Downscaled Image Color Propagation for Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive manufacturing systems face challenges in accurately representing and displaying three-dimensional object models on low-resolution displays due to the downscaling process, which can obscure shell and color properties, making it difficult to identify the surface and interior regions of the object being generated.
Innovation Solution
A method involving data acquisition, image downscaling, and color propagation is implemented, where the acquired data representing a slice of the object model is processed to generate a downscaled image, and color values from the surface pixels are propagated to interior pixels, allowing for improved visibility of the object's surface and interior on low-resolution displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the image is downscaled to fit low-resolution displays, then the display compatibility is improved, but the visibility of surface and interior regions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by propagating color values from surface pixels to interior pixels in the downscaled image. Surface pixels retain their original colors while interior pixels receive propagated color values, creating visual differentiation between surface and interior regions even at low resolution. This allows users to distinguish structural features without requiring high-resolution displays.
2Ease of operation
If the resolution is reduced for low-resolution displays, then the display compatibility is improved, but the distinction between surface and interior pixels deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by processing the original high-resolution image before downscaling. It identifies surface pixels, propagates their color values to interior pixels, and applies this processing to the downscaled image. This preliminary preparation ensures that the distinction between surface and interior is maintained even after resolution reduction, preventing information loss during the downscaling process.
3Measurement precision
If color information is maintained in downscaled images, then the accuracy of layer preview is improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating surface pixels and interior pixels differently in the downscaled image. Surface pixels maintain their original color information while interior pixels receive propagated color values. This localized differentiation allows accurate representation of both surface and interior features without requiring uniform high-processing-area treatment across the entire image, thus managing processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, an apparatus comprises processing circuitry, the processing circuitry comprising: memory, to store a two-dimensional pixel representation of a layer of an object to be made in an additive manufacturing process and pixel information, the pixel information specifying pixels representing a surface of the object and colour for the pixels representing the surface; and an image processor, to generate a downscaled representation of the layer and to process the downscaled representation to propagate colour from pixels representing the surface of the object in the downscaled representation to neighbouring pixels representing an interior of the object in the downscaled representation.