Fabricating three-dimensional objects with overhang

Abstract

The claimed subject matter includes a system and method to design 3D objects for fabrication. In embodiments, the method includes sampling coordinates of a two-dimensional object. The method also includes generating fabrication coordinates based on the coordinates and a plane comprising a top layer of a three-dimensional (3D) object. Additionally, the method includes generating a 2D triangular mesh for the top layer of an overhang based on the sampled coordinates, an angle between the top layer and two points in a previous top layer border less than or equal to an overhang threshold angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for designing three-dimensional (3D) objects for fabrication, the method comprising:
 sampling coordinates of a two-dimensional object;   generating fabrication coordinates based on the coordinates and a plane comprising a top layer of a three-dimensional (3D) object; and   generating a 2D triangular mesh for the top layer of an overhang based on:
 the sampled coordinates, and an angle between the top layer and two points in a previous top layer border being less than or equal to an overhang threshold angle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the plane comprising a z 1  plane where z 1 >z 2 , z 2  comprising a layer beneath the top layer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , the 3D object comprising a projection of specific text, embossed on a side, top, or bottom of the 3D object, an offset comprising a 45-degree angle for the side, top, or bottom of the 3D object. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , the specific text comprising a specific font. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising a ridge midway between two sides of a segment of text, and the overhang threshold angle being equal to 45 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising fabricating the 3D fabricated object based on the 2D triangular mesh. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising:
 a top layer corresponding to a layer of the 3D fabricated object; and   a bottom layer corresponding to a layer of the 3D fabricated object, the corresponding layers forming an angle less than or equal to 45 degree, the angle forming with a portion of the 3D fabricated object on which the corresponding layers are fabricated.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising an offset less than midpoint of the segment, and the overhang threshold angle being less than 45 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , the 3D fabricated object comprises two chamfers connecting the two sides and the corresponding top layer. 
     
     
         10 . A system for designing 3D objects for fabrication, comprising:
 a processing unit; and   a system memory, wherein the system memory comprises code configured to direct the processing unit to:   sample coordinates of a two-dimensional (2D) object;   generate fabrication coordinates based on the coordinates and a plane comprising a top layer of a three-dimensional (3D) object;   sample coordinates of a projected curve;   sample coordinates of a segment of the 2D object; and   generate a 2D triangular mesh for the top layer of an overhang based on:
 the sampled coordinates, and an angle between the top layer and two points in a previous top layer border being less than or equal to an overhang threshold angle, the plane comprising a z 1  plane where z 1 >z 2 , z 2  comprising a layer beneath the top layer, the top layer comprising specific text in a specific font. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , comprising fabricating the 3D fabricated object based on the 2D triangular mesh. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising an offset less than midpoint of the segment, and the overhang threshold angle being less than 45 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , the 3D fabricated object comprises two chamfers connecting the two sides and the corresponding top layer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising:
 a top layer corresponding to a layer of the 3D fabricated object; and   a bottom layer corresponding to a layer of the 3D fabricated object, the corresponding layers forming an angle less than or equal to 45 degree, the angle forming with a portion of the 3D fabricated object on which the corresponding layers are fabricated.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising a ridge midway between two sides of a segment of text, and the overhang threshold angle being equal to 45 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , comprising code configured to direct the processing unit to:
 determine a Bezier curve for an overhang of a 3D fabricated object;   sample coordinates of the Bezier curve;   sample coordinates of segments of the 3D fabricated object;   generate a 2D triangular mesh for each layer of the overhang based on:
 sampled coordinates of the Bezier curve; and 
 sampled coordinates of the segments. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , comprising code configured to direct the processing unit to fabricate the 3D fabricated object based on the 2D triangular mesh. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising:
 a top layer corresponding to a layer of the 3D fabricated object;   a bottom layer corresponding to a layer of the 3D fabricated object, the corresponding layers forming an angle less than or equal to 45 degrees, the angle forming with a portion of the 3D fabricated object on which the corresponding layers are fabricated; and   an offset less than midpoint of the segment, the 3D fabricated object comprising two chamfers connecting two sides and corresponding top layer.   
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable memory storage devices for storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions designing 3D objects for fabrication when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer-readable instructions comprising code configured to:
 sample coordinates of a two-dimensional (2D) object;   generate fabrication coordinates based on the coordinates and a plane comprising a top layer of a three-dimensional (3D) object;   sample coordinates of a projected curve;   sample coordinates of a segment of the 2D object; and   generate a 2D triangular mesh for the top layer of an overhang based on:
 the sampled coordinates, an angle between the top layer and two points in a previous top layer border is less than or equal to an overhang threshold angle, the plane comprising a z 1  plane where z 1 >z 2 , z 2  comprising a layer beneath the top layer, the top layer comprising specific text in a specific font, the 3D object comprising the specific text and a personalized award. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable memory storage devices of  claim 19 , the 2D triangular mesh comprising an offset less than midpoint of the segment, the 3D fabricated object comprising two chamfers connecting the two sides and the top layer, and the overhang threshold angle being less than 45 degrees.