Method and system for building painted three-dimensional objects
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method for printing a painted three-dimensional object. Each layer of the object is printed so that only the external circumference of the layer contains colored material. The building material used may be transparent, and a white colored material may be used as a barrier between the building material and the colored material.
1. A method of printing a three dimensional (3D) colored object, layer-by-layer, the method comprising:
dividing apparent surface of the 3D object into 3D color cells, wherein each of the 3D color cells comprises a tangential area with respect to the apparent surface and a depth dimension directing toward the inner region of the object and the size of each color cell is determined according to a desired color spatial resolution and color shade resolution;
generating color patterns of basic colors, each pattern for a respective 3D color cell according to a desired color shade of the cell;
generating two-dimensional (2D) image data for layers of the 3D objects, wherein the 2D image data includes outline color data based on the color patterns; and
selectively depositing materials on successive layers based on the 2D image data to produce the 3D colored object.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the size of the tangential area is determined according to the desired color spatial resolution.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depth is determined according to the desired color shade resolution.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the color shade resolution is defined by the number of building voxels in the color cell.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively depositing comprises depositing one or more colored materials on an outline region of a layer and white material on an inner region adjacent to the outline region.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively depositing comprises depositing a transparent material on an external circumference of the layer externally adjacent to the outline region.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively depositing comprises using transparent material as a building material and depositing color additives on at least a portion of an outline region of one of the layers in addition to depositing the transparent material on the portion.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein selectively depositing comprises depositing a white additive on an inner region adjacent to the outline region.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein more that one of the color additives is deposited on a building voxel.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively depositing comprises using white material as building material for inner areas of the 3D object.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the basic colors include at least two of yellow, magenta, cyan and black.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein within the color cell, one or more of the basic colors are evenly scattered among voxels directed to the color cell.
13. An article comprising a computer-storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processing platform, result in:
dividing apparent surface of the 3D object into 3D color cells, wherein each of the 3D color cells comprises a tangential area with respect to the apparent surface and a depth dimension directing toward the inner region of the object and the size of each color cell is determined according to a desired color spatial resolution and color shade resolution;
generating color patterns of basic colors, each pattern for a respective 3D color cell according to a desired color shade of the cell;
generating two-dimensional (2D) image data for layers of the 3D objects, wherein the 2D image data includes outline color data based on the color patterns; and
selectively depositing materials on successive layers based on the 2D image data to produce the 3D colored object.
14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the size of the tangential area is determined according to the desired color spatial resolution.
15. The article of claim 13 , wherein the depth is determined according to the desired color shade resolution.
16. The article of claim 13 , wherein the color shade resolution is defined by the number of building voxels in the color cell.
17. The article of claim 13 , wherein the instructions that when executed result in selectively depositing further result in:
depositing one or more colored materials on an outline region of a layer and white material on an inner region adjacent to the outline region.
18. The article of claim 13 , wherein the instructions that when executed result in selectively depositing further result in:
depositing a transparent material on an external circumference of the layer externally adjacent to the outline region.
19. The article of claim 13 , the instructions that when executed result in selectively depositing further result in:
using transparent material as a building material and depositing color additives on at least a portion of an outline region of one of the layers in addition to depositing the transparent material on the portion.
20. The article of claim 19 , wherein the instructions that when executed result in selectively depositing further result in:
depositing a white additive on an inner region adjacent to the outline region.