Information processor, information processing program, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processor, information processing program, and information processing method, capable of reducing a time required for modeling a three-dimensional object with a small error from three-dimensional data, compared to the time when a moving speed of a discharge unit in a three-dimensional object modeling device is uniformly controlled.SOLUTION: An information processor includes: a reception unit for receiving three-dimensional data for modeling a three-dimensional object; a division unit for dividing the three-dimensional data to generate data of a plurality of modeling layers for modeling the three-dimensional object; a calculation unit for calculating an index that exhibits complexity of a figure that appears when a discharge unit for discharging a material models the modeling layers on the basis of the data of the modeling layers, and calculating a moving speed of the discharge unit in accordance with the index; and a generation unit for generating a control command for controlling the discharge unit in accordance with the moving speed of the discharge unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for generating control instructions adapted for a manufacturing process of a 3D object using a material extrusion (ME) process of 3D printing, including obtaining (301) an electronic 3D model of the 3D object to be manufactured, generating control instructions based on the electronic 3D model and process parameters of the manufacturing process, determining a mesh model representing the electronic 3D model, where the mesh model includes elements having at least one characteristic affected by at least one of the process parameters, using the control instructions, the mesh model, and the process parameters to temporally execute a simulation of the manufacturing process, the execution including, for each element of the mesh model, establishing a deviation of the at least one characteristic with respect to a reference, where the deviation is induced by at least one of the process parameters, establishing an adaptation of the at least one characteristic of each element of the mesh model to correct the deviation, and applying the adaptation to the control instructions to obtain at least one adapted control instruction.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a shaping prediction system including an acquisition means for acquiring shaping data for each layer and shaping condition settings for shaping an object to be shaped, a prediction means for predicting a time series of deformation for each layer after starting the shaping of the object to be shaped based on the shaping condition settings and the shaping data for each layer, and a calculation means for calculating correction data for each layer based on the time series of deformation for each layer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Table 2021-511986 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-001295 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] There is known a three-dimensional object modeling apparatus that forms a three-dimensional object by extruding a material from a discharge unit capable of moving at a constant speed and stacking layers. When forming a three-dimensional object having a complex shape with such a three-dimensional object modeling apparatus, if the moving speed of the discharge unit is increased, the discharged resin may not adhere to the target site, or the moving speed may be too fast to form a complex shape. As a result, an error may occur in the comparison between the three-dimensional data serving as a model and the formed three-dimensional object. On the other hand, if the moving speed of the discharge unit is decreased, it takes time to form the three-dimensional object.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing method capable of shortening the time required to form a three-dimensional object with a smaller error from three-dimensional data as compared with the case of uniformly controlling the moving speed of a discharge unit provided in the three-dimensional object modeling apparatus. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to a first aspect includes a reception unit that receives three-dimensional data for forming a three-dimensional object, a division unit that divides the three-dimensional data and generates data of a plurality of modeling layers for forming the three-dimensional object, a calculation unit that calculates an index indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when a discharge unit that discharges a material forms the modeling layer based on the data of the modeling layer, and calculates the moving speed of the discharge unit according to the index, and a generation unit that generates a control command for controlling the discharge unit according to the moving speed of the discharge unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the information processing apparatus of the first aspect, compared with the case where the moving speed of the ejection unit is uniformly controlled, it is possible to shorten the time required to form a three-dimensional object with a small error from the three-dimensional data, and thus an effect is achieved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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[0010] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outline of an information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0012] An information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment is communicably connected to a three-dimensional object forming device 20 that forms a three-dimensional object 30.

[0013] The information processing device 10 generates a control command for controlling the three-dimensional object modeling device 20 and outputs the control command to the three-dimensional object modeling device 20. The three-dimensional object modeling device 20 models the three-dimensional object 30, for example, by a material extrusion method (MEX). That is, the three-dimensional object modeling device 20 ejects material based on the control command and stacks the ejected material to model the three-dimensional object 30.

[0014] In addition, in FIG. 1, the information processing device 10 and the three-dimensional object forming device 20 are illustrated as separate devices, but the information processing device 10 and the three-dimensional object forming device 20 may be integrated into one device.

[0015] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 may be configured by, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, or the like.

[0017] The information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a processor 11, a display unit 12, an operation unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a communication unit 15. The processor 11 includes a CPU 11A, a ROM 11B, a RAM 11C, a non-volatile memory 11D, and an input / output interface (I / O) 11E.

[0018] The processor 11 is a central processing unit, and reads an information processing program 100 and various other programs from, for example, the storage unit 14.

[0019] The processor 11 controls the information processing apparatus 10 by executing the read programs using the RAM 11C as a work area.

[0020] The CPU 11A, ROM 11B, RAM 11C, and non-volatile memory 11D are communicably connected to the I / O unit 11E via a bus.

[0021] The display unit 12 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Information corresponding to user operations and the processing of the information processing apparatus 10 is displayed on the display unit 12.

[0022] The operation unit 13 includes operation keys, operation buttons, a power button, etc. provided in the information processing apparatus 10. Note that the operation unit 13 and the display unit 12 may be integrated by, for example, a touch panel.

[0023] The storage unit 14 is constituted by, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage unit 14 stores the information processing program 100.

[0024] The communication unit 15 is an interface for communicably connecting, for example, to a three-dimensional object modeling device 20 provided externally and a network or the like. For the communication unit 15, communication standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and LAN (Local Area Network) are used.

[0025] The processor 11, the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, the storage unit 14, and the communication unit 15 are electrically connected by a system bus.

[0026] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the configuration of the three-dimensional object modeling device 20 will be described.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the three-dimensional object modeling device 20.

[0028] The control unit 21 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a non-volatile memory, an input / output interface, etc. (not shown). The control unit 21 acquires a control command output by the information processing device 10 and controls the operation of the three-dimensional object modeling device 20 based on the control command.

[0029] The storage unit 22 stores, for example, a control command output by the information processing device 10.

[0030] The communication unit 23 is an interface for communicably connecting to the information processing device 10. For the communication unit 23, communication standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and LAN (Local Area Network) are used.

[0031] The heating unit 24 is provided in, for example, the three-dimensional object modeling device 20 and heats and melts a material for modeling the three-dimensional object 30.

[0032] The discharging unit 25 includes at least one nozzle 25A (not shown) for discharging the heated and melted material.

[0033] The control unit 21 controls the timing of starting the heating of the material by the heating unit 24 and the like. Further, the control unit 21 controls the moving direction of the discharging unit 25, the moving speed of the discharging unit 25, the timing of first starting the discharging of the material, the timing of ending the discharging, and the like based on a control command. Note that the control unit 21 controls so that the material is continuously discharged from the discharging unit 25. Thereby, the material is discharged without interruption, and the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20 can shape a three-dimensional object 30 having a smooth surface.

[0034] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the functional configuration of the processor 11 in the information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0035] The reception unit 110 receives three-dimensional data 300 for shaping the three-dimensional object 30. An example of the three-dimensional data 300 received by the reception unit 110 is shown in FIG. 5. The reception unit 110 receives, for example, three-dimensional CAD data as the three-dimensional data 300.

[0036] The division unit 112 generates data for shaping the three-dimensional object 30 by laminating the material discharged from the discharging unit 25. Specifically, the division unit 112 divides the three-dimensional data 300 into a plurality of layers and generates data regarding the plurality of layers. Each of the plurality of layers of the divided three-dimensional data 300 is referred to as a "shaping layer". FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the shaping layer of the three-dimensional data 300. The shaping layer L1 shown in FIG. 6 indicates the layer for shaping the lowermost part when shaping the three-dimensional data 300. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the division unit 112 divides the three-dimensional data 300 into layers such as the shaping layer L1, the shaping layer L2,..., the shaping layer LN,..., the shaping layer LL,.... Note that the shaping layer LO in FIG. 6 indicates the uppermost shaping layer of the three-dimensional data 300.

[0037] Note that in one shaping layer, various shapes appear according to the shape of the three-dimensional data 300. FIG. 7 shows three-dimensional data 300 having a shape different from that of the three-dimensional data 300 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Further, FIG. 8 shows a plan view of one shaping layer LN' among the data of the shaping layer generated by dividing the three-dimensional data 300 shown in FIG. 7. The shaping layer LN' shows a view of one shaping layer of the three-dimensional data 300 shown in FIG. 7 as seen from the positive to negative directions of the Z axis.

[0038] A portion 32 of the shaping layer LN' shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the shape of the portion indicated by star 1 of the three-dimensional data 300 shown in FIG. 7. Further, a portion 34 of the shaping layer LN' shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the shape of the portion indicated by star 2 of the three-dimensional data 300 shown in FIG. 7. In the comparison between the shape of the shaping layer LN' at the portion 32 and the shape of the shaping layer LN' at the portion 34, the shape of the portion 32 has a more acute angle than the shape of the portion 34. Thus, the shape of the shaping layer may differ from portion to portion in the comparison of shapes based on a predetermined range even within one shaping layer.

[0039] Returning to the description of FIG. 4, the calculation unit 114 calculates a shaping path indicating the path along which the discharge unit 25 discharges the material, an index X indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when the discharge unit 25 shapes the shaping layer, and the moving speed of the discharge unit 25.

[0040] The shaping path is calculated, for example, for each shaping layer. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the shaping path 400 of the shaping layer LN' shown in FIG. 8. The control unit 21 of the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20 controls the discharge unit 25 to move along the shaping path of each shaping layer.

[0041] Also in the shaping path 400, similar to the shaping layer LN', it can be seen that the shape of the shaping path 400 included in the portion 32 has a more acute angle than the shape of the shaping path 400 included in the portion 34.

[0042] The shape of the shaping path and the shaping layer corresponds to each other, and an index X indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when the discharge unit 25 shapes the shaping layer is calculated using, for example, the shaping path.

[0043] Here, the details of the index X indicating complexity will be described.

[0044] As described above, within one shaping layer, in other words, in one shaping path, various shapes may appear. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the types of shapes that appear in the shaping path included within a predetermined range. (A) shows the shape of a free-form curve shaping path. (B) shows the shape of a shaping path having a radius of curvature. (C) shows a shape in which a curve having a radius of curvature repeatedly appears within the range. (D) shows a shape in which line segments are joined at an arbitrary angle, in other words, a shape having an angle. (E) shows a shape in which line segments joined at an arbitrary angle repeatedly appear within the range. (F) shows a shape in which the end point P of the reference line segment L and the end point P' of the line segment L' are separated on the straight line of the line segment L and the line segment L'. (G) shows a shape in which the end points P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 of the reference line segments L1, L2, L3, L4 are separated on the straight line of the reference line segments L1 to L4. In other words, (F) shows a shape in which the shape shown repeatedly appears within the range.

[0045] Note that the types of shapes shown in FIG. 10 are just examples, and various other types of shapes may appear in the shaping path.

[0046] According to the index X calculated by the calculation unit 114, the complexity of various types of shapes appearing in the shaping path can be determined. That is, for example, by the calculation unit 114 calculating the index X of each shape shown in FIG. 10, the complexity of each shape can be determined. Specifically, when the indexes X of various shapes are calculated, the complexity is determined by comparing the calculated indexes X. Specifically, a simple line segment (for example, the diameter of a unit circle) within a predetermined range (for example, inside the unit circle) is used as the basic shape of the shaping path, and the index X of the basic shape within the shaping path is calculated as "1". The index X = 1 is an example of a value (reference value) indicating the reference of the index X. And when the index X of the shape of the shaping path at a part other than where the index X is calculated as "1" is calculated to be greater than "1", it is determined to be more complex than the basic shape. The indexes X of the shapes shown in (A) to (G) above are all greater than "1". That is, all the shapes shown in (A) to (G) above are shapes that are more complex than the basic shape.

[0047] Here, the definition of the index X will be explained. The index X is defined as the value obtained by dividing "the length of the shaping path to be calculated for the index X, which is included in the range obtained by multiplying the diameter of the nozzle of the discharge unit 25 by α times (α is a positive constant))" by "the value obtained by multiplying the diameter of the nozzle by 0.5α". As the value that α can take, 5 to 30 is appropriate, but other values may also be used. Note that a value of α that includes all the shaping paths of one shaping layer is excluded because it is not appropriate. The value of α is determined to be a value that can set an appropriate range that is not too large and not too small so as to include a part of the entire shaping path of one shaping layer.

[0048] FIG. 11, FIG. 12, and FIG. 13 are diagrams for explaining the details of the index X.

[0049] The shaping path 410 shown in FIG. 11 shows a part of the shaping path of one shaping layer of certain three-dimensional data. The range 500 shows a range that is 10 times the diameter of the nozzle 25A. Among the shaping path 410, the path indicated by the dashed line shows the shaping path (hereinafter simply referred to as the "target path") 420 for calculating the index X. Note that the target path 420 shows the shaping path 410 within the range 500 that is located in the traveling direction S of the discharge unit 25.

[0050] The calculation unit 114 calculates the index X of the target path 420. As an example, the index X of the target path 420 is calculated to be 1.61.

[0051] FIG. 12 shows the shaping path 410 of a part different from that in FIG. 11 among the shaping path 410. In the example shown in FIG. 12, as an example, the index X of the target path 430 among the shaping path 410 included in the range 500 is calculated to be 1.04. Note that the target path 430 shows the shaping path 410 within the range 500 that is located in the traveling direction S of the discharge unit 25, similar to the target path 420.

[0052] In FIGS. 11 and 12, the index X for the target paths of the parts with different shapes among the shaping path 410 is calculated. The index X of the target path 420 is larger than the index X of the target path 430. This indicates that the target path 420 is more complex in shape than the target path 430.

[0053] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of calculating the index X by changing the value α from 10 to 20.

[0054] The shaping path 410 shown in FIG. 13 shows the shaping path 410 of the part shown in FIG. 11. The range 510 shown in FIG. 13 shows a range that is 20 times the diameter of the nozzle 25A. Note that the target path 440 has a shape that repeats the shape of the target path 420. In FIG. 13, the index X of the target path 440 is calculated to be 1.61. This indicates that when the shape of the shaping path included in a constant multiple of the diameter of the nozzle 25A when the value α is changed is a repetition of the shape before the change in the value α, the value of the index X is calculated to be the same value regardless of the value α. Note that the range 510 is larger than the range 500, and the length of the shaping path 410 included in the range 510 is longer than the length of the shaping path 410 included in the range 500. Also, the target path 440 shows the shaping path 410 within the range 510 that is located in the traveling direction S of the discharge unit 25.

[0055] As described above, the calculation unit 114 can calculate the index X of the target path. Also, it becomes possible to compare the complexity of the shapes of a plurality of target paths based on the calculated index X.

[0056] Returning to the description of FIG. 4, the moving speed of the discharge unit 25 calculated by the calculation unit 114 is calculated according to the calculated index X. For example, in the case of the target path 420 and the target path 430, the index X of the target path 420 is larger than the index X of the target path 430. In this case, the calculation unit 114 calculates the moving speed of the discharge unit 25 when shaping the target path 420 to be slower than the moving speed of the discharge unit 25 when shaping the target path 430. Details of the process in which the calculation unit 114 calculates the moving speed of the discharge unit 25 will be described later (see step S110 in FIG. 14). Also, the generation unit 116 generates a control command including data on the moving speed according to the shape of the discharge unit 25 calculated by the calculation unit 114 and data on the shaping path of the discharge unit 25.

[0057] Next, with reference to FIG. 14, an example of the processing by the information processing program 100 executed by the processor 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0058] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the information processing program 100.

[0059] In step S100, the processor 11 receives the three-dimensional data 300. The three-dimensional data 300 is registered by the user, for example.

[0060] In step S102, the processor 11 receives the condition data. Here, the condition data includes at least one of data regarding the material discharged by the discharge unit 25 of the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20, data regarding the discharge unit 25, and other data regarding the shaping of the three-dimensional object 30. An example of data regarding the material discharged by the discharge unit 25 of the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20 is a value indicating the characteristics of the material, such as the type of material used. An example of data regarding the discharge unit 25 is a value indicating the heating temperature of the heating unit 24, the size of the nozzle diameter of the discharge unit 25, the width during discharge, the extrusion amount of the material, etc. An example of other data regarding the shaping of the three-dimensional object 30 is data indicating the shape of the three-dimensional object 30 and the environment regarding the room temperature when the three-dimensional object 30 is shaped, information on the height of each layer when the three-dimensional object 30 is laminated and shaped, etc. The condition data is set by the user, for example.

[0061] In step S104, the processor 11 divides the three-dimensional data 300 into layers for laminating and shaping the three-dimensional object 30 based on the received condition data, and generates shaping layers. More specifically, for example, from the data regarding the shaping of the three-dimensional object 30 among the received condition data, information on the height per shaping layer is obtained, and based on the height information, the three-dimensional data 300 is divided to generate shaping layers. The processing by the processor 11 in step S104 shows the processing by the dividing unit 112 in FIG. 4.

[0062] In step S106, the processor 11 generates data on the shaping path for each shaping layer.

[0063] In step S108, the processor 11 calculates an index X for various shapes within one shaping path. The index X is calculated sequentially, for example, while tracing the shaping path along the path that the ejection unit 25 advances when performing shaping.

[0064] In step S110, the processor 11 calculates the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 when shaping the shaping layer based on the calculated index X. Here, since the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is calculated according to the calculated index X, different moving speeds are calculated for example for different shapes even within one shaping layer.

[0065] More specifically, the processor 11 calculates, for example, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 when shaping a shape where the index X is "1", that is, the above-described basic shape, as a value F1. An example of the value F1 is approximately 60 mm / sec. However, other values are appropriately set, for example, values that do not cause thermal sag during shaping or do not affect the appearance of the shaped three-dimensional object 30.

[0066] On the other hand, when the index X becomes greater than 1, that is, when shaping a shape more complex than the basic line segment, the processor 11 calculates the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 as the sum of the product of the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the index X and the condition value β (where the condition value β is a negative value) and the value F1. The condition value β is a value appropriately determined from the condition data received in step S102. FIG. 15 is a graph showing the relationship between the index X and the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 when the index X is greater than 1. As shown in FIG. 15, it can be seen that as the index X increases, in other words, as the shape becomes more complex, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 decreases. Also, it can be seen that the maximum value of the moving speed of the ejection unit 25, in other words, the fastest value of the moving speed of the ejection unit 25, is the value F1 when shaping the basic shape.

[0067] The moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is calculated, for example, as the index X is sequentially calculated.

[0068] Returning to FIG. 14, in step S112, the processor 11 generates a control command. The control command includes data on the movement speed corresponding to the shape of the discharge unit 25 calculated in step S108, data on the shaping path of the discharge unit 25 calculated in step S106, and the like.

[0069] After the above-described processing is completed, the processor 11 outputs the control command to the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20. The three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20 controls the movement of the discharge unit 25 for each shaping layer according to the data on the shaping path included in the control command. Further, the three-dimensional object shaping apparatus 20 shapes the three-dimensional object 30 by discharging the material while controlling the movement speed of the discharge unit 25 to change according to the shape according to the data on the movement speed included in the control command.

[0070] As another example of the processing in step S108 described above, the processor 11 may determine whether or not a target path indicating a shaping path to be calculated for the index X matches a predetermined shape pattern. Thereafter, based on the result of the determination, for a shape that matches the predetermined shape pattern, the index X may be calculated without performing the calculation based on the above definition of the index X.

[0071] For example, the processor 11 determines whether or not the target path is a shape having a curved portion (hereinafter referred to as “curvature radius”) formed of a constant radius. For example, when the target path matches any of the curves 50 to 58 shown in FIG. 16, the processor 11 calculates, as the index X, a value previously associated with each curve. Alternatively, the processor 11 may calculate, as the index X, a value associated with the radius value of the curved portion of the target path.

[0072] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining values previously associated with the curves 50 to 58 shown in FIG. 16. The graph shown in FIG. 17 shows the relationship between the curvature radius of the curve and the index X. For example, when the target path matches the curve 50 having a curvature radius of 7.5, based on the correspondence of the graph shown in FIG. 17, the index X is calculated as 1.6.

[0073] Further, the processor 11 determines whether the target path has a shape with an angle. When the target path matches any of the shapes 60 to 66 having an angle as shown in FIG. 18, for example, the processor 11 calculates, as the index X, the value pre-associated with each angle.

[0074] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the values pre-associated with the shapes 60 to 66 shown in FIG. 18. The graph shown in FIG. 19 shows the relationship between the angle and the index X. For example, when the target path matches the shape 60 having an angle of 15 degrees, based on the correspondence of the graph shown in FIG. 19, the index X is calculated as 2.9. Note that when the angle is 90 degrees, the index X may be calculated as 1.

[0075] Further, when the target path has a shape as shown in FIGS. 9(F) and 9(G), for example, the processor 11 determines how far apart are the endpoints of the reference line segment, for example, the endpoints P, P' of the line segments L, L', or the endpoints P1 to P6 of the line segments L1 to L4. Then, according to the separation distance of the endpoints, the index X of the target path is calculated. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the values pre-associated with the separation distance of the endpoints. The graph shown in FIG. 20 shows the relationship between the separation distance of the endpoints and the index X. For example, when the separation distance of the endpoints is 1.5, the index X is calculated as 1.6. When the separation distance matches the value α, the index X is calculated as 1.

[0076] By adding the processes described above with reference to FIGS. 14 to 20, the index X of the target path can be calculated in a shorter time than calculating according to the definition of the index X.

[0077] According to the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment described above, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 can be set according to the calculated index X of the target path. For example, for a reference shape, specifically, a straight line shape, the ejection unit 25 can be controlled to move at the maximum speed value F1 for shaping. Further, as a shape more complex than the reference shape, the farther the index X is from 1, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is set to a value smaller than the value F1. That is, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is set to a speed slower than the maximum speed.

[0078] In addition, in the present embodiment, the error between the shaped three-dimensional object 30 and the three-dimensional data 300 of the three-dimensional object 30 can be calculated by comparing the scan data 600 of the three-dimensional object 30 and the three-dimensional data 300. As shown in FIG. 21, in the present embodiment, for example, the information processing apparatus 10 can calculate color mapping data 700 for comparing the three-dimensional object 30 and the three-dimensional data 300 using the scan data 600 and the three-dimensional data 300. The region CLG of the color mapping data 700 shown in FIG. 21 indicates that there is no error between the three-dimensional data 300 and the scan data 600. The regions CLY and CLB indicate that an error has occurred between the three-dimensional data 300 and the scan data 600.

[0079] In such a manner, in the present embodiment, the error between the shaped three-dimensional object 30 and the three-dimensional data 300 can be calculated. In other words, in the present embodiment, the aesthetic property of the shaped three-dimensional object 30 can be measured.

[0080] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 can be changed according to the complexity of the shape of the target path. Therefore, when the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is uniformly controlled, for example, compared with the case where a complex shape is formed at the same speed as the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 when the basic shape can be formed while maintaining aesthetic properties, when a complex shape is formed, the error between the formed three-dimensional object 30 and the three-dimensional data 300 becomes smaller. That is, the area of the region represented by the region CLG of the color mapping data 700 becomes larger, and the areas of the regions represented by the regions CLY and CLB of the color mapping data 700 become smaller.

[0081] Further, according to the present embodiment, when the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is uniformly controlled, compared with the case where the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is controlled so that a shape more complex than the basic shape can be formed while maintaining aesthetic properties, when forming a basic shape portion such as a straight line, the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 can be increased. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the time required to form the three-dimensional object 30 can be shortened compared with the case where the moving speed of the ejection unit 25 is uniformly controlled.

[0082] In the present embodiment, the information processing program 100 has been described as being stored in the storage unit 14. However, the information processing program 100 may be provided by a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be downloaded via a network.

[0083] Regarding the technology of the present disclosure, the following supplementary notes are disclosed.

[0084] (Supplementary Note) (Supplementary Note 1) A reception unit that receives three-dimensional data for forming a three-dimensional object, A division unit that divides the three-dimensional data and generates data of a plurality of shaping layers for shaping the three-dimensional object, Based on the data of the shaping layer, a calculation unit that calculates an index indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when an ejection unit that ejects a material shapes the shaping layer, and calculates the moving speed of the ejection unit according to the index, A generation unit that generates a control command for controlling the discharge unit according to the moving speed of the discharge unit; including an information processing apparatus. (Appendix 2) The calculation unit Among the shaping paths indicating the paths along which the discharge unit discharges the material, which are included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharge unit, the length of the target path indicating the shaping path to be the target for calculating the index is divided by a value that is half of the diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharge unit, and the calculated value is calculated as the index indicating the complexity of the target path. The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) The calculation unit When the shape of the shaping path indicating the path along which the discharge unit discharges the material, which is included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharge unit, has a shape with a predetermined curvature, a value corresponding to the predetermined curvature is calculated as the index indicating the complexity of the shaping path. The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2. (Appendix 4) The calculation unit When the shape of the shaping path indicating the path along which the discharge unit discharges the material, which is included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharge unit, has a shape in which the endpoints of at least two line segments serving as a reference are separated by a predetermined distance, a value corresponding to the predetermined distance is calculated as the index indicating the complexity. The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The calculation unit When the shape of the shaping path indicating the path along which the discharge unit discharges the material, which is included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharge unit, has a shape with a predetermined angle, a value corresponding to the predetermined angle is calculated as the index indicating the complexity of the shaping path. The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) The diameter within the range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the ejection unit is set within a range of 5 times or more and 30 times or less the nozzle diameter. An information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 2 to 5. (Appendix 7) The calculation unit calculates such that as an index indicating the complexity becomes larger than a reference value, the moving speed of the ejection unit becomes slower than the moving speed of the ejection unit when the index indicating the complexity is the reference value. An information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) Causes a computer to receive three-dimensional data for forming a three-dimensional object, divide the three-dimensional data, and generate a plurality of layer formation data for forming the three-dimensional object, calculate an index indicating complexity according to the shape appearing in the layer formation data, and calculate the moving speed of an ejection unit that ejects a material according to the shape appearing in the layer formation data based on the index, generate a control command for controlling the ejection unit according to the moving speed of the ejection unit for each part of the layer formation data, An information processing program for causing execution of the processing. (Appendix 9) A computer receives three-dimensional data for forming a three-dimensional object, divides the three-dimensional data, and generates a plurality of layer formation data for forming the three-dimensional object, calculates an index indicating complexity according to the shape appearing in the layer formation data, and calculates the moving speed of an ejection unit that ejects a material according to the shape appearing in the layer formation data based on the index, generates a control command for controlling the ejection unit according to the moving speed of the ejection unit for each part of the layer formation data, An information processing method for executing the above.

Description of Signs

[0085] 10... Information processing apparatus, 11... Processor, 20... Three-dimensional object shaping apparatus, 24... Heating unit, 25... Discharging unit, 25A... Nozzle, 30... Three-dimensional object, 100... Information processing program, 110... Reception unit, 112... Division unit, 114... Calculation unit, 116... Generation unit, 300... Three-dimensional data, 400... Shaping path, 410... Shaping path, 420... Target path, 430... Target path, 440... Target path, 500... Range, 510... Range.

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives three-dimensional data for shaping a three-dimensional object, A dividing unit that divides the three-dimensional data and generates data of a plurality of shaping layers for shaping the three-dimensional object, A calculating unit that calculates an index indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when the discharging unit that discharges the material shapes the shaping layer based on the data of the shaping layer, and calculates the moving speed of the discharging unit according to the index, A generating unit that generates a control command for controlling the discharging unit according to the moving speed of the discharging unit, An information processing apparatus comprising: Information processing apparatus.

2. The calculating unit: Among the shaping paths indicating the paths along which the discharging unit discharges the material, which are included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharging unit, the length of the target path indicating the shaping path to be calculated for the index is divided by a value that is half of the diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharging unit, and the calculated value is calculated as the index indicating the complexity of the target path. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The calculating unit: When the shape of the shaping path indicating the path along which the discharging unit discharges the material, which is included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharging unit, has a shape with a predetermined curvature, a value corresponding to the predetermined curvature is calculated as the index indicating the complexity of the shaping path. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The calculating unit: When the shape of the shaping path indicating the path along which the discharging unit discharges the material, which is included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharging unit, has a shape in which the endpoints of at least two line segments serving as a reference are separated by a predetermined distance, a value corresponding to the predetermined distance is calculated as the index indicating the complexity. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The calculating unit: When the shape of the shaping path indicating the path along which the discharging unit discharges the material, which is included in a range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharging unit, has a shape with a predetermined angle, a value corresponding to the predetermined angle is calculated as the index indicating the complexity. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The diameter of the range having a diameter determined with respect to the nozzle diameter of the discharging unit is set in a range of 5 times or more and 30 times or less the nozzle diameter. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The calculating unit: As the index indicating the complexity becomes larger than the reference value, the moving speed of the ejection unit is calculated to be slower than the moving speed of the ejection unit when the index indicating the complexity is the reference value. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. A computer, receives three-dimensional data for forming a three-dimensional object, divides the three-dimensional data, and generates data of a plurality of shaping layers for shaping the three-dimensional object, calculates an index indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when an ejection unit that ejects a material shapes the shaping layer based on the data of the shaping layer, and calculates the moving speed of the ejection unit according to the index, generates a control command for controlling the ejection unit according to the moving speed of the ejection unit, a generation unit, An information processing program for causing the processing to be executed.

9. A computer, receives three-dimensional data for forming a three-dimensional object, divides the three-dimensional data, and generates data of a plurality of shaping layers for shaping the three-dimensional object, calculates an index indicating the complexity of the shape that appears when an ejection unit that ejects a material shapes the shaping layer based on the data of the shaping layer, and calculates the moving speed of the ejection unit according to the index, generates a control command for controlling the ejection unit according to the moving speed of the ejection unit, a generation unit, An information processing method for executing.

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