GRAYSCALE RENDERING IN 3D PRINTING

摘要

An additive three-dimensional fabrication process uses multiple build materials with different optical properties (e.g., color, opacity) at different surface depths to achieve grayscale-rendered images on exterior surfaces thereof.

主权项

1. A system for three-dimensional printing comprising:
a supply of two materials including a substantially opaque material and a substantially translucent material; an extruder controllable to selectively deliver one of the two materials; an x-y-z positioning system controllable to move the extruder relative to a build platform; and a controller configured to operate the extruder and the x-y-z positioning system to fabricate an object from the two materials, the controller including a processor configured to receive a digital image and to control delivery of the two materials in a manner that imparts a grayscale image of the digital image to an exterior surface of the object by selectively layering the substantially translucent material over the substantially opaque material such that the substantially opaque material is disposed at various depths beneath the exterior surface to obtain corresponding predetermined grayscale levels of the grayscale image.