AUTOMATED MODEL CUSTOMIZATION
A variety of computer automated tools are disclosed to assist consumers with using three-dimensional printers. Where a user also has access to a three-dimensional scanner, the tools may also support automated modifications to scanned subject matter.
1 . A method comprising:
providing a broken part having a number of pieces including a first piece and a second piece broken from an integral part;
scanning the first piece and the second piece to obtain a first digital model and a second digital model;
providing information about the integral part;
processing the information, the first digital model, and the second digital model to obtain a third digital model of the integral part prior to becoming broken; and
fabricating a duplicate of the integral part from the third model.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein scanning includes scanning with at least one of a CT scanner, an optical scanner, and a laser scanner.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the integral part includes one or more of a drawing and a photograph of the integral part.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the integral part includes a physical dimension of the integral part.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the integral part includes a manual alignment of the first digital model and the second digital model.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the manual alignment includes a three-dimensional alignment.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the integral part includes a property of a material forming the integral part.
8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically aligning the first digital model and the second digital model in an alignment to form a model of the integral part.
9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising displaying the first digital model and the second digital model in the alignment and requesting a user confirmation of the alignment before fabricating the duplicate of the integral part.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the number of parts includes three or more parts broken from the integral part.
11 . A computer program product for reconstructing an integral part from a broken part having a number of pieces broken from the integral part including a first piece and a second piece, the computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
scanning the first piece and the second piece to obtain a first digital model and a second digital model;
providing information about the integral part;
processing the information, the first digital model, and the second digital model to obtain a third digital model of the integral part prior to becoming broken; and
fabricating a duplicate of the integral part from the third model.
12 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein scanning includes scanning with at least one of a CT scanner, an optical scanner, and a laser scanner.
13 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information about the integral part includes one or more of a drawing and a photograph of the integral part.
14 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information about the integral part includes a physical dimension of the integral part.
15 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information about the integral part includes a manual alignment of the first digital model and the second digital model.
16 . The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the manual alignment includes a three-dimensional alignment.
17 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information about the integral part includes a property of a material forming the integral part.
18 . The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising code that performs the step of automatically aligning the first digital model and the second digital model in an alignment to form a model of the integral part.
19 . The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising code that performs the step of displaying the first digital model and the second digital model in the alignment and requesting a user confirmation of the alignment before fabricating the duplicate of the integral part.
20 . The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the number of parts includes three or more parts broken from the integral part.