![[Help]](/netaicon1/PTO/help.gif)
![[Home]](/netaicon1/PTO/home.gif)
![[Boolean Search]](/netaicon1/PTO/boolean.gif)
![[Manual]](/netaicon1/PTO/manual.gif)
![[Number Search]](/netaicon1/PTO/number.gif)
![[PTDLs]](/netaicon1/PTO/ptdl.gif)
![[CURR_LIST]](/netaicon1/PTO/hitlist.gif)
![[Shopping Cart]](/netaicon1/PTO/cart.gif)
![[Order Copy]](/netaicon1/PTO/order.gif)
![[Image]](/netaicon1/PTO/image.gif)
| United States Patent Application |
20160107388
|
| Kind Code
|
A1
|
|
Chopra; Harsh Vardhan
; et al.
|
April 21, 2016
|
CONVERSION OF STEREOLITHOGRAPHIC MODEL INTO LOGICAL SUBCOMPONENTS
Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for converting a stereolithographic model into
an STL data file that defines logically related components and
subcomponents of an object. A user can categorize elements of an object
to form logically related components and subcomponents of the object.
Each element is represented by a triangle. All triangles representing
each of these components and subcomponents are then reordered and listed
sequentially within the STL. Each list is delimited at the beginning and
end by two hidden triangles, one or both of which store unique
identification values that are associated with the respective individual
components. Additionally, a reference table can be added to the STL. The
reference table includes instructions, operations or other information
that is specifically associated with each component and subcomponent
using the unique identification values. These instructions and operations
enable users to have better control over 3D print quality than is
possible using existing techniques.
| Inventors: |
Chopra; Harsh Vardhan; (New Delhi, IN)
; Mittal; Amit; (Noida, IN)
; Goel; Naveen Prakash; (Noida, IN)
|
| Applicant: | | Name | City | State | Country | Type |
ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED |
San Jose |
CA |
US | | |
|---|
| Assignee: |
ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
San Jose
CA
|
| Family ID:
|
55748344
|
| Appl. No.:
|
14/514675
|
| Filed:
|
October 15, 2014 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
700/98 |
| Current CPC Class: |
G05B 19/4099 20130101; G06T 17/00 20130101; G05B 2219/35117 20130101; G06T 17/10 20130101; B29C 67/0088 20130101; G05B 15/02 20130101; B33Y 50/02 20141201; G05B 2219/49008 20130101 |
| International Class: |
B29C 67/00 20060101 B29C067/00; G05B 15/02 20060101 G05B015/02 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented data processing method comprising: receiving,
by a processor, facet data representing a stereolithographic model, the
facet data including a plurality of visible facets each representing a
visible surface of the stereolithographic model; associating at least one
of the visible facets with a component of the stereolithographic model;
reordering, by the processor, a portion of the facet data such that each
of the visible facets associated with the component is listed
sequentially; assigning a unique identification value to the component;
delimiting, by the processor, the reordered portion of the facet data
with at least one of a beginning facet and an ending facet containing the
unique identification value, the beginning facet and the ending facet
each representing an invisible surface of the stereolithographic model;
and generating, by the processor, reference table data representing a
mapping between the unique identification value and custom data
associated with the component.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an operation on
each of the visible facets associated with the component until a hidden
triangle is reached, which marks the end of the component, wherein the
custom data represents the operation.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an operation on
each of the visible facets associated with the component until a hidden
triangle is reached, which marks the end of the component, according to a
priority or weight associated with the component, and wherein the custom
data represents the operation and the priority or weight.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one of a
re-meshing operation, a search/extract/delete operation, and an
unwrapping operation on each of the visible facets associated with the
component, until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the end of the
component.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising appending the reordered
portion of the facet data to the reference table data.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the reordered
portion of the facet data in a Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file
format.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising viewing or printing the
stereolithographic model using the reordered portion of the facet data.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the visible facets includes
data representing a unit normal vector and three vertices in Cartesian
space.
9. A system comprising: a storage; and a processor operatively coupled to
the storage, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in
the storage that when executed cause the processor to carry out a process
comprising: receiving facet data representing a stereolithographic model,
the facet data including a plurality of visible facets each representing
a visible surface of the stereolithographic model; associating at least
one of the visible facets with a component of the stereolithographic
model; reordering a portion of the facet data such that each of the
visible facets associated with the component is listed sequentially;
assigning a unique identification value to the component; delimiting the
reordered portion of the facet data with at least one of a beginning
facet and an ending facet containing the unique identification value, the
beginning facet and the ending facet each representing an invisible
surface of the stereolithographic model; and generating reference table
data representing a mapping between the unique identification value and
custom data associated with the component, wherein the custom data
includes a method, operation or transformation that can be applied to a
component of the stereolithographic model.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the process includes performing an
operation on each of the visible facets associated with the component
until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the end of the component,
and wherein the custom data represents the operation.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein the process includes performing an
operation on each of the visible facets associated with the component
until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the end of the component,
according to a priority or weight associated with the component, and
wherein the custom data represents the operation and the priority or
weight.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the process includes performing at
least one of a re-meshing operation, a search/extract/delete operation,
and an unwrapping operation on each of the visible facets associated with
the component until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the end of
the component.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the process includes appending the
reordered portion of the facet data to the reference table data.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the process includes storing the
reordered portion of the facet data in a Standard Tessellation Language
(STL) file format.
15. The system of claim 9, wherein the process includes viewing or
printing the stereolithographic model using the reordered portion of the
facet data.
16. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the visible facets includes
data representing a unit normal vector and three vertices in Cartesian
space.
17. A non-transient computer program product having instructions encoded
thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to
be carried out, the process comprising: receiving facet data representing
a stereolithographic model, the facet data including a plurality of
visible facets each representing a visible surface of the
stereolithographic model; associating at least one of the visible facets
with a component of the stereolithographic model; reordering a portion of
the facet data such that each of the visible facets associated with the
component is listed sequentially; assigning a unique identification value
to the component; and delimiting the reordered portion of the facet data
with at least one of a beginning facet and an ending facet containing the
unique identification value, the beginning facet and the ending facet
each representing an invisible surface of the stereolithographic model.
18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the process
includes performing an operation on each of the visible facets associated
with the component until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the
end of the component.
19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the process
includes performing an operation on each of the visible facets associated
with the component until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the
end of the component, according to a priority or weight associated with
the component.
20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the process
includes appending the reordered portion of the facet data to the
reference table data.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of data processing, and more
particularly, to techniques for converting a stereolithographic model
into a collection of logical components and subcomponents.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Stereolithography is a process for fabricating three-dimensional
objects by successively depositing layers of material (e.g., plastic),
one on top of the other. STL, which is also referred to as Standard
Tessellation Language, is a file format for encoding representations of
three-dimensional (3D) structures. STL is often used for
stereolithography applications such as computer-aided design and 3D
printing. An STL file describes a raw, unstructured triangulated surface
by the unit normal vector and vertices of each triangle using a 3D
Cartesian coordinate system. The STL format is recognized by many
commercial and Open Source 3D applications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In
the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is
illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral.
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for converting a
stereolithographic model into a collection of logical components and
subcomponents, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0005] FIG. 2 shows a two-dimensional rendition of an example 3D object,
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0006] FIG. 3 shows a portion of an example reordered STL file, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0007] FIG. 4 shows another portion of the example reordered STL file of
FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0008] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a flow diagram of an example methodology for
converting a stereolithographic model into a collection of logical
components and subcomponents, in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0009] FIG. 6 is a block diagram representing an example computing system
that may be used in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] An STL file includes data that represent a model of a
three-dimensional object. The surface of an STL-modeled object is formed
by a list of facets, or triangles. As used in this disclosure, a "facet"
or "triangle" is a set of data defining three points in Cartesian space
(the vertices), a unit normal vector, and, in some cases, additional
information, such as color. Existing applications parse the list of
triangles and render all of them in the order they appear in the STL. One
limitation of the existing STL file structure is that the triangles in
the file are logically unrelated; that is, each surface defined by a
triangle exists independently of all other surfaces. These triangles have
no logical associations and do not contain any structural information
that can be used, for example, to apply operations to specific components
or subcomponents of the object, such as rigging, re-meshing (e.g.,
reducing the number of triangles by combining triangles together),
incremental rendering of the model, or unwrapping complex 3D models
(e.g., a model of a human figure). While the existing STL file structure
is sufficient for rendering or printing the entire object, it not
possible for existing STL viewing or rendering applications to perform
operations on logical components (e.g., rendering only the surfaces of a
subcomponent of the object) without manually placing those components
into separate STL files and processing each file independently of the
other.
[0011] To this end, and in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention, techniques are disclosed for converting a stereolithographic
model into an STL data file that defines logically related components and
subcomponents of an object. Each element of the model is represented by a
triangle. A user can categorize these elements to form logically related
components and subcomponents of the modeled object. All triangles
representing each of these components and subcomponents are then
reordered and listed sequentially within the STL. Each list is delimited
at the beginning and ending by two additional triangles having null
vertices, which are referred to as hidden triangles because they do not
render or print into a visible element. One or both of the delimiting
triangles store unique identification values that are associated with the
respective individual components. Additionally, a reference table is
added to the STL. The reference table includes custom data, such as
instructions, operations or other custom information, that is
specifically associated with each component and subcomponent. The
reference table includes a mapping between the unique identification
values and the custom data associated with the respective components and
subcomponents. These instructions, operations and custom information
enable users to have better control over 3D print quality than is
possible using existing techniques, in part because the information is
specific to each component. Examples of such 3D print quality control
include: user-specified, component-based wall thickness, head cooling and
layer thickness; automated part-based hollowing; and automated part-based
decimation or subdivision. STL files containing structural information,
in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, are
compatible with existing STL applications and specifications, which
ensures the validity of the STL file and does not change the appearance
of the STL model, or any subcomponent, when the model is rendered or
printed using existing techniques. According to various embodiments, the
grouping and embedding of group-specific logic/instructions is achieved
via hidden triangles, which will be safely ignored by existing STL
parsers/viewers. The information in the hidden triangles is used by a
custom module residing on host or inside a 3D printer. Therefore,
existing applications can continue to work with an enhanced STL, in
accordance with various embodiments, in the same manner as they currently
do. Numerous configurations and variations will be apparent in light of
this disclosure.
[0012] Example System
[0013] FIG. 1 shows an example system 100 for converting a
stereolithographic model into a collection of logical components and
subcomponents, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
The system 100 can be integrated into a computing device 110, which may
be, for example, a desktop or laptop personal computer (PC), a
workstation, a tablet, a smartphone, a game console, a set-top box, or
other such computing devices. The computing device 110 includes an input
device 112, a processor 114, and a display 116. The processor 114 is
configured to execute a 3D model processing module 120. The 3D model
processing module 120 may, for example, be provided as part of a
graphical editing application, a standalone application, an application
plug-in, or a service. The system 100 further includes a storage 130,
such as a database, which is configured to store 3D model data 132 in an
STL file 134. The storage 130 can be integrated into the computing device
110 (e.g., in random access memory) or operatively connected to the
computing device 110 via a communication channel, such as a data bus or a
network interface.
[0014] Example Use Case
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a two-dimensional rendition of an example 3D object
200, modeled in accordance with an embodiment. The object 200 is modeled
by a set of triangles (e.g., 3D model data 132 of FIG. 1), one of which
is indicated at 202. In this example, the object is a human form,
although it will be understood that the triangles can form an object of
any shape and appearance. As can be seen, some of the triangles 202 form
components of the object 200, such as the head 210, arm 212, leg 214 and
foot 216 of the object 200. Other triangles 202 can form any number of
different components of the object 200, as desired by a user, and the
user can designate which triangles belong to which components. These
triangles can be represented in an STL file as sets of facet data that
define the vertices of each triangle. In accordance with an embodiment,
the author of the model can mark parts of the model as logical
components. For instance, the author can mark the triangles forming the
head 210, arm 212, leg 214 and foot 216, respectively, as logical
components. Each triangle is logically associated with one or more other
triangles by reordering the triangles in the STL file such that logically
related triangles are sequentially listed and delimited at the beginning
and end of the listing by a pair of hidden triangles, or markers. The
reordering occurs because the triangles are not necessarily in any
particular order prior to the user marking the triangles. For instance,
some or all of the triangles that form the head 210 can be grouped
together in the STL file. Similarly, some or all of the triangles that
form the arm 212, leg 214 and foot 216 can be grouped in this manner.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a portion 300 of an example reordered STL file (e.g.,
STL file 134 of FIG. 1), in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention. This portion 300 of the STL file includes, in ASCII format, a
list of facets 310, 320, 330 for a single component or subcomponent of an
object, which is a logical grouping of triangles in the STL file. It will
be understood that the list of facets 310, 320, 330, and any other data
in the STL file, can be stored in formats other than ASCII, such as
binary. The STL file can contain any number of such components or
subcomponents 1 . . . n, each having a unique identifier id_1 . . . id_n.
Referring to the example object 200 of FIG. 2, the components may
correspond to the head 210, arm 212, leg 214 and foot 216, respectively,
of the object 200. Facet 310 is an invisible triangle that delineates the
beginning of each logical grouping of triangles, and facet 330 is another
invisible triangle that delineates the ending of each logical grouping.
In between the beginning facet 310 and the ending facet 330 are one or
more facets 320 that represent the visible triangles, which are surfaces
of the object, associated with a given component or subcomponent of the
object. Each facet 310, 320, 330 includes a unit normal vector, which is
a line perpendicular to the triangle having a length of one unit, and
three vertices that define the corners of the triangle. In some
embodiments, the normal and each vertex are specified by three
coordinates each, for a total of twelve (12) values for each facet 310,
320, 330. These values can be stored in a binary format using integer and
floating point numerical representations. In a binary STL file format, a
two byte count color field ("id" field) is stored along with each
triangle. This color field can be used to store metadata related to the
corresponding component or subcomponent of the object (e.g., a unique
identification number). As can be seen in FIG. 3, the delineating facets
310 and 330 represent invisible triangles because the normal and vertices
have zero or null values. As such, these facets 310, 330 will not render
or print when processed by an STL-compatible application.
[0017] FIG. 4 shows another portion 400 of the example reordered STL file
of FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
This portion 400 of the STL file includes additional facets 410
representing portions of a reference table. The reference table provides
a mapping between the unique identifiers id_1 . . . id_n of the
components and custom data (e.g., instructions or operations) associated
with those components. The reference table can be stored at the beginning
of the STL file as a continuous sequence of facets 410, which are
invisible triangles. Each sequence of facets 410 correspond to one of the
components in the model. The sequence of facets 410 begins with an
invisible triangle 412 having the unique identifier of the corresponding
component and a length ("len") value. The length value len represents the
number of invisible triangles 414 in the sequence of facets 410 that are
used to store custom information for the corresponding component in the
color value field of the invisible triangles 414. The end of the
reference table is delimited with another facet 420, which is also an
invisible triangle. The ending facet 420 includes zero in the color value
field to identify the facet as an ending delimiter for the reference
table. Facets that follow the ending facet 420 of the reference table
may, for example, include the facets 310, 320 and 330 such as described
with respect to FIG. 3. With this structure, if there are n components of
the object, each having m bytes of information, then there will be
n*(m/2+1)+1 invisible triangles for the reference table and 2*n invisible
triangles associated with each component. As such, there are a total of
n*(m/2+1)+1+2n invisible triangles in the STL file in addition to the
visible triangles. The triangle count stored in the header of the STL
file is therefore incremented by this total amount to reflect the total
number of visible and invisible triangles in the STL file.
[0018] Custom data stored in the reference table for any logical component
includes any structural information that can be used, for example, by an
STL previewer or 3D printer to process and print the STL file
intelligently. The custom data (e.g., operations or instructions) stored
in the invisible triangles 414 can enable many new workflows that are
either impossible or very difficult to achieve using existing techniques.
Such workflows, for example, enable different operations, processing, and
handling for individual components or subcomponents of an object, such as
assigning different importance or weight to different components and
subcomponents, and using such importance or weight to apply
priority-aware, component and subcomponent specific re-meshing techniques
for optimum 3D printing; applying different search/extract/delete
operations or un-wrapping/material support for each individual component
or subcomponent; applying compression techniques that exploit common
characteristics among different components, subcomponents or regions of
the object; displaying a component or subcomponent as soon as it is
rendered rather than waiting until the entire object is rendered to
display each component or subcomponent; and indexing the STL based on the
components or subcomponents, which enables search and extract, delete,
and other operations to be performed on a component or subcomponent
level. For example, if the custom data for a hand component includes
"delicate," then a custom handler in the 3D printer can be created to
process and print the hand with a greater wall thickness. Similarly,
other structural information can be stored in the STL file to achieve
better print quality. Another example is part-specific 3D depth
resolution (or 3D mesh density). The 3D depth resolution can be varied by
applying different magnitudes of decimation or subdividing. Decimation
includes a process to a process to decrease mesh density, decrease 3D
depth resolution, or combine existing constituent triangles to decrease
overall number of constituent triangles. Subdividing includes a process
to increase mesh density, increase 3D depth resolution, or further divide
existing constituent triangles to add number of constituent triangles.
Greater depth resolution can provide better detail when rendering or
printing the 3D object. However, it is not always desirable to apply the
same depth resolution to all components of the object. To this end, in
accordance with an embodiment, custom data for each logical component of
the 3D object can include different depth resolution values based on
their priority/importance/context in relation to other logical
components. In this manner, each logical component can have a different
depth resolution.
[0019] According to various embodiments, a reordered STL file, such as
described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, enables several beneficial
workflows. One example workflow is a fast 3D preview workflow. Existing
STL-consuming applications read the entire STL file and convert the file
into a memory representation, which may be proprietary. Because of this,
previewing large STL files can consume a lot of time. By contrast, a
reordered STL file in accordance with various embodiments enables these
applications to handle individual components and subcomponents, which
will lead to a more responsive user interface. Furthermore, many vendors
of 3D rendering applications provide online viewer for their users to
view and work with 3D models. Currently almost all of these 3D models are
first sent to a browser from a server and then rendered in whole by the
browser. By contrast, a reordered STL file in accordance with various
embodiments enables the server to instead send individual components and
subcomponents to the browser separately, which will enable a faster,
incremental preview of the models inside browser.
[0020] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for unwrapping and texture support. Using existing techniques,
it is very difficult to unwrap a complex 3D model (e.g., flatten a
three-dimensional surface into a two-dimensional surface) and apply
texture on it. By contrast, a reordered STL file in accordance with
various embodiments enables individual components and subcomponents to be
unwrapped separately, making it easier to apply texture on them.
Furthermore, higher resolution texture data can be generated for
components and subcomponents having a higher priority (importance).
[0021] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for priority-aware re-meshing operations for 3D printing. Using
a reordered STL file in accordance with various embodiments enables
improved or optimized 3D printing by allowing different re-meshing
techniques to be applied on different components and subcomponents. For
example, a user can prevent a lower level of decimations on specific
components (e.g., the face 210 of FIG. 2), and similarly the user can
indicate a higher level of decimations on other components (e.g., the leg
214 of FIG. 2).
[0022] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for search, extract, delete, move or rotate operations for
individual components of a 3D object. Using a reordered STL file in
accordance with various embodiments enables searching of components and
subcomponents based on the structural information stored in the STL,
which is not possible using existing techniques. Additionally, a user can
extract or delete individual components and subcomponents more easily.
[0023] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for part-specific handling during 3D printing. Such
part-specific handling includes component-based wall thickness, in which
a user can assign varying levels of strength to individual components in
the STL file (e.g., delicate, normal and sturdy). For example, a delicate
level may be assigned to shoes or fingers, which can then be printed with
more wall thickness as compared to other parts. This can be done by
sending instruction commands to a 3D printer engine to adjust binder and
material extrusion. Other part-specific handling includes component-based
head cooling. In 3D printing, printer head cooling also governs the
strength of the 3D printed model. As such, in accordance with an
embodiment, different cooling times can be specified for different
components of the model based on the strength assigned to those
components. Yet other part-specific handling includes component-based
layer thickness. Layer thickness governs the resolution (density of 3D
mesh) of the final 3D printout. According to an embodiment, a user can
mark the component level layer resolution for better and more optimized
printouts. For example, a human face can be marked as a high resolution
component, which will then be printed with lower layer thickness to
increase the details in the face region of the final 3D printed figurine.
[0024] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for smart STL viewing. Existing STL viewers need to parse entire
STL file and render it completely, which can take considerable time to
render a large 3D model. By contrast, a reordered STL file in accordance
with various embodiments enables the STL viewer to parse and render
individual components and subcomponents separately, which will result in
a better and more responsive application. This also allows an STL editor
to operate (cut, move, duplicate, etc.) on logical components more
easily.
[0025] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for automated part-based hollowing. In existing applications, a
user can only specify a single level of hollowing for the entire 3D
model. To do part-based hollowing, the user has to separate the
individual parts into separate 3D data files and apply different
hollowing parameters on individual parts. This existing process can be
very difficult and tedious to accomplish. By contrast, a reordered STL
file in accordance with various embodiments enables a user to mark
individual components for automated processing of part-based hollowing
(e.g., apply hollow level 1 on all faces, hollow level_2 on all hands,
hollow level_3 on all legs, etc.).
[0026] In accordance with an embodiment, another example workflow is
provided for automated part-based decimation and subdivision. Decimate
and subdivide operations are used in 3D modeling to decrease or increase
the density, and hence the quality, of the 3D model meshes. With existing
applications, a user can select a certain region and decimate or
subdivide the selected region. Subdivide will increase the vertex count
(and, hence, will increase the quality) and decimation will decrease the
vertex count (and, hence, will make the model lighter but slightly
inferior in quality). Using existing techniques, decimate and subdivide
operations are very difficult and tedious to perform and cannot be
automated. By contrast, a reordered STL file in accordance with various
embodiments enables a user to assign a priority to each component in the
STL file, and then each component can be (e.g., automatically) decimated
or subdivided based on the assigned priority. For example, low level of
decimation/higher level of subdivision can be applied on a face if the
face component is assigned a high priority. As such, an automated process
can be run on a large set of 3D models for performing part- (priority-)
based decimation and subdivide operations (e.g., apply decimation level_1
on all faces, decimation level_2 on all hands, decimation level_3 on all
legs, etc.)
[0027] Example Methodologies
[0028] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a flow diagram of an example methodology 500
for converting a stereolithographic model into a collection of logical
components and subcomponents, in accordance with an embodiment. The
example methodology 500 may, for example, be implemented by the 3D model
processing module 120 of FIG. 1. Referring first to FIG. 5A, the method
500 begins by receiving 510 facet data representing a stereolithographic
model. The facet data includes a plurality of visible facets each
representing a visible surface of the stereolithographic model. The
method 500 continues by associating 512, based on a user input, at least
one of the visible facets with a component of the stereolithographic
model. The user input may be obtained, for example, via a STL viewing or
authoring application in which the user can select and designate visible
facets as part of a component or subcomponent. Each of the visible facets
may, for example, include data representing a unit normal vector and
three vertices in Cartesian space. The method 500 continues by reordering
514 a portion of the facet data such that each of the visible facets
associated with the component is listed sequentially, assigning 516 a
unique identification value to the component, and delimiting 518 the
reordered portion of the facet data with a beginning facet, an ending
facet, or both, either of which can contain the unique identification
value. The beginning facet and the ending facet each represent an
invisible surface of the stereolithographic model, such that these facets
are not rendered or printed. The method 500 continues by generating 520
reference table data representing a mapping between the unique
identification value and custom data associated with the component.
[0029] Referring next to FIG. 5B, in some cases, the method 500 continues
by performing 522 an operation on each of the visible facets associated
with the component until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the
end of the component, where the custom data represents the operation. In
some cases, the method 500 continues by performing 524 an operation on
each of the visible facets associated with the component until a hidden
triangle is reached, which marks the end of the component, according to a
priority or weight associated with the component, where the custom data
represents the operation and the priority or weight. In some cases, the
method 500 continues by performing 526 a re-meshing operation, a
search/extract/delete operation, an unwrapping operation, or any
combination of these or other suitable operations on each of the visible
facets associated with the component, until a hidden triangle is reached,
which marks the end of the component. In some cases, the method 500
continues by appending 528 the reordered portion of the facet data to the
reference table data. In some cases, the method 500 continues by storing
530 the reordered portion of the facet data in a Standard Tessellation
Language (STL) file format. In some cases, the method 500 continues by
viewing or printing 532 the stereolithographic model using the reordered
portion of the facet data.
[0030] Example Computing Device
[0031] FIG. 6 is a block diagram representing an example computing device
1000 that may be used to perform any of the techniques as variously
described in this disclosure. For example, the input device 112, the
processor 114, the display 116, the storage 130, or any combination of
these may be implemented in the computing device 1000. The computing
device 1000 may be any computer system, such as a workstation, desktop
computer, server, laptop, handheld computer, tablet computer (e.g., the
iPad.TM. tablet computer), mobile computing or communication device
(e.g., the iPhone.TM. mobile communication device, the Android.TM. mobile
communication device, and the like), or other form of computing or
telecommunications device that is capable of communication and that has
sufficient processor power and memory capacity to perform the operations
described in this disclosure. A distributed computational system may be
provided comprising a plurality of such computing devices.
[0032] The computing device 1000 includes one or more storage devices 1010
and/or non-transitory computer-readable media 1020 having encoded thereon
one or more computer-executable instructions or software for implementing
techniques as variously described in this disclosure. The storage devices
1010 may include a computer system memory or random access memory, such
as a durable disk storage (which may include any suitable optical or
magnetic durable storage device, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, USB drive, or
other semiconductor-based storage medium), a hard-drive, CD-ROM, or other
computer readable media, for storing data and computer-readable
instructions and/or software that implement various embodiments as taught
in this disclosure. The storage device 1010 may include other types of
memory as well, or combinations thereof. The storage device 1010 may be
provided on the computing device 1000 or provided separately or remotely
from the computing device 1000. The non-transitory computer-readable
media 1020 may include, but are not limited to, one or more types of
hardware memory, non-transitory tangible media (for example, one or more
magnetic storage disks, one or more optical disks, one or more USB flash
drives), and the like. The non-transitory computer-readable media 1020
included in the computing device 1000 may store computer-readable and
computer-executable instructions or software for implementing various
embodiments. The computer-readable media 1020 may be provided on the
computing device 1000 or provided separately or remotely from the
computing device 1000.
[0033] The computing device 1000 also includes at least one processor 1030
for executing computer-readable and computer-executable instructions or
software stored in the storage device 1010 and/or non-transitory
computer-readable media 1020 and other programs for controlling system
hardware. Virtualization may be employed in the computing device 1000 so
that infrastructure and resources in the computing device 1000 may be
shared dynamically. For example, a virtual machine may be provided to
handle a process running on multiple processors so that the process
appears to be using only one computing resource rather than multiple
computing resources. Multiple virtual machines may also be used with one
processor.
[0034] A user may interact with the computing device 1000 through an
output device 1040, such as a screen or monitor (e.g., the display 116 of
FIG. 1), which may display one or more user interfaces provided in
accordance with some embodiments. The output device 1040 may also display
other aspects, elements and/or information or data associated with some
embodiments. The computing device 1000 may include other I/O devices 1050
for receiving input from a user, for example, a keyboard, a joystick, a
game controller, a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, a user's finger
interfacing directly with a display device, etc.), or any suitable user
interface. The computing device 1000 may include other suitable
conventional I/O peripherals, such as a 3D printer. The computing device
1000 can include and/or be operatively coupled to various suitable
devices for performing one or more of the functions as variously
described in this disclosure.
[0035] The computing device 1000 may run any operating system, such as any
of the versions of Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM. operating systems, the
different releases of the Unix and Linux operating systems, any version
of the MacOS.RTM. for Macintosh computers, any embedded operating system,
any real-time operating system, any open source operating system, any
proprietary operating system, any operating systems for mobile computing
devices, or any other operating system capable of running on the
computing device 1000 and performing the operations described in this
disclosure. In an embodiment, the operating system may be run on one or
more cloud machine instances.
[0036] In other embodiments, the functional components/modules may be
implemented with hardware, such as gate level logic (e.g., FPGA) or a
purpose-built semiconductor (e.g., ASIC). Still other embodiments may be
implemented with a microcontroller having a number of input/output ports
for receiving and outputting data, and a number of embedded routines for
carrying out the functionality described in this disclosure. In a more
general sense, any suitable combination of hardware, software, and
firmware can be used, as will be apparent.
[0037] As will be appreciated in light of this disclosure, the various
modules and components of the system shown in FIG. 1, such as the 3D
model processing module 120, can be implemented in software, such as a
set of instructions (e.g., C, C++, object-oriented C, JavaScript, Java,
BASIC, etc.) encoded on any computer readable medium or computer program
product (e.g., hard drive, server, disc, or other suitable non-transient
memory or set of memories), that when executed by one or more processors,
cause the various methodologies provided in this disclosure to be carried
out. It will be appreciated that, in some embodiments, various functions
performed by the user computing system, as described in this disclosure,
can be performed by similar processors and/or databases in different
configurations and arrangements, and that the depicted embodiments are
not intended to be limiting. Various components of this example
embodiment, including the computing device 100, can be integrated into,
for example, one or more desktop or laptop computers, workstations,
tablets, smartphones, game consoles, set-top boxes, or other such
computing devices. Other componentry and modules typical of a computing
system, such as processors (e.g., central processing unit and
co-processor, graphics processor, etc.), input devices (e.g., keyboard,
mouse, touch pad, touch screen, etc.), and operating system, are not
shown but will be readily apparent.
[0038] Numerous embodiments will be apparent in light of the present
disclosure, and features described in this disclosure can be combined in
any number of configurations. One example embodiment provides a system
including a storage having at least one memory, and one or more
processors each operatively coupled to the storage. The one or more
processors are configured to carry out a process including receiving
facet data representing a stereolithographic model, the facet data
including a plurality of visible facets each representing a visible
surface of the stereolithographic model; associating at least one of the
visible facets with a component of the stereolithographic model;
reordering a portion of the facet data such that each of the visible
facets associated with the component is listed sequentially; assigning a
unique identification value to the component; and delimiting the
reordered portion of the facet data with at least one of a beginning
facet and an ending facet containing the unique identification value, the
beginning facet and the ending facet each representing an invisible
surface of the stereolithographic model. In some cases, the process
includes generating reference table data representing a mapping between
the unique identification value and custom data associated with the
component. In some cases, the process includes performing an operation on
each of the visible facets associated with the component until a hidden
triangle is reached, which marks the end of the component, and wherein
the custom data represents the operation. In some cases, the process
includes performing an operation on each of the visible facets associated
with the component until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the
end of the component, according to a priority or weight associated with
the component, and wherein the custom data represents the operation and
the priority or weight. In some cases, the process includes performing at
least one of a re-meshing operation, a search/extract/delete operation,
and an unwrapping operation on each of the visible facets associated with
the component until a hidden triangle is reached, which marks the end of
the component. In some cases, the process includes appending the
reordered portion of the facet data to the reference table data. In some
cases, the process includes storing the reordered portion of the facet
data in a Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file format. In some
cases, the process includes viewing or printing the stereolithographic
model using the reordered portion of the facet data. In some cases, each
of the visible facets includes data representing a unit normal vector and
three vertices in Cartesian space. Another embodiment provides a
non-transient computer-readable medium or computer program product having
instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors
cause the processor to perform one or more of the functions defined in
the present disclosure, such as the methodologies variously described in
this paragraph. As previously discussed, in some cases, some or all of
the functions variously described in this paragraph can be performed in
any order and at any time by one or more different processors.
[0039] The foregoing description and drawings of various embodiments are
presented by way of example only. These examples are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.
Alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent in light of
this disclosure and are intended to be within the scope of the invention
as set forth in the claims.
* * * * *
