Methods, devices, systems, and computer program products for creating three-dimensional puzzles

1. A method of creating a three-dimensional (3D) puzzle of an object, the method comprising:

receiving a 3D model of the object;

sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model; and

generating a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) printable segments corresponding to the plurality of preliminary segments,

wherein the 3D model comprises a polygon mesh,

sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model comprises, for each preliminary segment, selecting a random polygon from the polygon mesh that has not been selected for another one of the plurality of preliminary segments as an initial polygon,

the initial polygon is included as part of the preliminary segment,

the polygon mesh is a triangle mesh,

the initial polygon is an initial triangle, and

sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model comprises, for each preliminary segment:

constructing a first direction segment in a first direction away from the initial triangle;

constructing a second direction segment in a second direction, different than the first direction, away from the initial triangle;

constructing a third direction segment in a third direction, different than the first and second directions, away from the initial triangle; and

selecting the one of the first, second and third direction segments that has the longest length as the preliminary segment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of printable segments are configured to be printed to create a plurality of printed segments that are configured to be selectively coupled together to form a 3D representation of the object.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model comprises sequentially extracting the plurality of preliminary segments from the polygon mesh until each one of the polygons of the polygon mesh has been selected for one of the plurality of preliminary segments.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

constructing a first direction segment comprises selecting triangles from the triangle mesh that are intersected by a first straight line that extends in the first direction away from the initial triangle until the first line intersects a triangle that has previously been selected for another one of the preliminary segments or until a length of the first direction segment reaches a predetermined threshold length;

constructing a second direction segment comprises selecting triangles from the triangle mesh that are intersected by a second straight line that extends in the second direction away from the initial triangle until the second line intersects a triangle that has previously been selected for another one of the preliminary segments or until a length of the second direction segment reaches the predetermined threshold length; and

constructing a third direction segment comprises selecting triangles from the triangle mesh that are intersected by a third straight line that extends in the third direction away from the initial triangle until the third line intersects a triangle that has previously been selected for another one of the preliminary segments or until a length of the third direction segment reaches the predetermined threshold length.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the first line extends in the first direction from a center of the initial triangle and through a midpoint of a first edge of the initial triangle;

the second line extends in the second direction from the center of the initial triangle and through a midpoint of a second edge of the initial triangle; and

the third line extends in the third direction from the center of the initial triangle and through a midpoint of a third edge of the initial triangle.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

rotating the selected triangles in the first direction segment into the same plane as the initial triangle;

rotating the selected triangles in the second direction segment into the same plane as the initial triangle; and/or

rotating the selected triangles in the third direction segment into the same plane as the initial triangle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is or includes a head of a person.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of printable segments comprise at least 50 segments or at least 100 segments.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the plurality of printable segments to a printer;

printing the plurality of printable segments to create the plurality of printed segments that correspond to the plurality of printable segments.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selectively coupling the printed segments to one another to form the 3D representation of the object.

11. A method of creating a three-dimensional (3D) puzzle of an object, the method comprising:

receiving a 3D model of the object;

sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model; and

generating a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) printable segments corresponding to the plurality of preliminary segments,

wherein the 3D model comprises a polygon mesh,

sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model comprises, for each preliminary segment, selecting a random polygon from the polygon mesh that has not been selected for another one of the plurality of preliminary segments as an initial polygon, and

the initial polygon is included as part of the preliminary segment,

wherein:

the 3D model comprises texture data corresponding to the polygon or triangle mesh; and

generating a plurality of 2D printable segments corresponding to the plurality of preliminary segments comprises applying texture from the texture data to each of the plurality of preliminary segments.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the polygon mesh is a triangle mesh, wherein the initial polygon is an initial triangle, and wherein sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model comprises, for each preliminary segment:

constructing a first direction segment in a first direction away from the initial triangle;

constructing a second direction segment in a second direction, different than the first direction, away from the initial triangle;

constructing a third direction segment in a third direction, different than the first and second directions, away from the initial triangle; and

selecting the one of the first, second and third direction segments that has the longest length as the preliminary segment.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the polygon mesh is a triangle mesh, wherein the initial polygon is an initial triangle, and wherein sequentially extracting a plurality of preliminary segments from the 3D model comprises, for each preliminary segment:

selecting triangles in a set of triangles that share a common vertex with the initial triangle;

selecting an outer triangle that has an edge that is connected to an edge of one of the triangles in the set of triangles that does not share an edge with another one of the triangles in the set of triangles;

selecting triangles that are intersected by a circular or spiral path extending from the outer triangle and around the set of triangles until the circular or spiral path intersects a triangle that has previously been selected for another one of the preliminary segments; and

optionally rotating the selected triangles into the same plane as the initial triangle.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein applying texture from the texture data to each of the plurality of preliminary segments comprises mapping texture from the texture data using UV coordinates for vertices of each polygon or triangle in the preliminary segment.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein generating a plurality of 2D printable segments corresponding to the plurality of preliminary segments comprises adding a plurality of flaps to each preliminary segment.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein one of the flaps extends from each edge of each polygon or triangle in the preliminary segment that is not connected with another polygon or triangle in the preliminary segment.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising applying texture to each flap using the texture data at the edge of the polygon or triangle from which the flap extends.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising adding indicia to each flap, wherein the indicia on one flap of one of the printable segments uniquely matches the indicia on one flap of another one of the printable segments to indicate that the flaps should be coupled together, and wherein the indicia optionally comprises a number and/or a letter.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium coupled to the processor and comprising computer readable program code that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

20. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .