a computer device, a computer-readable storage medium and a computer program product, so as to overcome the technical problem of how to automatically generate a raft support or a packaging box for a 3D model during the pre-processing process in the above-mentioned related technologies.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the first aspect disclosed in the present application discloses a method for generating supports for a 3D model, comprising the following steps: generating a main structure based on an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a size parameter and a first thickness parameter predefined corresponding to the construction plane, and generating an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a margin parameter; wherein the size parameter is not less than the size of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane; and performing a Boolean operation to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure to generate supports for the 3D model.

[0007] The second aspect of the present application discloses a 3D printing method, comprising: obtaining data to be printed, wherein the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed, wherein the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of adding support to the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application; and performing three-dimensional manufacturing based on the data to be printed to generate an object corresponding to the 3D model.

[0008] The third aspect of the present application discloses a 3D printing device, comprising: a printing platform for carrying a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; a material supply device for providing building materials, wherein the building materials include materials for generating final parts; a printing device configured to manufacture the 3D object with the building materials on the printing platform, and configured to perform three-dimensional manufacturing based on data to be printed to generate the 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0009] The fourth aspect of the present application discloses a binder jet manufacturing system, comprising: a printing platform; a powder material supply source for providing powder material, the powder material being used as a building material in the printing platform, the powder material comprising a sinterable powder; a spreader for spreading the powder material across the printing platform; a printing device configured to apply a binder to the top surface of the powder material in the printing platform according to data to be printed, so that three-dimensional manufacturing is performed based on the data to be printed to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed comprising the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0010] The fifth aspect of the present application discloses a photocuring printing system, comprising: a liquid storage mechanism for holding resin liquid; a printing platform for moving in the Z-axis direction to accumulate a solidified layer formed by the resin liquid; a Z-axis driving mechanism for driving the printing platform to move in the Z-axis direction; an energy radiation device for radiating energy toward the liquid storage mechanism so that the resin liquid is affected by the energy to form a solidified layer; a control device connected to the energy radiation device and the Z-axis driving mechanism, for acquiring data to be printed of a 3D model and controlling the energy radiation device and the Z-axis driving mechanism to coordinate work according to the data to be printed, so as to perform three-dimensional manufacturing to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0011] The sixth aspect of the present application discloses a laser printing system, comprising: a printing platform for attaching a solidified layer that is solidified layer by layer; a Z-axis drive mechanism, connected to the printing platform, for controlled movement along the Z-axis direction; a laser system, for emitting laser to irradiate metal powder laid on the printing platform; a control device, connected to the laser system and the Z-axis drive mechanism, for acquiring data to be printed of a 3D model and controlling the Z-axis drive mechanism and the laser system to coordinate work according to the data to be printed, so as to perform three-dimensional manufacturing to obtain a corresponding 3D object; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, the present application discloses a support generation system for a 3D model, comprising: a first generation module, used to generate a main structure based on an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a predefined size parameter and a first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane; wherein the size parameter is not less than the size of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane; a second generation module, used to generate an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a residual parameter; a third generation module, connected to the first generation module and the second generation module, used to perform a Boolean operation to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure to generate the support of the 3D model.

[0013] The eighth aspect of the present application discloses a computer device, comprising: a storage device for storing at least one program; a processing device connected to the storage device, for calling the at least one program from the storage device and executing it to implement the support generation method of a 3D model as described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0014] The ninth aspect of the present application discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, which, when called and executed by a computer processor, implements the support generation method for a 3D model as described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0015] In a tenth aspect, the present application discloses a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer executes the support generation method for a 3D model as described in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0016] In summary, the support generation method and generation system of the 3D model, the 3D printing method and printing equipment, the binder jet manufacturing system, the photocuring printing system, the laser printing system, the computer equipment, the computer-readable storage medium and the computer program product disclosed in the present application can automatically generate the support of the corresponding 3D model by performing Boolean operations on the main structure generated according to the offset parameters corresponding to the construction plane or the predefined size parameters and the first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane, and the intermediate structure generated based on the 3D model and a residual parameter. The present application can automatically generate corresponding supports (such as raft supports or packaging boxes) based on different 3D models to achieve synchronous printing of supports and 3D objects, thereby avoiding deformation of the 3D object during the printing process, and can also achieve stable support for the printed 3D object during the printing process to avoid tilting of the 3D object during the printing process. In addition, there is a gap between the support and the 3D model, and the 3D object can be directly separated from the support without the need for additional post-processing operations to separate the 3D object and the support. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The specific features of the invention involved in this application are shown in the attached claims. The features and advantages of the invention involved in this application can be better understood by referring to the exemplary embodiments and drawings described in detail below. The drawings are briefly described as follows:

[0018] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of a construction volume in a computer three-dimensional space in one embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 2 Shown is a flowchart of a method for generating supports for a 3D model in one embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic diagram of a 3D model located in a build volume in one embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 4 Shown is a schematic diagram of a parameter configuration window in one embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 5 Shown is a schematic diagram of a parameter configuration window in another embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Figure 6 Shown is a schematic diagram of a parameter configuration window in yet another embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 7 It is a schematic flow chart of the steps of generating a main structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane and a first thickness parameter in one embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 8 Shown is a schematic diagram of the outer contour of the projection image of a 3D model on a construction plane and the generated geometric surface in one embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Fig. 9 It is a schematic flow chart of the steps of generating a main structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane and a first thickness parameter in another embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Fig.10 Shown is a schematic diagram of the coordinate information of the bounding box corresponding to the construction plane and the generated geometric surface in one embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Fig.11 It is a schematic flow chart of the steps of generating a main structure according to a predefined size parameter and a first thickness parameter corresponding to a construction plane in one embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Fig.12 Shown is a vertical cross-sectional view of a support and 3D model with spacing parameters identified in one embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Fig.13 Shown is a vertical cross-sectional view of a support with an inclined angle identified in one embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Fig.14 It is a schematic flow chart of the steps of determining the outer contour of the intermediate structure to generate the intermediate structure in one embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Fig.15 Shown is a vertical cross-sectional view of a space grid created in one embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Fig.16 Shown is a vertical cross-sectional view of a space grid created in another embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Fig.17a Shown is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an initial outline of an intermediate structure generated after traversing each column of a query space grid in one embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Fig.17b In one embodiment, the present application shows Fig.17a The vertical cross-sectional schematic diagram of the first extended profile generated after the initial profile is expanded outwardly is shown.

[0036] Fig.17c In one embodiment, the present application shows Fig.17b The vertical cross-sectional schematic diagram of the second extended profile generated after the first extended profile is expanded in a step-by-step manner is shown.

[0037] Fig.18a Shown is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a main structure and an intermediate structure generated in one embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Fig.18b In one embodiment, the present application is based on Fig.18a A schematic vertical cross-section of the supports generated by the main structure and the intermediate structure is shown.

[0039] Fig.19a Shown is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a main structure and an intermediate structure generated in another embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Fig.19b In one embodiment, the present application is based on Fig.19a A schematic vertical cross-section of the supports generated by the main structure and the intermediate structure is shown.

[0041] Fig.20a and Fig.20b They are respectively shown as vertical cross-sectional schematic diagrams of additional supports in different embodiments of the present application.

[0042] Fig.21 Shown is a schematic diagram of a process of generating additional supports for a 3D model on top of the supports in one embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Fig. 22 Shown is a schematic flow chart of a 3D printing method in one embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Fig.23 Shown is a module block diagram of a support generation system for a 3D model in one embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Fig.24 Shown is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The following is a description of the embodiments of the present application by specific specific embodiments, and those familiar with the technology can easily understand the advantages of the present application and the technical effects that can be achieved by the content disclosed in this specification. In the following description, some embodiments can refer to the drawings pointed to. It should be understood that other embodiments without drawings can also be used, and specific steps, modules or units, electrical and operational changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. The detailed description below should not be considered restrictive, and the scope of the embodiments of the present application is limited only by the claims published by the present application. The terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0047] Although the term first, second or third etc. is used to describe various elements or parameters in this article in some instances, these elements or parameters should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an object or parameter from another object or parameter, and are not used to limit the order, timing, priority or importance of multiple objects. For example, the first extended profile can be referred to as the second extended profile, and similarly, the second extended profile can be referred to as the first extended profile, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments, the first extended profile and the second extended profile are all extended profiles after the initial profile is expanded outwardly, but unless the context is otherwise clearly indicated, they are not the same extended profile. Similar situations also include the first thickness parameter and the second thickness parameter etc.

[0048] Furthermore, as used in this article, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless there is an indication to the contrary in the context. It should be further understood that the terms "comprising", "including" indicate the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, projects, kinds, and / or groups, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, projects, kinds, and / or groups. For example, the process, method, system, product or equipment comprising a series of steps or units need not be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment. In addition, the term "and / or" that may be used hereinafter, describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three kinds of relationships may exist, for example, A and / or B, which can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / ", if not otherwise specified, generally represents that the associated objects before and after are a kind of "and / or" relationship. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" refers to two or more than two.

[0049] Some nouns or terms used in each embodiment of the present application are explained below, and the nouns or terms are also used as a part of the content of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical terms and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as the general understanding of the technicians in the field to which the present application belongs. It should also be understood that those terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the prior art, and unless specifically defined as herein, will not be interpreted with an idealized or overly formal meaning.

[0050] The construction volume described in the embodiments of the present application is a space corresponding to the printing space of the 3D printing device, and the 3D model placed in the construction volume can be manufactured in the printing space. The construction volume is in a computer three-dimensional space corresponding to the actual printing space, and the computer three-dimensional space has a coordinate system. In the embodiments, a corner of the construction volume can be used as the origin of the coordinates to form the coordinate system of the computer three-dimensional space. Please refer to Figure 1 , which is a schematic diagram of a construction volume in a three-dimensional computer space in one embodiment of the present application, wherein a construction volume V is formed in the three-dimensional computer space R. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present application, the lower left corner of the build volume V is used as the coordinate origin O, thereby forming a coordinate system XYZ of the computer three-dimensional space. The surface of the build volume V on the XOY plane corresponds to the printing surface of the actual printing platform. In the embodiments of the present application, the surface of the build volume V on the XOY plane is also referred to as the build plane G. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the build surface in the build volume V or the direction perpendicular to the printing surface in the printing space is referred to as the vertical direction (also referred to as the Z-axis direction), and the direction perpendicular to the vertical is referred to as the lateral direction (also referred to as the horizontal direction). The side of the model in the build volume (such as a 3D model, a main structure, an intermediate structure, or a support, etc.) close to the build surface is referred to as the lower side or the bottom, and the side away from the build surface is referred to as the upper side or the top. It should be noted that the present application does not limit the method of constructing the coordinate system of the computer three-dimensional space and the position of the construction plane in the coordinate system. For example, the coordinate system can be constructed by using the center point of the build volume as the coordinate origin, and the surface corresponding to the printing surface of the actual printing platform in the build volume (i.e., the construction plane) can also be located on any plane parallel to the XOY plane. In the following embodiments, Figure 1 The coordinate system constructed with the lower left corner of the construction volume as the coordinate origin and the construction plane located on the XOY plane are used as an example for explanation.

[0051] The 3D model described in the embodiments of the present application can use three-dimensional coordinate data to describe its position and shape in the three-dimensional space of the computer. The three-dimensional coordinate data includes, for example, a starting position of the 3D model, and each offset position determined according to the relative position relationship between each position in the 3D model space and the starting position, or a positioning position determined according to each offset position and the starting position surface. Among them, the starting position, offset position and positioning position can all be exemplified as three-dimensional coordinate values ​​described by means of a computer three-dimensional space coordinate system. The 3D model can be pre-stored in a model library, and the 3D model can be imported into the computer three-dimensional space from the model library. For example, the 3D model can be imported from the model library into the build volume in the computer three-dimensional space, or it can be imported into the computer three-dimensional space and then moved to the build volume.

[0052] The 3D model described in the embodiments of the present application is a model corresponding to the 3D object that the user needs to actually print. For example, the 3D model is a 3D model of any 3D object such as aerospace parts, automotive parts, industrial equipment parts, handicrafts, medical equipment, etc. In some embodiments, the 3D model can be a regular geometric model (such as a cone, a cube, a prism structure) or an irregular geometric model. In the following embodiments, for ease of illustration, the steps of generating the support of the 3D model are described in detail by taking the 3D model configured as a regular geometric model as an example.

[0053] The support described in the embodiments of the present application is a structure having a support space for supporting a 3D model and having a gap with the 3D model located in the support space. In some examples, the support may be configured as a raft structure (also referred to as a raft support) or a packaging structure (also referred to as a packaging box), wherein in the example where the support is configured as a raft structure, the opening of the support space may be oriented toward the upper side to allow the printed 3D object corresponding to the 3D model to be directly taken out from the upper side of the printed support without the need for post-processing operations to separate the 3D object and the support. Specifically, the raft structure is a support structure having a plane in contact with a build surface (e.g., the bottom surface of the raft structure is in contact with the build surface) and a support space for supporting a 3D model and having a gap with the 3D model located in the support space. The packaging structure is part of the final product together with the 3D object. It has a support space for supporting the 3D model and there is a gap with the 3D model located in the support space. The bottom surface of the packaging structure may be in contact with the building surface or may not be in contact with the component surface (for example, the bottom surface of the packaging structure may be in contact with a support structure such as a flat plate structure located at the bottom of the packaging structure). In the following embodiments, the support configured as the packaging structure is in contact with the building surface as an example.

[0054] In view of the fact that how to automatically generate a raft support or a packaging box for a 3D model as described in the background technology is a technical problem to be solved urgently. The present application discloses a support generation method and generation system for a 3D model, a 3D printing method and printing equipment, a binder jetting manufacturing system, a photocuring printing system, a laser printing system, a computer device, a computer-readable storage medium and a computer program product. By performing Boolean operations on a main structure generated according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a predefined size parameter and a first thickness parameter corresponding to a construction plane, and an intermediate structure generated based on a 3D model and a margin parameter, the support corresponding to the 3D model can be automatically generated. The present application can automatically generate corresponding supports (such as raft supports or packaging boxes) based on different 3D models to achieve synchronous printing of supports and 3D objects, thereby avoiding deformation of 3D objects during the printing process, and achieving stable support for the printed 3D object during the printing process to avoid tilting of the 3D object during the printing process. Moreover, there is a gap between the support and the 3D model, and the 3D object can be directly separated from the support without the need for additional post-processing operations to separate the 3D object and the support.

[0055] The present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only embodiments of a part of the present application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments and technical effects obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work should belong to the scope of protection of this application. "An implementation method", "implementation method" or similar words mentioned in the whole text of this specification mean that the specific features, structures or characteristics described together with the implementation method are included in at least one implementation method of the present application. Therefore, in the whole text of this specification, the appearance of the phrases "in one implementation method", "in an implementation method" and similar words may (but not necessarily) relate to the same implementation method.

[0056] In some embodiments, the present application provides a method for generating support for a 3D model. The method for generating support for a 3D model can be executed by a computer device configured with a support generation system for a 3D model. The support generation system for a 3D model is a software tool or software module that can process data. The method for generating support for a 3D model is executed with the help of an operating environment provided by a hardware device and / or an operating system in the computer device.

[0057] In one embodiment, the computer device can be configured as an electronic device, that is, the support generation method of the 3D model is executed by the electronic device. For example, the electronic device includes desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers, smart TVs, smart phones, tablets, industrial computers and other devices. The electronic device can also be an electronic device composed of a host with multiple virtual machines and a human-computer interaction device corresponding to each virtual machine (such as a touch screen, keyboard and mouse).

[0058] In one embodiment, the computer device may be configured as a server, that is, the support generation method of the 3D model is executed by the server. The server may be arranged on one or more physical servers according to various factors such as function and load. In some examples, the server may be a server based on a cloud architecture, and the server refers to a cloud computing platform provided by a cloud computing provider, and the cloud computing platform can provide services such as IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). Among them, the cloud computing platform includes a public cloud (Public Cloud), a private cloud (Private Cloud), and a hybrid cloud (Hybrid Cloud). In some examples, the server may be composed of a distributed or centralized server cluster. For example, the server cluster is composed of at least one physical server. Multiple virtual servers are configured in each physical server, each virtual server runs at least one functional module in the system, and each virtual server communicates through a network.

[0059] See also Figure 2 , which is a flow chart of a method for generating support for a 3D model in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the method for generating support for a 3D model includes step S110 and step S120. The following describes various embodiments by taking the method for generating support for a 3D model executed by a computer device as an example.

[0060] In step S110 , the computer device generates a main structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to the construction plane or a predefined size parameter corresponding to the construction plane and a first thickness parameter, and generates an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a margin parameter.

[0061] Before executing step S110, the computer device places the 3D model in the building volume. For example, it can be placed at any position in the building volume, and it is only necessary to ensure that the distance between the bottom of the 3D model (which can be determined by its bounding box, for example) and the building plane is greater than the spacing parameter described in the subsequent embodiments, so that the support of the 3D model can be successfully generated. For example, see Figure 3 , which is a schematic diagram of a 3D model located in a build volume in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the 3D model M located in the build volume V is configured as a prism structure with an equipentagonal cross-section, and the distance between the bottom of the 3D model M and the build plane G is H1, and the distance H1 is greater than the spacing parameter described in subsequent embodiments.

[0062] In one embodiment, the computer device first imports the 3D model from the model library into the computer three-dimensional space based on the user's trigger operation (which may be as follows: Figure 1 Any position in the computer three-dimensional space R shown). Wherein, the trigger operation includes but is not limited to: click (for example, click with an input device such as a mouse, or touch a touch screen with a finger, etc.), long press, or repeated touch, etc. When the 3D model is located outside the build volume or in an unexpected position in the build volume, the computer device will further configure the 3D model in the build volume with a corresponding posture based on the posture configuration parameters. Wherein, the posture configuration parameters can be input by the user or pre-configured, and the posture configuration parameters include relevant parameters for indicating the position and posture of the 3D model or its bounding box in the build volume. The present application does not limit the method of placing the 3D model in the build volume, but only needs to ensure that the distance between the bottom of the 3D model and the build plane is greater than the interval parameter. For example, the retrieved 3D model can be placed in the build volume in a posture by manual operation of the user, and then the computer device adjusts the height of the 3D model or its bounding box from the build plane based on the height parameter input by the user; it can also be manually triggered by the user to enable the computer device to automatically place the 3D model in the build volume in the desired manner. In one example, the height parameter is configured as the sum of the minimum height of the support and the spacing parameter input by the user.

[0063] In one embodiment, before executing step S110, the computer device further executes a step of acquiring the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter required in step S110. Among them, the offset parameter corresponds to the construction plane, and is used to represent the expansion size parallel to the construction plane direction (i.e., the horizontal direction). Specifically, the offset parameter is used to represent the distance expanded outward (or the outward offset distance) based on the geometric figure in the horizontal direction or the coordinate information in the horizontal direction, wherein the geometric figure can be the outer contour of the projection image or the bounding box of the projection image described later, and the coordinate information in the horizontal direction can be the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model described later corresponding to the construction plane. The offset parameter can be one or two. In the embodiment where the offset parameter is one, the distances expanded outward in different directions in the horizontal direction are the same, for example, the distances expanded outward in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are the same; in the embodiment where the offset parameter is two, the offset parameter includes an offset parameter in the X-axis direction and an offset parameter in the Y-axis direction, and the offset parameters in these two directions can be the same or different. The size parameters are predefined and correspond to the construction plane, and are used to represent the size of the main structure in a direction parallel to the construction plane (i.e., the horizontal direction). For example, the size parameters include the size of the main structure in the X-axis direction and the size in the Y-axis direction. The first thickness parameter corresponds to the thickness or height of the main structure. The margin parameters include the spacing parameters, and further, the margin parameters may also include the tilt angle. The spacing parameters and the tilt angle will be described in detail in the subsequent steps of generating the intermediate structure.

[0064] In some embodiments, the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter are determined based on the user's input or selection. For example, the computer device provides a parameter configuration window for the user to input the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter, wherein the parameter configuration window includes an input area or a selection area corresponding to each parameter, and the user can enter a specific value of the corresponding parameter in the corresponding input area or select a specific value of the corresponding parameter in the selection area, and then submit these parameters by triggering the confirmation option in the operation parameter configuration window, and the computer device can obtain the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter input or selected by the user.

[0065] In one example, the computer device provides a parameter configuration window for the user to input the offset parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter. Figure 4 , which is a schematic diagram of a parameter configuration window in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4In the embodiment shown, the margin parameter includes an interval parameter and an inclination angle, and the offset parameter is one, and then Figure 4 The parameter configuration window in includes the input boxes for the offset parameter, the first thickness parameter, the interval parameter, and the tilt angle. Figure 5 , which is a schematic diagram of a parameter configuration window in another embodiment of the present application, Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the margin parameters include the interval parameter P3 and the tilt angle θ, and the offset parameters include the offset parameter P11 in the X-axis direction and the offset parameter P12 in the Y-axis direction. Figure 5 The parameter configuration window includes an input box for the first thickness parameter H2, an input box for the offset parameter P11 in the X-axis direction, an input box for the offset parameter in the Y-axis direction, an input box for the interval parameter P3, and an input box for the tilt angle θ.

[0066] In another example, the computer device provides a parameter configuration window for the user to input the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter. Figure 6 , which is a schematic diagram of a parameter configuration window in another embodiment of the present application, Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the margin parameters include the spacing parameter P3 and the tilt angle θ, and the size parameters include the size P51 in the X-axis direction and the size in the Y-axis direction. Figure 6 The parameter configuration window includes an input box for the first thickness parameter H2, an input box for the dimension P51 in the X-axis direction, an input box for the dimension in the Y-axis direction, an input box for the interval parameter P3, and an input box for the tilt angle θ.

[0067] It should be understood that Figures 4 to 6 This is only an example. Depending on the parameters that need to be input, those skilled in the art may, under the guidance of this application, make adaptive adjustments to the content and interface layout that can be displayed in the parameter configuration window, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0068] In other embodiments, the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter may also be automatically generated by a computer device with reference to the size of the 3D model.

[0069] like Figure 2As shown, step S110 includes the steps of generating a main structure and generating an intermediate structure. It should be noted that there is no necessary order relationship between the two. Those skilled in the art can choose to perform the step of generating the main structure first and then the step of generating the intermediate structure with the help of the various embodiments provided in this application; or they can perform the step of generating the intermediate structure first and then the step of generating the main structure. The following first describes the embodiment of the step of generating the main structure, and then the embodiment of the step of generating the intermediate structure, which should not be understood as a limitation on the two orders.

[0070] In one embodiment, the main structure is a structure that can wrap the 3D model in the horizontal direction and whose bottom is lower than the bottom of the 3D model. In other words, the size of the main structure in the horizontal direction is larger than the size of the 3D model in the horizontal direction and the coordinate of the bottom of the main structure on the Z axis is smaller than the coordinate of the bottom of the 3D model on the Z axis; further, the bottom of the main structure is in contact with the construction plane. In the following embodiments, the steps of generating the main structure are described in detail by taking the main structure that can wrap the 3D model in the horizontal direction and whose bottom is in contact with the construction plane as an example.

[0071] In one embodiment, the computer device generates the main structure according to the offset parameter and the first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane. In the step of generating the main structure, the main structure can be generated based on the projection image of the 3D model on the construction plane, the offset parameter, and the first thickness parameter, wherein the projection image is configured as a positive projection image; the main structure can also be generated based on the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane, the offset parameter, and the first thickness parameter.

[0072] See also Figure 7 , which is a flow chart of the steps of generating a main structure according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameters corresponding to the construction plane in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the steps of generating a main structure according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameters corresponding to the construction plane include S1101 and S1102.

[0073] In step S1101 , a computer device defines a geometric surface according to a projection image of a 3D model on a construction plane and offset parameters.

[0074] In one embodiment, the computer device uses the outer contour of the projection image of the 3D model on the construction plane as a reference to expand the offset parameters outward to generate the geometric surface. The outer contour of the projection image is composed of the boundary line of the projection image. In one example, the offset parameters are expanded in the horizontal direction away from the center of the outer contour based on the outer contour of the projection image to generate a geometric surface on the construction plane that is similar to the outer contour before the offset and has a larger size than the outer contour before the offset. For example, see Figure 8 , which is a schematic diagram showing the outer contour of the projection image of the 3D model on the construction plane and the generated geometric surface in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 8 In the embodiment, the 3D model in the construction volume is a cone and the circular base of the cone is parallel to the construction plane G. The outer contour L1 of the projection image of the cone on the construction plane G is the inner circle in the figure (the circle shown by the dotted line), and the bias parameter P1 (the distance shown by the arrow) is expanded outward based on the inner circle to generate a geometric surface L2, that is, the outer circle in the figure.

[0075] In another embodiment, the computer device expands the bias parameters outward based on the bounding box of the projection image to generate the geometric surface. The bounding box of the projection image is a rectangle circumscribing the projection image. The method of generating the geometric surface based on the outward expansion of the bounding box is the same or similar to that described in the previous embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0076] In step S1102, the computer device generates a main structure by stretching the geometric surface with the first thickness parameter, wherein the main structure is a solid three-dimensional structure.

[0077] In one embodiment, the computer device uses the geometric surface as the cross section of the three-dimensional structure, uses the first thickness parameter as the stretching height, and stretches the first thickness parameter along the Z-axis direction to generate a main structure whose cross section is the geometric surface and whose height is the first thickness parameter. Figure 8 As an example of the geometric surface of the embodiment, the main structure stretched based on the first thickness parameter is the bottom surface located on the construction plane. Figure 8 The cylinder shown has a circular outer side and a height equal to the first thickness parameter. In other examples, different solid three-dimensional structures can be stretched according to different geometric surface shapes.

[0078] See also Fig. 9 , which is a flow chart of the steps of generating a main structure according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameters corresponding to the construction plane in another embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the steps of generating a main structure according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameters corresponding to the construction plane include step S1106 and step S1107.

[0079] In step S1106, the computer device expands the offset parameters outward based on the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane to generate a geometric surface.

[0080] Before executing step S1106, the computer device also determines a bounding box of the 3D model based on the 3D model, wherein the bounding box may be, for example, a bounding box in the form of an AABB (Axis Aligned Bounding Box) or a bounding box in the form of an OBB (Oriented Bounding Box).

[0081] The coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane is the coordinate information of the bounding box in the horizontal direction. In one embodiment, the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane includes the coordinate information of the bounding box in the X-axis direction and the coordinate information of the bounding box in the Y-axis direction. For example, the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane includes the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value of the bounding box in the X-axis direction, and the maximum coordinate value and the minimum coordinate value of the bounding box in the Y-axis direction. For another example, the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane may also include other coordinate values ​​of the bounding box of the 3D model in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0082] The generated geometric surface is described by taking the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane, including the maximum and minimum coordinates of the bounding box in the X-axis direction, and the maximum and minimum coordinates of the bounding box in the Y-axis direction as an example. Fig.10 , which is a schematic diagram of the coordinate information of the bounding box corresponding to the construction plane and the generated geometric surface in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the offset parameter is a, and the coordinate information of the bounding box B1 of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane includes the maximum coordinate x1 of the bounding box B1 in the X-axis direction and the minimum coordinate x0 in the X-axis direction, as well as the maximum coordinate y1 of the bounding box in the Y-axis direction and the minimum coordinate y0 in the Y-axis direction, with Fig.10The coordinate information shown is used as a reference to expand the offset parameter a outward to generate a geometric surface L2. Specifically, the outward expansion in the X-axis direction is to add a to the maximum coordinate value x1 in the X-axis direction and subtract a from the minimum coordinate value x0 in the X-axis direction. The outward expansion in the Y-axis direction is to add a to the maximum coordinate value y1 in the Y-axis direction and subtract a from the minimum coordinate value y0 in the Y-axis direction. Then, based on the coordinate information obtained after the outward expansion, a geometric surface L2 can be generated. The maximum coordinate value of the geometric surface L2 in the X-axis direction is x1+a, the minimum coordinate value in the X-axis direction is x0-a, the maximum coordinate value in the Y-axis direction is y1+a, and the minimum coordinate value in the Y-axis direction is y0-a.

[0083] In step S1107, the computer device generates a main structure by stretching the geometric surface with the first thickness parameter. Step S1107 is the same or similar to step S1102, and will not be described in detail here.

[0084] In another embodiment, the computer device generates the main structure according to the predefined size parameters and the first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane. Fig.11 , which is a flow chart of the steps of generating a main structure according to the predefined size parameters and the first thickness parameters corresponding to the construction plane in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the steps of generating a main structure according to the predefined size parameters and the first thickness parameters corresponding to the construction plane include steps S1108 and S1109.

[0085] In step S1108, the computer device generates a geometric surface based on a size parameter, wherein the size parameter is not less than the size of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane.

[0086] In one embodiment, a computer device uses the center point coordinates of the 3D model in the horizontal direction as the center point coordinates of the geometric surface, and uses the size of the main structure in the X-axis direction and the size in the Y-axis direction indicated by the size parameters as the size of the geometric surface in the X-axis direction and the size in the Y-axis direction to generate the geometric surface.

[0087] In step S1109, the computer device generates a main structure by stretching the geometric surface with the first thickness parameter. Step S1109 is the same or similar to step S1102, and will not be described in detail here.

[0088] Although in the above embodiments, Figure 7 , Fig. 9 ,as well as Fig.11As an example, different methods of generating the main structure are described, but the invention is not limited thereto. It is sufficient that the generated main structure can satisfy the generation of the support. In other embodiments, the main structure can be generated by directly expanding outward in the horizontal direction based on the bounding box and expanding outward in the vertical direction the bottom of the bounding box.

[0089] It should be noted that the format of the generated main structure can be consistent with the format of the 3D model, or it can be an intermediate format (such as a mesh format) that can be converted into the format of the 3D model. In the following embodiments, the format of the generated main structure is consistent with the format of the 3D model as an example for explanation. For example, the format of the 3D model is a triangular network format, and the format of the generated main structure corresponds to the triangular network format.

[0090] As mentioned above, step S110 also includes the step of generating an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a residual parameter.

[0091] In one embodiment, the outer contour of the intermediate structure is determined according to the 3D model and the margin parameter to generate the intermediate structure.

[0092] In one example, the margin parameter includes a spacing parameter, and the spacing parameter corresponds to the distance between the 3D model and the support surface of the support when the 3D model is placed in the support. Fig.12 , showing a vertical cross-sectional view of a support and a 3D model with spacing parameters in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, when the 3D model M is placed in the support T3, the distance between the 3D model M and the support surface of the support T3 is the spacing parameter P3. In one example, the margin parameter further includes an inclination angle, which is the inclination angle of the support space of the support. For example, see Fig.13 , which is a vertical cross-sectional view of a support with an inclined angle in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the support space T30 of the support T3 has an inclined angle θ. It should be noted that although Fig.13 The inclination angle is taken as an example of the angle at which the side of the support space deviates from the vertical direction, but is not limited thereto. In other examples, the inclination angle may also be an angle at which the side of the support space deviates from the horizontal direction, etc. In the following embodiments, the inclination angle is taken as an example of the angle at which the side of the support space deviates from the vertical direction.

[0093] See also Fig.14, which is a flow chart of the steps of determining the outer contour of the intermediate structure to generate the intermediate structure in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the steps of determining the outer contour of the intermediate structure to generate the intermediate structure include step S1103, step S1104, and step S1105. It should be noted that in the following embodiments, for the convenience of description and display, a vertical two-dimensional view is used for schematic illustration in the figure, and those skilled in the art can expand the three-dimensional view based on the description under the two-dimensional view under the enlightenment of the description of the present application.

[0094] In step S1103, the computer device creates a spatial grid, and the spatial grid can at least surround the 3D model in a manner that maintains a distance corresponding to the margin parameter with the 3D model. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, it is not limited to the top of the spatial grid and the top of the 3D model to maintain at least the distance corresponding to the margin parameter. It is only necessary for the bottom and side of the spatial grid to maintain at least the distance corresponding to the margin parameter with the corresponding position of the 3D model. In other words, the top of the spatial grid is allowed to be at the same height as the top of the 3D model or lower than the top of the 3D model. In the following embodiments, the top, bottom and side of the spatial grid are taken as an example to maintain at least the distance corresponding to the margin parameter with the corresponding position of the 3D model.

[0095] The spatial grid is composed of a plurality of cells. One cell is a cube. Further, in one embodiment, the size of the cell needs to match the precision requirement of the spacing parameter, for example, it can be divisible by the precision requirement of the spacing parameter, so that the number of corresponding cells can be conveniently determined based on the knowledge of the spacing parameter. For example, the precision requirement of the spacing parameter is 0.0001mm (expressed as an integer multiple of 0.0001mm of the spacing parameter), and accordingly, the size of each cell needs to be divisible by 0.0001mm. In other embodiments, the size of the cell may not be divisible by the precision requirement of the spacing parameter. In the following embodiments, the example that the size of each cell is divisible by the precision requirement of the spacing parameter is used for explanation. In this embodiment, using a spatial grid to calculate the intermediate structure can reduce the amount of calculation for generating the intermediate structure and improve the calculation speed.

[0096] In one embodiment, the computer device expands the bounding box of the 3D model based on the margin parameter to create the spatial grid based on the expanded bounding box, so that the created spatial grid needs to be able to surround the 3D model in a manner that at least maintains a distance corresponding to the margin parameter from the 3D model. The bounding box is the minimum bounding box that surrounds the 3D model, which can be, for example, a bounding box in the form of AABB (Axis Aligned Bounding Box) or a bounding box in the form of OBB (Oriented Bounding Box).

[0097] In the embodiment where the margin parameter includes an interval parameter, for example, an interval expansion size can be determined based on the interval parameter, and then the bounding box of the 3D model is expanded outward based on the interval expansion size to obtain an expanded bounding box, and then the spatial grid is created based on the expanded bounding box and the size of each cell. The interval expansion size can be obtained by increasing the interval parameter or by a certain increase based on the interval parameter, and the certain increase based on the interval parameter can be an increase in multiples or an increase based on the cell size. The multiple of the increase in multiples can be configured to be greater than 1, preferably greater than 1 and less than 2. The increase based on the cell size can be configured so that the increased size is a multiple of the cell size, for example, a cell size is added as the interval expansion size based on the interval parameter.

[0098] See also Fig.15 , showing a vertical cross-sectional view of a spatial grid created in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the bounding box of the 3D model M is identified as bounding box B1. Taking the size of two cells corresponding to the interval parameter as an example, an interval extension size P2 corresponding to the size of three cells is determined based on the interval parameter. The interval extension size P2 is formed by adding one cell (or understood as 1.5 times two cells) on the basis of two cells. Then, the bounding box B1 is extended with the interval extension size P2 to create the spatial grid K1. It should be noted that if the size of the expanded bounding box corresponds to a non-integer number of cells, the cells can also be completed when creating the spatial grid based on the expanded bounding box.

[0099] In another example, the margin parameters include an interval parameter and an inclination angle. The computer device determines the angle extension size corresponding to the inclination angle based on the inclination angle and the height of the bounding box of the 3D model, and uses the sum of the angle extension size and the interval extension size as the side extension size to expand the side of the bounding box of the 3D model, and uses the interval extension size as the bottom extension size to expand the bottom of the bounding box of the 3D model (in an embodiment where the top needs to be expanded, the top will also be expanded based on the interval extension size). In other examples, the sum of the angle extension size and the interval extension size can also be used as the bottom extension size to expand the bottom of the bounding box of the 3D model. Among them, the angle extension size can be the product of the tangent value of the inclination angle and the height of the bounding box of the 3D model, or it can be the product of the height of the bounding box of the 3D model plus twice the interval extension size and the tangent value of the inclination angle.

[0100] See also Fig.16 , which is a vertical cross-sectional view of a space grid created in another embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the bounding box of the 3D model M is identified as the bounding box B1, and the interval expansion size P2 corresponds to the size of two cells and the inclination angle is 45. For example, based on the interval expansion size P2, the height of the bounding box B1 of the 3D model M, and the inclination angle, an angle expansion size corresponding to the size of seven cells is determined. The angle expansion size is the product of the sum of the height of the bounding box B1 of the 3D model (the size of three cells) plus twice the interval expansion size P2 and the tangent value of 45. Then, the sum of the interval expansion size P2 and the angle expansion size (corresponding to the size of nine cells) is used as the side expansion size P4 to expand the side of the bounding box B1 of the 3D model, and the bottom and top of the bounding box of the 3D model are expanded with the interval expansion size P2, so as to create a space grid K1.

[0101] In order to reduce the calculation time of creating the spatial grid and improve the calculation speed of the support, in other embodiments, the computer device directly creates the spatial grid based on the size of the main structure or other sizes sufficient to enclose the generated intermediate structure (such as multiple sizes of the bounding box of the 3D model). Take the example of a computer device creating a spatial grid based on the size of the main structure as an example. For example, the main structure is a cylinder, the center of the created spatial grid can be the center of the cylinder, the length and width of the spatial grid can be approximately equal to the diameter of the cylinder, and the height of the spatial grid can be approximately equal to the height of the cylinder. In other words, the number of cells in the length and width directions can be determined based on the diameter of the cylinder, and the number of cells in the height direction can be determined based on the height of the cylinder.

[0102] In step S1104, the computer device generates an initial outline of the intermediate structure based on the occupation information of the 3D model in the spatial grid.

[0103] The occupancy information indicates the situation in which each cell in the spatial grid is occupied by the 3D model.

[0104] In one embodiment, the computer device traverses and queries each column of the spatial grid from the construction plane toward the Z axis, so that when a cell occupied by the 3D model is found in each column of the grid, the cell and the cells above it are marked as occupied, and the initial contour is generated based on the cells marked as occupied. Wherein, the column direction of the grid corresponds to the Z axis direction. Specifically, each column of the spatial grid is traversed and queried, and when querying each column of the grid, the self-construction plane is queried toward the Z axis. As long as a cell occupied by the 3D model is found in the column of the grid, the cell and the cells above it are marked as occupied, and after traversing the query, the contour formed by all the cells marked as occupied is used as the initial contour. In one example, the method of marking a cell as occupied can be to fill the cell, for example, fill the cell with 1, and the unfilled cell indicates that it is not occupied. In the following embodiments, filling a cell with 1 indicates that the cell is occupied.

[0105] See also Fig.17a , showing a schematic diagram of a vertical section of the initial outline of the intermediate structure generated after traversing each column of the query space grid in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, after traversing the query space grid, the cells occupied by the 3D model M and the cells above it are filled with 1 to determine the cells marked as occupied. Further, the outline of the cell marked as occupied, that is, the red outline in the figure is determined as the initial outline B2. It should be noted that although the embodiment of the present application takes marking the entire cell as an example, in other embodiments, a part of the cell can also be marked as occupied based on the specific position of the cell occupied. For example, when the 3D model occupies only the left half of a cell, the left half of the cell and the left half of the cells above the cell are marked as occupied.

[0106] After generating the initial contour, the computer device executes step S1105 using the initial contour to generate an intermediate structure.

[0107] In step S1105, the computer device expands the initial outline outwardly according to the residual parameter to generate an intermediate structure. For ease of explanation, in the following embodiments, in the process of expanding outwardly using the initial outline, the outline formed after the first expansion is called the first expanded outline, and the outline formed after further expansion based on the first expanded outline is called the second expanded outline.

[0108] In the embodiment where the margin parameter includes an interval parameter, the computer device expands the number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter outward based on the initial outline to generate a first extended outline, and directly generates the intermediate structure with the first extended outline as the outer outline of the intermediate structure, that is, the solid structure with the first extended outline as the outer outline is used as the intermediate structure. The number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter can be determined by using the interval parameter and the size of the cell. For example, if the interval parameter is 0.0002mm and the size of each cell is 0.0001mm, the number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter is 2. In a specific embodiment, the computer device expands the side and bottom edges of the initial outline outward by the number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter to generate a first extended outline, and directly uses the solid structure corresponding to the first extended outline as the intermediate structure. For example, see Fig.17b , which is shown in one embodiment of the present application Fig.17a The vertical cross-sectional diagram of the first extended profile generated after the initial profile is expanded outwards is shown in FIG. Fig.17b In the figure, the number of cells corresponding to the spacing parameter is 2, and the side B20 and the bottom B21 of the initial outline B2 are both expanded outward by two cells to form a first extended outline B3, that is, the outline corresponding to the green line in the figure, and the physical structure corresponding to the first extended outline B3 is directly used as the intermediate structure.

[0109] Further, in the embodiment where the margin parameter also includes an inclination angle, the computer device performs a stepwise expansion on the side of the first extended profile described in any of the above embodiments based on the inclination angle to generate a second extended profile, and generates an intermediate structure with the second extended profile as the outer profile of the intermediate structure, that is, the solid structure corresponding to the second extended profile is used as the intermediate structure. The stepwise expansion refers to gradually expanding the side based on the inclination angle, so that the deviation angle of the extended side relative to the vertical direction is the inclination angle and the cross-sectional size of the profile formed based on the extended side gradually decreases from top to bottom. In one example, refer to Fig.17c , which is shown in one embodiment of the present application Fig.17b The vertical cross-sectional diagram of the second extended profile generated by stepwise expansion of the first extended profile shown in FIG. Fig.17cIn the embodiment, the inclination angle is configured as 45°, and the side B30 of the first extended outline B3 is extended in a stepwise manner by 45° to obtain the second extended outline B4. The angle between the side B40 of the second extended outline B4 and the vertical direction is 45°, that is, the deviation angle of the side B40 of the second extended outline B4 relative to the side B30 of the first extended outline B3 is 45°. The computer device uses the physical structure corresponding to the second extended outline B4 as the intermediate structure. Although in this embodiment, the stepwise extension of the side of the first extended outline to generate the second extended outline is used as an example for explanation, it is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the side of the enclosing frame of the first extended outline can also be extended in a stepwise manner to generate the second extended outline.

[0110] In the embodiment where the margin parameter includes an interval parameter and an inclination angle, the computer device may further first perform a stepwise expansion on the side of the initial contour based on the inclination angle to generate a first extended contour, then expand the number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter outwardly based on the first extended contour to generate a second extended contour, and then generate the intermediate structure based on the second extended contour. In one embodiment, the side of the initial contour is firstly performed a stepwise expansion based on the inclination angle to generate a first extended contour based on the expanded side, and then the side and bottom of the first extended contour are both expanded outwardly by the number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter to generate a second extended contour, and the solid structure corresponding to the second extended contour is directly used as the intermediate structure.

[0111] After generating the intermediate structure according to any of the above embodiments, the computer device executes step S120.

[0112] In step S120, the computer device performs a Boolean operation to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure to generate the support of the 3D model. The Boolean operation is a Boolean difference operation. The Boolean difference operation is performed on the target body (e.g., the main structure) and the tool body (e.g., the intermediate structure), and the intersection / overlapping part of the target body and the tool body is removed, and finally the part of the target body that does not intersect with the tool body is retained.

[0113] Before performing the Boolean operation, the computer device also unifies the format of the intermediate structure and the main structure, taking into account the possibility that the main structure and the intermediate structure may have inconsistent formats. In one example, if the format of the main structure is consistent with the 3D model, the computer device converts the format of the intermediate structure into the format of the 3D model. For example, if the format of the 3D model and the main structure is a triangular network format, the intermediate structure in the mesh format is converted into a triangular network format.

[0114] In one embodiment, a Boolean operation is performed to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure. Specifically, when performing the Boolean operation, the portion of the intermediate structure that overlaps with the main structure is removed from the main structure to generate the support. Fig.18a and Fig.18b , Fig.18a It is a vertical cross-sectional schematic diagram of the main structure and the intermediate structure generated in one embodiment of the present application, Fig.18b In one embodiment, the present application is based on Fig.18a The vertical cross-sectional diagram of the support generated by the main structure and the intermediate structure is shown in Fig.18a As shown, the 3D model M is configured as a cone. Fig.18a The intermediate structure T2 shown is determined based on the interval parameter. Fig.18a After performing Boolean operations on the main structure T1 and the intermediate structure T2 shown in FIG. Fig.18b The support T3 of the 3D model M shown in the figure has a maximum height of the first thickness parameter H2, a distance between the outer bottom of the support T3 and the bottom of the 3D model M is the distance H1 between the bottom of the 3D model M and the construction plane G, a minimum lateral spacing between the outer side profile of the support T3 and the 3D model M is the offset parameter P1, a minimum lateral spacing between the inner side profile of the support T3 and the 3D model M is the spacing parameter P3, and a minimum vertical spacing between the inner bottom profile of the support T3 and the 3D model M is the spacing parameter P3. In another example, see Fig.19a and Fig.19b , Fig.19a It is a vertical cross-sectional schematic diagram of the main structure and the intermediate structure generated in another embodiment of the present application, Fig.19b In one embodiment, the present application is based on Fig.19a The vertical cross-sectional diagram of the support generated by the main structure and the intermediate structure is shown in Fig.19a As shown, the 3D model M is configured as a cone. Fig.19a The intermediate structure T2 shown is determined based on the spacing parameter and the tilt angle. Fig.19a After performing Boolean operations on the main structure T1 and the intermediate structure T2 shown in FIG. Fig.19b The support T3 of the 3D model M shown is Fig.19b As shown, the maximum height of support T3 is the first thickness parameter H2, the distance between the outer bottom of support T3 and the bottom of 3D model M is the distance H1 between the bottom of 3D model M and construction plane G, the minimum distance between the outer side profile of support T3 and 3D model M in the horizontal direction is the offset parameter P1, and the inner side profile of support T3 and the vertical ( Fig.19bThe angle between the inner side contour of support T3 and the 3D model M (in the Z-axis direction indicated by the middle arrow) is the inclination angle θ, the minimum horizontal distance between the lowest point of the inner side contour of support T3 and the 3D model M is the spacing parameter P3, and the minimum vertical distance between the inner bottom contour of support T3 and the 3D model M is the spacing parameter P3.

[0115] It should be noted that in an embodiment where the format of the unified main structure and the intermediate structure is inconsistent with the format of the 3D model, the computer device will also convert the format of the structure obtained after performing the Boolean operation into the format of the 3D model to generate the support.

[0116] In order to reduce the printing material used for the support, the top of the support is usually configured to be located below the top of the 3D model. In order to avoid the problem that the 3D object may tilt during the printing process due to the support being too low, the computer device generates additional support for the 3D model above the support. The additional support is a discontinuous extension structure above the support. In other words, the additional support is obtained by extending the contour of the support, and there is a distance / gap between the additional support and the support in the vertical direction. For example, see Fig.20a and Fig.20b , respectively, are schematic vertical cross-sectional views of additional supports in different embodiments of the present application, as shown in the figure, Fig.20a and Fig.20b The additional support T4 is vertically spaced from the support T3, and the profile of the additional support T4 is an extension of the profile of the support T3.

[0117] See also Fig.21 , which is a schematic diagram of a process of generating additional support for a 3D model above a support in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the step of generating additional support for a 3D model above a support includes step S1301 and step S1302.

[0118] In step S1301, the computer device obtains a height spacing parameter and a second thickness parameter.

[0119] The height spacing parameter is the vertical distance between the bottom of the additional support and the top of the support. The second thickness parameter is the vertical height of the additional support. For example, see Fig.20a and Fig.20b The vertical distance between the bottom of the additional support T4 and the top of the support T3 is the height spacing parameter H3, and the vertical height of the additional support T4 is the second thickness parameter H4.

[0120] In one embodiment, the computer device provides an additional support configuration window for the user to input the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter. The additional support configuration window includes an input area or a selection area corresponding to the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter. After the user enters the specific value of the corresponding parameter in the corresponding input area and confirms it, or after the user selects the specific value of the corresponding parameter in the selection area and confirms it, the computer device can obtain the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter input by the user. In other embodiments, the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter can also be automatically generated with reference to the size of the 3D model and the support. For example, the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter are configured so that the sum of the two and the height of the support is the height of the 3D model. After obtaining the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter, the computer device executes step S1302.

[0121] In step S1302, the computer device extends the height of the second thickness parameter upward above the support with the height spacing parameter as the distance and with the extension surface corresponding to the upper surface of the support as the bottom surface, so as to generate the additional support.

[0122] In one embodiment, the computer device determines the vertical distance between the bottom of the additional support and the top of the support based on the height spacing parameter, in other words, determines the position of the additional support above the support based on the height spacing parameter; and determines the extended surface corresponding to the upper surface of the support based on the height spacing parameter, specifically, the surface structure corresponding to the upper surface of the support extending upward by the distance of the height spacing parameter is the extended surface; the three-dimensional structure formed by extending the extended surface upward by the height of the second thickness parameter is the additional support. For example, see Fig.20a and Fig.20b The bottom surface T40 of the additional support T4 is a surface structure corresponding to the upper surface of the support T3 extending upward by a distance of the height spacing parameter.

[0123] In one embodiment, the computer device also presents the generated supports and / or additional supports in the build volume. The user can adjust any parameter (e.g., offset parameter, size parameter, first thickness parameter, margin parameter, height spacing parameter, or second thickness parameter) in the above embodiments based on the presented supports and / or additional supports. For example, when the height of the support presented in the build volume is higher than the height of the 3D model, the first thickness parameter is changed to be less than the height of the 3D model.

[0124] In some embodiments, the present application further provides a 3D printing method, which is performed by a 3D printing device. The 3D printing device can be configured as a binder jetting manufacturing system, a light-curing printing system, or a laser printing system.

[0125] See also Fig. 22, which is a flow chart of a 3D printing method in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the 3D printing method includes step S210 and step S220.

[0126] In step S210, the 3D printing device obtains the data to be printed. In some embodiments, the data to be printed is obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed. The pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed can be adding support to the 3D model according to the support generation method of the 3D model provided in any of the above embodiments of the present application. For details, please refer to the above-mentioned Figures 1 to 21 Any embodiments described in related manner will not be described in detail here.

[0127] In step S220, the 3D printing device performs three-dimensional manufacturing based on the data to be printed to form a 3D object corresponding to each 3D model. Specifically, the 3D printing device uses a building material (such as a powder material or a resin liquid) to perform three-dimensional manufacturing layer by layer on a printing platform, so that the 3D object corresponding to the 3D model can be printed and the added support can be printed at the same time, and the 3D object is located in the support space of the support.

[0128] The present application also provides a 3D printing device in some embodiments, the 3D printing device includes a printing platform, a material supply device, and a printing device. In the following embodiments, for the sake of distinction, the printing platform in the 3D printing device is referred to as the first printing platform, the printing platform in the binder jet manufacturing system is referred to as the second printing platform, the printing platform in the photocuring printing system is referred to as the third printing platform, and the printing platform in the laser printing system is referred to as the fourth printing platform; the printing device in the 3D printing device is referred to as the first printing device, and the printing device in the binder jet manufacturing system is referred to as the second printing device.

[0129] The first printing platform is used to carry the 3D object corresponding to the 3D model. Specifically, the first printing platform has a horizontal printing surface, and the 3D object generated by three-dimensional manufacturing can be attached to the printing surface of the first printing platform. In one embodiment, the first printing platform can move in the Z-axis direction, and the objects formed by solidification layer by layer are accumulated and attached during the 3D printing process.

[0130] The material supply device is used to provide building materials. The building materials include materials used to generate final parts. The building materials include powder materials, resin liquid, etc.

[0131] The first printing device is configured to manufacture the 3D object with the building material on the first printing platform. The first printing device is used to obtain the data to be printed of the 3D model and to perform three-dimensional manufacturing based on the data to be printed to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model. The data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes adding support to the 3D model using the support generation method of the 3D model provided in any of the aforementioned embodiments. For details, please refer to the aforementioned Figures 1 to 21 Any embodiments described in the related descriptions will not be described here. It should be noted that the first printing device is different according to the type of 3D printing equipment. For example, the first printing device can be a printing device that uses a laser to solidify metal powder on the first printing platform, a printing device that uses an adhesive to bond powder materials on the first printing platform, or a printing device that uses a light source to solidify resin liquid on the first printing platform.

[0132] The present application also provides a binder jet manufacturing system in some embodiments, the binder jet manufacturing system includes a second printing platform, a powder material supply source, a spreader, and a second printing device. The binder jet manufacturing system is a 3D printing device that shapes powder materials by applying a binder. It should be noted that the 3D object formed by bonding with a binder needs to be sintered at high temperature to remove the binder and achieve fusion connection of the powder materials.

[0133] The second printing platform is used to accumulate and attach objects formed by bonding layer by layer. Specifically, the second printing platform has a horizontal printing surface above, and the objects formed by bonding can be attached to the printing surface of the second printing platform. The second printing platform can move in the Z-axis direction to accumulate and attach objects formed by bonding layer by layer during the 3D printing process.

[0134] The powder material supply source is used to provide powder material, and the powder material is used as a building material in the printing platform, and the powder material includes a sinterable powder. Among them, the powder material is exemplified by metal powder, ceramic powder, sand powder, etc. In one embodiment, the powder material supply source includes a container for containing powder material, and the bottom of the container can move in the Z-axis direction to provide powder; in this embodiment, the powder material supply source can be located on one side of the second printing platform or on the left and right sides of the second printing platform. In other embodiments, the powder material supply source can also be located above the second printing platform.

[0135] The spreader is used to spread the powder material across the second printing platform. The spreader includes, for example, a powder roller. In one embodiment, the spreader can move above the second printing platform to spread the powder in the powder material supply source onto the printing platform.

[0136] The second printing device is configured to apply a binder to the top surface of the powder material in the printing platform according to the data to be printed, so that three-dimensional manufacturing is performed based on the data to be printed to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model. The data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes adding support to the 3D model using the support generation method of the 3D model provided in any of the above embodiments. For details, please refer to the above embodiment for Figures 1 to 21 Any embodiments described in related manner will not be described in detail here.

[0137] In one embodiment, the second printing device moves above the printing platform according to the data to be printed to apply a binder to the top surface of the powder material in the printing platform. The second printing device is exemplified by a binder spraying mechanism including a nozzle. The binder is exemplified by an acid-base binder, a metal salt binder, or a solvent-based binder.

[0138] In some embodiments, the present application also provides a light-curing printing system, which includes a liquid storage mechanism, a third printing platform, a Z-axis drive mechanism, an energy radiation device, and a control device. The light-curing printing system is a 3D printing device that uses a light source to irradiate a resin liquid to achieve curing. For ease of distinction, the Z-axis drive mechanism and the control device in the light-curing printing system are referred to as the first Z-drive mechanism and the first control device, and the Z-axis drive mechanism and the control device in the laser printing system are referred to as the second Z-axis drive mechanism and the second control device.

[0139] The liquid storage mechanism is used to hold the resin liquid. The liquid storage mechanism includes a container for holding the resin liquid. For example, the container is a trough-shaped structure for holding the resin liquid, and the third printing platform is moved in or out of the trough-shaped structure through the opening of the trough-shaped structure. Examples of the resin liquid include: photocurable resin liquid, or resin liquid doped with mixed materials such as powder materials, etc., and the doped powder materials include but are not limited to: ceramic powder, color-added powder, etc.

[0140] The third printing platform is used to move in the Z-axis direction to accumulate and attach the solidified layer formed by the resin liquid. Specifically, when the photocuring printing system is used to print a 3D object, the third printing platform is located in the liquid storage mechanism, and is lifted and moved under the drive of the first Z-axis driving mechanism. During the lifting and moving, the third printing platform is filled with the surface of the resin liquid in the liquid storage mechanism or the surface of the formed solidified layer and the surface of the resin liquid in the liquid storage mechanism, so that the solidified layer obtained after energy radiation is attached under the cooperation of the energy radiation device. After the photocuring printing system repeatedly moves and radiates multiple times, the 3D object formed by the accumulation of the solidified layer is attached to the third printing platform.

[0141] Here, the first Z-axis driving mechanism is used to drive the third printing platform to move in the Z-axis direction to adjust the gap between the third printing platform and the printing reference surface. In one embodiment, the first Z-axis driving mechanism includes a connecting unit and a driving unit for driving the connecting unit. The driving unit is exemplified as a driving motor, and the connecting unit exemplified as a fixing rod having one end fixed on the third printing platform and a moving component fixed to the other end of the fixing rod.

[0142] The energy radiation device is used to radiate energy toward the liquid storage mechanism so that the resin liquid is affected by the energy to form a solidified layer. In some embodiments, the photocuring printing system is a 3D printing device for top surface exposure or top surface scanning, and correspondingly, the energy radiation device is located on the upper side of the liquid storage mechanism. In an embodiment of the photocuring printing system as a 3D printing device for top surface exposure, the energy radiation device is an energy radiation device based on surface projection, for example, the energy radiation device includes a DMD chip, a controller, and a storage module. In an embodiment of the photocuring printing system as a 3D printing device for top surface scanning, the energy radiation device is an energy radiation device based on light beam scanning, for example, the energy radiation device includes a laser emitter, a beam expander, a galvanometer, and a motor for controlling the galvanometer.

[0143] The first control device is connected to the energy radiation device and the first Z-axis drive mechanism, and is used to obtain the data to be printed of the 3D model and control the energy radiation device and the first Z-axis drive mechanism to work in coordination according to the data to be printed, so as to perform three-dimensional manufacturing to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model. The data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes adding support to the 3D model using the support generation method of the 3D model provided in any of the above embodiments. For details, please refer to the above embodiment for Figures 1 to 21In one embodiment, the first control device is an electronic device including a processor, for example, the first control device is a computer device, an embedded device, or an integrated circuit with a CPU, such as a control board or a main control board.

[0144] In some embodiments, the present application further provides a laser printing system, which includes a fourth printing platform, a second Z-axis drive mechanism, a laser system, and a second control device. The laser printing system is a 3D printing device that uses laser to irradiate metal powder to achieve solidification.

[0145] In one embodiment, the laser printing system further comprises a molding groove, the opening of which faces the laser system and is used to accommodate the fourth printing platform and the second Z-axis driving mechanism.

[0146] The upper surface of the fourth printing platform is used to attach the solidified layer that is solidified layer by layer after being irradiated by the laser system, and the lower surface of the fourth printing platform is detachably connected to the second Z-axis driving mechanism.

[0147] The second Z-axis driving mechanism is connected to the fourth component platform and is used to move in a controlled manner along the Z-axis direction to adjust the distance between the fourth component platform and the printing reference surface. The second control device controls the second Z-axis driving mechanism to adjust the distance between the fourth component platform and the printing reference surface according to the thickness of each layer printed, that is, to adjust the height of the molding area. The molding area is the area formed by the printing reference surface and the upper surface of the fourth component platform or the upper surface of the 3D object during the printing process. Among them, the components included in the second Z-axis driving mechanism are the same or similar to those of the first Z-axis driving mechanism, and are not repeated here.

[0148] In one embodiment, the laser printing system further comprises a powder spreading device, which is arranged across the fourth component platform and can move above the fourth component platform to spread metal powder on the fourth component platform. For example, the powder spreading device comprises a scraper assembly for spreading powder.

[0149] The laser system is arranged above the fourth component platform, and the laser system is used to emit laser to irradiate the metal powder laid on the printing platform. In one embodiment, the laser system includes a light source and a scanning galvanometer, and the light source is used to controllably emit laser of preset intensity. The scanning galvanometer can be deflected under the drive of its driving motor. For example, the driving motor of the scanning galvanometer is controlled by the control instruction output by the second control device, and the propagation direction of the laser is adjusted by adjusting the deflection angle of the scanning galvanometer, so as to accurately position the laser to any position on the printing reference surface. Among them, the control instruction includes: a directional instruction for indicating the rotation or stop of the scanning galvanometer, and may even include parameters such as rotation speed / speed acceleration.

[0150] The second control device is connected to the second Z-axis drive mechanism and the laser system, and is used to obtain the data to be printed of the 3D model and control the Z-axis drive mechanism and the laser system to work in coordination according to the data to be printed, so as to perform three-dimensional manufacturing to obtain the corresponding 3D object. The data to be printed is obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes adding support to the 3D model using the support generation method of the 3D model provided in any of the above embodiments. For details, please refer to the above embodiment for Figures 1 to 21 Any embodiments described in connection with the above will not be described in detail here. In one embodiment, the second control device is used to control the powder spreading device of the laser printing system to spread metal powder on the fourth component platform during the printing operation, control the laser system to irradiate the metal powder on the fourth component platform, and control the second Z-axis drive mechanism to move along the Z-axis direction during the printing operation to attach the solidified layers formed layer by layer on the fourth component platform to obtain the corresponding 3D component. In one embodiment, the second control device is an electronic device including a processor.

[0151] In some embodiments, the present application also provides a support generation system for a 3D model, which can be deployed in a computer device, for example, as a software tool or software module that can process data. It generates support on the 3D model with the help of the operating environment provided by the hardware device and / or operating system in the computer device. The specific structure and function of the computer device can be found in the description of the embodiment of the method for generating support for a 3D model in the present application, which will not be repeated here.

[0152] See also Fig.23, which is a block diagram of a support generation system for a 3D model in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in the figure, the support generation system 1 for the 3D model includes a first generation module 10, a second generation module 11, and a third generation module 12. The first generation module 10 is used to generate a main structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a predefined size parameter and a first thickness parameter corresponding to a construction plane, wherein the size parameter is not less than the size of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane; the second generation module 11 is used to generate an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a margin parameter; the third generation module 12 is connected to the first generation module 10 and the second generation module 11, and is used to perform a Boolean operation to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure to generate the support of the 3D model.

[0153] In one embodiment, the first generation module 10, the second generation module 11, and the third generation module 12 respectively coordinate and execute the support generation method of the 3D model disclosed in any of the aforementioned embodiments of the present application according to the functions described above, see Figures 1 to 21 Any embodiments described in related manner will not be described in detail here.

[0154] The first generation module 10, the second generation module 11, and the third generation module 12 can also be implemented in software run by different types of processors. For example, a module of executable code may include one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions, which are organized as objects, programs, or functions. However, the executable files of the modules do not have to be physically located together, but may include different commands stored in different locations, which, when logically connected together, include the modules and achieve the specified goals of the modules.

[0155] Of course, the module of executable code can be one or many instructions, and can even be distributed in several different code segments, distributed in different programs and distributed in multiple storage devices. Similarly, operation data can be identified and shown in the module, and the operation data can be embodied in any suitable form and organized in any suitable type of data structure. The operation data can be collected as a single data set, or can be distributed in different locations (including different storage devices), and can exist at least partially as electrical signals in a system or network. When a module or a portion of a module is implemented in software, the software portion is stored on one or more computer-readable media.

[0156] The present application also provides a computer device, including a bus, a processor, a memory, and a communication interface. The processor, the memory, and the communication interface communicate with each other via the bus. The computing device may be a server, a laptop, a desktop computer, an edge device, etc., and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the number of processors and memories in the computing device.

[0157] The bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one line is used in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus may include a path for transmitting information between various components of a computing device (e.g., memory, processor, communication interface).

[0158] In one embodiment, the computer device is used to implement the method for generating support for the 3D model described in any of the above embodiments. In one embodiment, the computer device is a device capable of performing digital calculations, logical processing, and information processing on data, including but not limited to: personal computers, industrial computers, tablets, smart phones, servers, server clusters, smart terminals, cloud-based server systems, etc.

[0159] See also Fig.24 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the computer device 2 includes a storage device 20 and a processing device 21 connected to the storage device 20. Furthermore, the computer device also includes a communication interface 22.

[0160] In some embodiments, the storage device 20 is used to store at least one program, and the at least one program can be executed by the processing device 21 to coordinate the storage device 20 to implement the support generation method of the 3D model described in any of the above embodiments. Here, the storage device 20 includes but is not limited to: Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), Nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM). For example, the storage device 20 includes a flash memory device or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the storage device 20 may also include a memory away from one or more processing devices 21, such as a network attached memory accessed via an RF circuit or an external port and a communication network, wherein the communication network may be the Internet, one or more intranets, local area networks, wide area networks, storage area networks, etc., or a suitable combination thereof. The memory controller may control access to the memory by other components of the device such as the CPU and peripheral interfaces.

[0161] In some embodiments, the processing device 21 includes one or more processors. The processing device 21 can be operable to perform data read and write operations with the storage device 20. The processing device 21 includes one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more application-specific processors (ASICs), one or more digital signal processors (Digital Signal Processors, referred to as DSPs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (Field Programmable Gate Arrays, referred to as FPGAs), or any combination thereof.

[0162] In some embodiments, the communication interface 22 includes at least one interface unit, each of which is used to output a visual interface, receive a human-computer interaction event generated according to the operation of a technician, etc. For example, the communication interface 22 includes but is not limited to: a serial interface such as an HDMI interface or a USB interface, or a parallel interface, etc. In one embodiment, the communication interface 22 also includes a network communication unit, which is a device for data transmission using a wired or wireless network, examples of which include but are not limited to: an integrated circuit including a network card, a local area network module such as a WiFi module or a Bluetooth module, a wide area network module such as a mobile network, etc.

[0163] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, which, when called and executed by a processor of a computer, implements the support generation method for a 3D model as in any of the above embodiments.

[0164] The present application also provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the above-mentioned related steps to implement the support generation method of the 3D model in any of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0165] If the method is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to enable a computer device equipped with the storage medium to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application.

[0166] In the embodiments provided in the present application, the computer storage medium provided may include a read-only memory, a random access memory, an EEPROM, a CD-ROM or other optical disk storage device, a disk storage device or other magnetic storage device, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, or any other medium that can be used to store a desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, any connection can be appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the instruction is sent from a website, a server or other remote source using a coaxial cable, an optical fiber cable, a twisted pair, a digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, the coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of the medium. However, it should be understood that computer storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carriers, signals, or other temporary media, but are intended to be non-temporary, tangible storage media. Disk and disc, as used in this application, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers.

[0167] In summary, the support generation method and generation system of the 3D model, the 3D printing method and printing device, the binder jet manufacturing system, the photocuring printing system, the laser printing system, the computer device, the computer-readable storage medium and the computer program product disclosed in the present application can automatically generate the support of the corresponding 3D model by performing Boolean operations on the main structure generated according to the offset parameters corresponding to the construction plane or the size parameters and the first thickness parameters predefined corresponding to the construction plane, the main structure generated according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameters of the projection image of the 3D model on the construction plane, and the intermediate structure generated based on the 3D model and a residual parameter. The present application can not only automatically generate corresponding supports (such as raft supports) based on different 3D models, but also can automatically generate corresponding supports (such as raft supports) based on different 3D models. Or packaging box), to achieve synchronous printing of support and 3D object, so as to avoid deformation of 3D object during sintering printing process, and to achieve stable support for printed 3D object during printing process to avoid tilting of 3D object during printing. Moreover, there is a gap between the support and the 3D model, and the 3D object can be directly separated from the support without the need for additional post-processing operation of removing the raft to separate the 3D object and the support. Furthermore, the present application utilizes spatial grid to generate intermediate structure, thereby improving the generation efficiency of generating intermediate structure. Furthermore, utilizing the inclination angle to generate intermediate structure can gradually increase the distance between the support and the 3D model from bottom to top, thereby facilitating the grabbing of 3D object after printing and facilitating the separation of 3D object from support.

[0168] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the inventive essence of the present application and the beneficial effects obtained, and are not intended to limit the present application. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the principles and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes achieved by a person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present application shall still be covered by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A support generation method for a 3D model, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Generate a main structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a predefined size parameter corresponding to the construction plane and a first thickness parameter, and generate an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a margin parameter; wherein the size parameter is not less than the size of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane; A Boolean operation is performed to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure to generate a support for the 3D model.

2. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support configuration of the generated 3D model is a raft structure or a package structure.

3. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: Generating a main structure according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane includes: defining a geometric surface according to the projection image of the 3D model on the construction plane and the offset parameters, and generating the main structure by stretching with the first thickness parameter based on the geometric surface.

4. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 3, characterized in that: Defining a geometric surface based on the projection image of the 3D model on the construction plane and the offset parameters includes: expanding the offset parameters outwardly based on the outer contour of the projection image or the bounding box of the projection image to generate the geometric surface.

5. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: Generating the main structure according to the offset parameters and the first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane includes: expanding the offset parameters outwardly based on the coordinate information of the bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane to generate a geometric surface, and stretching the main structure based on the geometric surface with the first thickness parameter.

6. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: Generating the main structure according to the predefined size parameters and the first thickness parameter corresponding to the construction plane includes: generating a geometric surface based on the size parameters, and generating the main structure by stretching the geometric surface with the first thickness parameter.

7. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method also includes the step of obtaining the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter.

8. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of obtaining the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter includes: providing a parameter configuration window for a user to input the offset parameter or the size parameter, the first thickness parameter, and the margin parameter.

9. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: Generating the intermediate structure according to the 3D model and a margin parameter comprises: determining the outer contour of the intermediate structure according to the 3D model and the margin parameter to generate the intermediate structure.

10. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 9, characterized in that: The step of determining the outer contour of the intermediate structure to generate the intermediate structure comprises: Creating a spatial grid, the spatial grid being able to surround the 3D model in a manner that at least maintains a distance corresponding to the margin parameter from the 3D model; generating an initial outline of the intermediate structure based on occupancy information of the 3D model in the spatial grid; The initial outline is expanded outward according to the margin parameter to generate the intermediate structure.

11. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 10, characterized in that: Creating a spatial grid includes: expanding a bounding box of the 3D model based on the margin parameter to create the spatial grid based on the expanded bounding box.

12. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 10, characterized in that: Generating the initial outline of the intermediate structure comprises the following steps: Traversing and querying each column of the spatial grid in a positive direction from the construction plane toward the Z axis, so as to mark the cell and the cells above it as occupied when a cell occupied by the 3D model is found in each column of the grid; The initial outline is generated based on cells marked as occupied.

13. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 10, characterized in that: The margin parameter includes an interval parameter, and expanding the initial outline outward according to the margin parameter to generate the intermediate structure includes: a step of expanding the initial outline outward by a number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter to generate a first expanded outline.

14. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 13, characterized in that: The margin parameter also includes a tilt angle, and expanding the initial profile outwardly according to the margin parameter to generate the intermediate structure further includes: stepwise expanding the side of the first extended profile based on the tilt angle to generate a second extended profile.

15. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 10, characterized in that: The margin parameters include a spacing parameter and an inclination angle, and expanding the initial outline outward according to the margin parameters to generate the intermediate structure includes the following steps: Step-wise extending the side of the initial profile based on the inclination angle to generate a first extended profile; The number of cells corresponding to the interval parameter is expanded outward based on the first extended outline to generate a second extended outline, so as to generate the intermediate structure based on the second extended outline.

16. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method also includes the step of generating additional supports for the 3D model above the supports.

17. The support generation method of a 3D model according to claim 16, characterized in that: The step of generating additional support for the 3D model above the support comprises: Get the height spacing parameter and the second thickness parameter; The height of the second thickness parameter is extended upward above the support with the height spacing parameter as the distance and the extension surface corresponding to the upper surface of the support as the bottom surface to generate the additional support.

18. A 3D printing method, characterized in that: include: Acquire data to be printed, wherein the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, wherein the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of adding support to the 3D model using the support generation method of the 3D model according to any one of claims 1 to 17; Three-dimensional manufacturing is performed based on the data to be printed to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model.

19. A 3D printing device, characterized in that: include: A printing platform, used to carry the 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; A material supply device for providing a building material, wherein the building material includes a material for generating a final part; A printing device, configured to manufacture the 3D object with a building material on the printing platform, and used for performing three-dimensional manufacturing based on the data to be printed to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

20. A binder jetting manufacturing system, characterized in that: include: Printing platform; A powder material supply source, used for providing powder material, wherein the powder material is used as a building material in the printing platform, and the powder material includes a sinterable powder; a spreader for spreading powder material across the printing platform; A printing device, configured to apply a binder to the top surface of a powder material in a printing platform according to data to be printed, so that three-dimensional manufacturing is performed based on the data to be printed to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

21. A light-curing printing system, characterized in that: include: A liquid storage mechanism, used for containing resin liquid; A printing platform, used for moving in the Z-axis direction to accumulate and adhere the solidified layer formed by the resin liquid; A Z-axis driving mechanism, used for driving the printing platform to move in the Z-axis direction; An energy radiation device, used for radiating energy toward the liquid storage mechanism, so that the resin liquid is affected by the energy to form a solidified layer; A control device is connected to the energy radiation device and the Z-axis drive mechanism, and is used to obtain the data to be printed of the 3D model and control the energy radiation device and the Z-axis drive mechanism to work in coordination according to the data to be printed, so as to perform three-dimensional manufacturing to generate a 3D object corresponding to the 3D model; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

22. A laser printing system, characterized in that: include A printing platform for attaching the solidified layers to be solidified layer by layer; A Z-axis driving mechanism, connected to the printing platform, for controlled movement along the Z-axis direction; A laser system, used for emitting laser to irradiate metal powder laid on the printing platform; A control device is connected to the laser system and the Z-axis drive mechanism, and is used to obtain the data to be printed of the 3D model and control the Z-axis drive mechanism and the laser system to work in coordination according to the data to be printed, so as to perform three-dimensional manufacturing to obtain a corresponding 3D object; the data to be printed is configured to be obtained after pre-processing the 3D model to be printed, and the pre-processing of the 3D model to be printed includes the step of generating support for the 3D model using the support generation method for the 3D model described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

23. A support generation system for a 3D model, characterized in that: include: A first generating module is used to generate a main structure according to an offset parameter corresponding to a construction plane or a predefined size parameter corresponding to the construction plane and a first thickness parameter; wherein the size parameter is not less than a size of a bounding box of the 3D model corresponding to the construction plane; A second generating module, used for generating an intermediate structure based on the 3D model and a residual parameter; The third generating module is connected to the first generating module and the second generating module, and is used for performing Boolean operation to remove the intermediate structure from the main structure to generate the support of the 3D model.

24. A computer device, characterized in that: include: A storage device for storing at least one program; A processing device is connected to the storage device, and is used to call the at least one program from the storage device and implement the support generation method of the 3D model as described in any one of claims 1 to 17 when executing it.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: At least one program is stored, and when the at least one program is called and executed by a processor of a computer, the support generation method of a 3D model as described in any one of claims 1 to 17 is implemented.

26. A computer program product, characterized in that When the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to execute the support generation method for a 3D model as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17.

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