US 11,718,036 B2
Interactive slicing methods and systems for generating toolpaths for printing three-dimensional objects
Elad Taig, Lexington, MA (US); Forrest Pieper, Watertown, MA (US); and Mario Barrenechea, Cambridge, MA (US)
Assigned to Relativity Space, Inc., Long Beach, CA (US)
Filed by Relativity Space, Inc., Long Beach, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/862,075.
Application 16/862,075 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2018/061093, filed on Nov. 14, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/585,901, filed on Nov. 14, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0324482 A1, Oct. 15, 2020
Int. Cl. G06T 17/00 (2006.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); G06T 19/00 (2011.01); G06T 17/10 (2006.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/386 (2017.08) [G06T 17/00 (2013.01); G06T 17/10 (2013.01); G06T 19/00 (2013.01); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); G06T 2219/008 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for printing a three-dimensional object, comprising:
(a) receiving in computer memory a digital model of said three-dimensional object;
(b) using one or more computer processors to partition said digital model of said three-dimensional object into a plurality of partitions, wherein a partition of said plurality of partitions comprises a plurality of slices, and wherein a slice of said plurality of slices comprises a plurality of segments;
partitioning said slice into said plurality of segments, wherein partitioning said slice into said plurality of segments comprises:
iterating, through multiple angular orientations of a segment:
(i) merging one or more holes, if any, into the segment;
(ii) performing a splitting procedure to decompose the segment into a decomposition of multiple directionally convex sub-polygons; and
(iii) saving the decomposition of multiple directionally convex sub-polygons as a data structure;
selecting the decomposition of multiple directionally convex sub-polygons;
(c) receiving, from a user, one or more parameters that specify a printing configuration for at least one directionally convex sub-polygon; and
(d) generating printing instructions based at least in part on said one or more parameters, which printing instructions are usable by a printer to print said three-dimensional object.