3D Cover Pattern Projection for Edge-Continuous Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing technologies face challenges in maintaining design continuity across edges and minimizing material waste when creating custom covers for three-dimensional objects, particularly with irregular shapes and non-repeating designs, leading to aesthetically undesirable outcomes and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A system that projects three-dimensional object designs into flattened patterns, maintaining alignment and orientation continuity, and uses a packing algorithm to minimize material waste by designating regions on material sheets without regard to the final pattern, incorporating a design interface for user input and advanced projection techniques to ensure efficient printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional printing methods are used to print designs on material sheets for three-dimensional object covers, then printing simplicity is maintained, but design continuity across edges cannot be maintained and material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The material sheet is divided into multiple designated regions corresponding to different faces of the three-dimensional object. Each region is independently optimized for printing while maintaining overall design continuity through coordinate transformation and alignment markers that guide seamless assembly of the printed regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the three-dimensional object model into a two-dimensional flattened representation with designated regions. This dimensional transformation enables precise control of pattern placement and orientation on flat material sheets while ensuring the printed design maintains continuity when wrapped around the three-dimensional object.
2Manufacturing precision
If custom designs are printed on material sheets without region designation, then printing process is simple, but design alignment and orientation continuity across edges deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary designation of regions on the material sheet before actual printing. This pre-planning step establishes optimal placement, orientation, and alignment of design elements across different faces of the three-dimensional object, ensuring continuity while simplifying the subsequent printing process through pre-computed positioning data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary computational layer that translates between three-dimensional object models and two-dimensional material sheet layouts. This intermediary processing layer handles complex coordinate transformations and region optimization, separating the complexity from the physical printing process and enabling precise alignment continuity.
3Loss of substance
If material sheets are used without region optimization, then material utilization is simple, but material waste increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes material utilization by dynamically adjusting parameters such as region size, shape, and placement on the material sheet. The designation process considers material grain direction, cut patterns, and layout efficiency to minimize waste while maintaining design integrity, transforming the material sheet into optimally configured designated regions for printing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system determines an object-design for a three-dimensional model of an object. The object-design may exhibit a design continuity. The system breaks the object-design in to spatial patterns corresponding to the discrete surfaces making up the outward surface of the object. The system then generates flattened patterns by projecting the spatial patterns into a two-dimensional plane. The system prints the flattened patterns on to designated regions of material sheets in an orientation that preserves the design continuity of the object-design. The regions may be extracted from the sheets and then joined at their edges to form a cover for object that exhibits the continuity of the object design.