Optimizing Object Decomposition to Reduce Visual Artifacts in 3D Printing

Abstract

We propose a method for the automatic segmentation of 3D objects into parts which can be individually 3D printed and then reassembled by preserving the visual quality of the final object. Our technique focuses on minimizing the surface affected by supports, decomposing the object into multiple parts whose printing orientation is automatically chosen. The segmentation reduces the visual impact on the fabricated model producing non‐planar cuts that adapt to the object shape. This is performed by solving an optimization problem that balances the effects of supports and cuts, while trying to place both in occluded regions of the object surface. To assess the practical impact of the solution, we show a number of segmented, 3D printed and reassembled objects.

State of the Art on Computational Design of Assemblies with Rigid Parts

“…Below, we review existing approaches that address each of these factors, aiming to preserve visual appearance of the final assembly. Some research works address multiple factors, e.g., cutting seams and removing of supports in [FAG ∗ 20], staircase effect and removing of supports in [WZK16]. For these works, we discuss how they handle each factor respectively.…”

“…These artifacts can be avoided (alleviated) by decomposing an object into (near) support‐free parts; see Section 3.1.1. Besides these works, some researchers [FAG ∗ 20, WZK16] aimed to reduce the artifacts of removing supports by decomposing an object into parts that require small supported areas, possibly in occluded surface regions. In these approaches, cuts to decompose the object, together with a printing direction of each part, are found by using a scheme of over‐segmentation followed by clustering.…”

“…One approach is based on the observation that cutting seams are less obtrusive in self‐occluded areas. The seam unobtrusiveness is measured based on ambient occlusion and cuts are optimized to maximize this measure [LBRM12, FAG ∗ 20]; see Figure 9(a). An alternative approach is based on the observation that cutting seams aligned with surface details, where people expect to see discontinuities, are less noticeable.…”

Automatic Surface Segmentation for Seamless Fabrication Using 4‐axis Milling Machines

“…Dapper [CZL*15] optimizes the packing of the parts in the printing volume. Recently, Filoscia et al [FAG*20] proposed a new method to decompose a 3D‐printed object to minimize the seams’ visual impact. However, these methods are not directly related to the planning of subtractive fabrication.…”

Fabrication‐Aware Reverse Engineering for Carpentry

“…Decomposition‐based Methods The goal of these methods is to convert a 3D surface representation into solid, fabricable parts that recreate the desired surface [ACA∗19; FAG∗20; YKGA17]. A related method is to segment structured 3D models into repeated subcomponents [DAB15].…”