Voxel Representation Slice Data Generation for 3D Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D printing technologies are limited by the resolution of the printer, which restricts the detail and material complexity of printed objects, as they typically use a single material and cannot preserve sharp features like corners, and require significant computing resources to achieve higher resolution.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating slice data from a voxel representation by merging shape and material specifications, using a computing device with modules to encode and decode sub-voxel features, allowing each voxel to have multiple data types that encode higher-resolution features, enabling the creation of complex shapes and material distributions with improved resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If voxel representation is used for 3D printing, then computational resources are reduced, but resolution and detail are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the resolution information by storing it separately from the voxel data. A resolution specification is created that divides the build volume into regions with different resolution levels, allowing high resolution only where needed while maintaining low resolution elsewhere, thus reducing overall computational resources while preserving critical details.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different resolution specifications to different regions of the 3D object. Critical features such as sharp edges, corners, and important surfaces are identified and assigned high resolution, while non-critical areas use lower resolution, optimizing the balance between detail preservation and computational efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If higher resolution is achieved by dividing voxels, then manufacturing precision improves, but computational resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly dividing all voxels, the patent segments the build volume and applies resolution division only to specific regions where high precision is required. The resolution specification identifies critical features and applies detailed voxel subdivision only to those areas, avoiding the computational overhead of dividing the entire volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by performing voxel division only to the extent necessary for achieving the required resolution at critical features. Rather than excessively dividing all voxels to the maximum possible detail, the system applies resolution enhancement selectively where it provides the most benefit, reducing unnecessary computational complexity.
3Device complexity
If single material is used, then device complexity is reduced, but material versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the material specification into multiple discrete materials, each with distinct properties. The system identifies regions requiring different materials and assigns them accordingly, allowing multi-material 3D printing while maintaining manageable device complexity through structured material definition and regional assignment.
Data Source
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AI summary
An example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can include obtaining a shape specification of the 3-D object. The example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can also include obtaining a material specification of the 3-D object. The example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can also include merging the shape specification and the material specification to create a voxel representation of the 3-D object, wherein each voxel in the voxel representation includes a plurality of data types. The example technique for generating slice data from a voxel representation can also include generating slice data from the voxel representation, wherein the slice data provides a higher resolution than that provided by the voxel representation using the plurality of data types.