Method and apparatus for automatically adding utility holes to printable 3-dimensional models

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10022914-B2
Application number	US-201314077900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A computer implemented method and apparatus for automatically adding utility holes to printable 3D models by accessing a digital representation of a 3D model; accessing specifications that define the geometry of a utility hole to be included with the 3D model; performing a heuristic evaluation of the digital representation of the 3D model to determine one of one or more possible placements of the utility hole to be included with the 3D model as a placement for the utility hole; modifying the digital representation of the 3D model so as to include the utility hole at the placement; and providing a modified digital representation of the 3D model for printing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
accessing a digital representation of a 3D model;
accessing specifications that define a geometry of a utility hole to be included as part of the 3D model;
identifying, by at least one processor, a plurality of possible placements on the 3D model for including the utility hole as part of the 3D model;
determining, by the at least one processor for each possible placement from the plurality of possible placements, a center of gravity for the 3D model with the utility hole as part of the 3D model at the possible placement;
performing, by the at least one processor, a heuristic evaluation of a structure of the 3D model using the digital representation of the 3D model to determine, based on the determined center of gravity for each possible placement, a placement from the plurality of possible placements on the 3D model for the utility hole to be included as part of the 3D model;
generating, by the at least one processor, a modified digital representation of the 3D model that includes the utility hole at the determined placement on the 3D model; and
providing a modified digital representation of the 3D model for printing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing specifications that define the geometry of the utility hole comprises accessing a shape for the utility hole and an orientation axis for the utility hole.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the heuristic evaluation comprises finding a placement for the utility hole that minimizes disturbance of surface details of the 3D model.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the plurality of possible placements comprises dividing a top portion of the 3D model into a 2-dimensional layer, and dividing that 2-dimensional layer into regions of constant depth into the 3D model.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein identifying the plurality of possible placements comprises rotating the 3D model so that the 2-dimensional layer is perpendicular to the orientation axis for the utility hole.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein identifying the plurality of possible placements comprises finding regions in the 2-dimensional layer that can suitably accommodate the geometry of the utility hole.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the plurality of possible placements comprises:
initially evaluating using a subtractive method on the 3D model for creating the utility hole in the 3D model, the subtractive method comprising removing a portion of the 3D model based on the geometry of the utility hole; and
if the evaluation finds the subtractive method not suitable, evaluating an additive method on the 3D model for creating an appendage to the 3D model and identifying one or more possible placements of the utility hole in the appendage.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the heuristic evaluation to determine the placement further comprises:
determining the possible placement that least affects the determined center of gravity; and
selecting the possible placement that least affects the determined center of gravity as the placement.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the heuristic evaluation to determine the placement is determined by heuristics that attempt to minimize the effect of the utility hole on aesthetics of the 3D model.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the heuristic evaluation to determine the placement is determined by heuristics that attempt to minimize the effect of the utility hole on structural stability of the 3D model.

11. An apparatus for automatically adding a utility hole to a printable 3-dimensional model, comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
identify a plurality of possible placements on a 3D model for including a utility hole as part of the 3D model;
determine, for each possible placement from the plurality of possible placements, a center of gravity for the 3D model with the utility hole as part of the 3D model at the possible placement;
heuristically evaluate a structure of the 3D model using a digital representation of the 3D model to determine, based on the determined center of gravity for each possible placement, a placement from the plurality of possible placements on the 3D model for the utility hole to be included as part of the 3D model;
generate a modified digital representation of the 3D model including the utility hole at the determined placement on the 3D model; and
provide the modified digital representation of the 3D model for printing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
find a placement for the utility hole that minimizes disturbance of surface details of the 3D model;
divide a top portion of the 3D model into a 2-dimensional layer, and dividing that 2-dimensional layer into regions of constant depth into the 3D model;
rotate the 3D model so that the 2-dimensional layer is perpendicular to the orientation axis for the utility hole; and
find regions in the 2-dimensional layer that can suitably accommodate the geometry of the utility hole.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
initially evaluate using a subtractive method on the 3D model for creating the utility hole in the 3D model to determine a suitable placement for the utility hole, the subtractive method comprising removing a portion of the 3D model based on the geometry of the utility hole; and
if the evaluation finds the subtractive method not suitable, evaluating an additive method on the 3D model for creating an appendage to the 3D model and identifying one or more possible placements of the utility hole in the appendage.

14. The apparatus of 11 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to heuristically evaluate the structure of the 3D model to determine the placement by minimizing the effect of the utility hole on (i) the outside surfaces of the 3D model, (ii) the aesthetics of the 3D model, and (iii) the structural stability of the 3D model.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to automatically add utility holes to printable 3D models by performing steps comprising:
accessing a digital representation of a 3D model;
accessing parameters that define a geometry of a utility hole to be included with the 3D model;
identifying a plurality of possible placements on the 3D model for including the utility hole as part of the 3D model;
determining, for each possible placement from the plurality of possible placements, a center of gravity for the 3D model with the utility hole as part of the 3D model at the possible placement;
performing a heuristic evaluation of a structure of the 3D model using the digital representation of the 3D model to determine, based on the determined center of gravity for each possible placement, a placement from the plurality of possible placements on the 3D model for the utility hole to be included as part of the 3D model;
generating a modified digital representation of the 3D model that includes the utility hole at the determined placement on the 3D model; and
providing the modified digital representation of the 3D model for printing.

16. The computer rea

Assignees

• Adobe Systems Inc

Inventors

• Hemani Mayur
• Goel Naveen Prakash
• Kumar Abhishek

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/386 Primary

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G06T19/00

  Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics · CPC title

• B29C67/0088 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic