JP2018114684A - Information processing device, three-dimensional molding system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device whereby, if trouble occurs in a slice image formed on a recording medium, the number of consumed recording media is reduced as compared to the case where the formation of a series of slice images has to be done all over again.SOLUTION: An information processing device has generation means, division means, management means, and image data output means. From plural slice data obtained by slicing three-dimensional data, the generation means generates a series of slice image data representing a series of slice images. The division means divides the series of slice image data into plural blocks. The management means manages plural blocks by associating them with each other. The image data output means generates, for each block, image formation information for image formation device for forming a slice image on a recording medium from slice image data, and outputs the generated image formation information to an image formation device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a three-dimensional modeling system, and a program.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a modeling method for sequentially stacking a plurality of sheets to model a three-dimensional solid having a predetermined shape, and the modeling method is a two-dimensional image of a predetermined shape on a conductive drum. A cutting process for cutting the sheet, an adhesive application process for applying an adhesive on the conductor drum to the sheet obtained in the cutting process, and a surface on which the adhesive is applied has been laminated last time. There is disclosed a three-dimensional three-dimensional modeling method characterized by comprising a laminating step of laminating and laminating the sheet away from the conductor drum by pressure-contacting and bonding to the sheet.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a manufacturing method for obtaining a three-dimensional structure by cutting and laminating a sheet in accordance with the shape of each cross-sectional portion of the three-dimensional model based on information on the three-dimensional model, and (a) A step of preparing a sheet; and (b) cross-sectional contour shape data obtained by slicing the stereo model at predetermined intervals based on the shape data and color data of the stereo model, and the surface of the stereo model. Creating a color region image data for coloring the cross section corresponding to the position and color of the color, and (c) the sheet based on the contour shape data and the color region image data. There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional structure including the steps of defining the chromatic area and coloring the chromatic area.

JP 2000-43149 A JP 2000-177016 A

  In sheet stacking type 3D modeling, slice data is generated by slicing 3D data of a 3D model, a slice image is formed on a sheet-like recording medium based on the slice data, and the slice image is formed. Post-processing for three-dimensional modeling is performed on the recording medium, such as processing and stacking the medium. The number of recording media to be stacked reaches 1000 sheets even when, for example, a 10 cm square cube is three-dimensionally formed using recording paper having a thickness of 0.1 mm.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that can suppress the number of recording media consumed even when a defect occurs in a slice image formed on a recording medium, as compared with the case where a series of slice images are completely formed again. It is to provide a three-dimensional modeling system and a program.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a generation unit that generates a series of slice image data representing a series of slice images from a plurality of slice data obtained by slicing three-dimensional data; A dividing unit that divides a series of slice image data into a plurality of blocks, a management unit that manages the plurality of blocks in association with each other, and a slice image from the slice image data by the image forming apparatus for each block on a recording medium And an image data output unit that generates image formation information for forming and outputs the generated image formation information to the image forming apparatus.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a re-output unit that regenerates image formation information from slice image data belonging to a block in which a defect has occurred in an image forming process by the image forming apparatus, and re-outputs the image forming information to the image forming apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the management means associates the plurality of blocks with each other by adding identification information representing each other and identifying each of the plurality of blocks. It is an information processing apparatus as described in.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the series of slice image data is arranged such that the order of forming the slice images is the order in which the post-processing for three-dimensional modeling is slow. The information processing apparatus according to any one of the above.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the generating means is for three-dimensional modeling with respect to a recording medium on which the series of slice images are formed by a post-processing device together with the series of slice image data from the plurality of slice data. A series of control data for performing post-processing, and the dividing unit divides each of the series of slice image data and the series of control data into a plurality of blocks, and the image data output unit 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control data output means for outputting control data belonging to the output block to the post-processing apparatus. 6.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the re-output unit includes slice image data belonging to a block in which a problem has occurred in an image forming process by the image forming apparatus and a block in which a problem has occurred in a post-processing process by the post-processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming information is generated again from the image forming apparatus and is output again to the image forming apparatus.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium according to image formation information, and a slice. A three-dimensional modeling system comprising: a post-processing device for three-dimensional modeling that performs post-processing for three-dimensional modeling on the recording medium on which an image is formed based on control data corresponding to the formed slice image .

  The invention according to claim 8 is a program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

  According to the first, seventh, and eighth aspects of the present invention, even when a failure occurs in the slice image formed on the recording medium, the number of consumed recording media compared to the case where all of the series of slice images are formed again. Can be suppressed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to redo the formation of the slice image only for the block in which a defect has occurred in the image forming process.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of blocks is identified, and the connection between the plurality of blocks can be grasped.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when supplying the recording medium in the post-processing apparatus for three-dimensional modeling, the recording medium can be taken out in order from the upper side of the bundle of recording media on which the slice images are formed.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the formation of a series of slice images on the recording medium and the post-processing for the recording medium on which the series of slice images are formed can be performed for each block.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to redo the formation of the slice image not only for the block in which the defect has occurred in the image forming process but also for the block in which the defect has occurred in the post-processing process.

(A) And (B) is the schematic which shows an example of a structure of the three-dimensional modeling system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows another example of a structure of the three-dimensional modeling system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a schematic diagram which shows the image formation process of a sheet | seat lamination type three-dimensional modeling. (B) is a schematic diagram showing a post-processing step of sheet lamination type three-dimensional modeling. (A) to (C) are schematic views showing an example of a state in which a slice image is formed on a recording medium. (A) And (B) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the control data which identify a cutting line. (A) And (B) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the control data which specify a pasting area | region. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the electrical constitution of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of a function structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the division | segmentation form of slice image data. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the division | segmentation form of an image formation process. (A) And (B) is a schematic diagram which shows another example of the division | segmentation form of slice image data. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the information processing program which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram showing main operation | movement of the three-dimensional modeling system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of “image data output processing” according to the first embodiment. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of “image data output processing” according to a modification of the first embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of a function structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram showing main operation | movement of the three-dimensional modeling system which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the "data output process" which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (B) is the schematic which shows the modification of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Three-dimensional modeling system>
(overall structure)
First, the three-dimensional modeling system will be described.
The three-dimensional modeling system according to the embodiment of the present invention creates a three-dimensional modeled object by a sheet lamination type three-dimensional modeling method. In the sheet stacking type three-dimensional modeling method, a plurality of slice data is generated by slicing three-dimensional data of a three-dimensional model on a plurality of surfaces, and a series of data is recorded on a sheet-like recording medium such as paper based on the plurality of slice data. A slice image is formed. Then, post-processing for three-dimensional modeling is performed on the plurality of recording media, such as processing and stacking a plurality of recording media on which a series of slice images are formed. The generation of slice data will be described later. Here, “a series” means “a plurality of slice data” generated from three-dimensional data.

  FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic views showing an example of the configuration of the three-dimensional modeling system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the three-dimensional modeling system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the three-dimensional modeling system according to the present embodiment includes an information processing apparatus 10, an image forming apparatus 12, and a three-dimensional modeling post-processing apparatus 14. As shown in FIG. 1B, the information processing apparatus 10, the image forming apparatus 12, and the 3D modeling post-processing apparatus 14 are connected to each other via a communication line 18 so as to communicate with each other. Hereinafter, the three-dimensional modeling post-processing device 14 is abbreviated as “post-processing device 14”.

  The image forming apparatus 12 forms an image on the recording medium 50 based on the raster image data. The raster image data is an example of “image formation information”. In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 12 is not an apparatus dedicated to three-dimensional modeling. When image formation based on two-dimensional image data is instructed, the image forming apparatus 12 functions as a normal image forming apparatus. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 10 performs different information processing depending on whether image formation based on two-dimensional image data or three-dimensional modeling based on three-dimensional data.

  The image forming apparatus 12 is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by electrophotography, for example. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus 12 includes a photosensitive drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a fixing device, and the like. The charging device charges the photosensitive drum. The exposure apparatus exposes the charged photosensitive drum with light corresponding to the image. The developing device develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum by exposure with toner. The transfer device transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum to a recording medium. The fixing device fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium. Note that the image forming apparatus 12 may be an ink jet recording apparatus. In this case, the image forming apparatus 12 includes an inkjet recording head that discharges ink droplets onto a recording medium according to an image.

  When the 3D modeling based on the 3D data is instructed, the information processing apparatus 10 generates a plurality of slice data from the 3D data. Next, in order to form a series of raster images, a series of raster image data is generated from a plurality of slice data. Then, a series of raster image data is output to the image forming apparatus 12. When image formation based on two-dimensional image data is instructed, raster image data is generated from the two-dimensional image data, and the raster image data of the two-dimensional image is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  Further, the information processing apparatus 10 further generates a series of control data from the plurality of slice data when the three-dimensional modeling based on the three-dimensional data is instructed. The series of control data is data for causing the post-processing device 14 to perform post-processing for three-dimensional modeling. As will be described later, the control data includes control data for specifying a “cut-out line” for cutting out a laminated part from the recording medium, and control data for specifying a “glue area” for applying glue to the recording medium.

  The post-processing device 14 performs post-processing for three-dimensional modeling on the recording medium 50 on which a series of slice images is formed. As shown in FIG. 1A, the post-processing device 14 may be arranged (off-line, near-line) that does not share the conveyance path of the recording medium 50 with respect to the image forming device 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the post-processing device 14 may be arranged (in-line) with the image forming apparatus 12 so as to share the conveyance path of the recording medium 50.

  In the case of an arrangement that does not share the conveyance path, the plurality of recording media 50 on which a series of slice images are formed are stacked in the order in which the slice images are formed and accumulated in the storage mechanism 16 such as a stacker. The bundle of the plurality of stacked recording media 50 is taken out from the storage mechanism 16 and delivered to the post-processing device 14 at once. On the other hand, in the case of the arrangement sharing the conveyance path, the recording medium 50 on which the slice image is formed is conveyed to the post-processing device 14 one by one.

(Sheet stacking type 3D modeling)
Next, each step of sheet lamination type three-dimensional modeling will be described.
FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram showing an image forming process of sheet lamination type three-dimensional modeling. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a post-processing step of sheet lamination type three-dimensional modeling.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3A, raster image data of a slice image is generated. Although details will be described later, the information processing apparatus 10 generates a plurality of slice data from the three-dimensional data of the three-dimensional model M. The slice data represents a cross-sectional image obtained by slicing a three-dimensional model with a slice plane. In the present embodiment, T slice data from No. 1 to T is generated according to T slice planes from No. 1 to T. Each of the T slice data from No. 1 to T is converted into YMCK raster image data to form T slice images from No. 1 to T.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, a slice image is formed on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus 12 forms a series of slice images on the recording medium 50 based on the series of raster image data. The plurality of recording media 50 ₁ to 50 _T on which a series of slice images are formed are stacked in the order in which the slice images are formed. When “n” is a number from 1 to T, the n-th slice image is formed on the n-th recording medium 50 _n .

In the illustrated example, T slice images from No. 1 to T are formed in descending order from T to No. 1. A plurality of recording media 50 ₁ to 50 _T are stacked in descending order from the T number to the No. ₁ with the recording medium 50 _{T on} which the T-th slice image is formed as the lowermost layer. By stacking the plurality of recording media 50 ₁ to 50 _T in descending order, the plurality of recording media 50 ₁ to 50 _T are supplied in ascending order from No. ₁ to _T in the subsequent post-processing step. In other words, T slice images are formed on the recording medium 50 in the order opposite to the order in which the post-processing device 14 performs the post-processing.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, post-processing is performed on the recording medium 50 on which the slice image is formed. In the present embodiment, the post-processing device 14 includes a gluing unit 20 that performs a gluing process, a cutout unit 22 that performs a cutout process, and a crimping unit 24 that performs a crimping process. Each of the gluing unit 20, the cutout unit 22, and the pressure bonding unit 24 is arranged in the order described along the conveyance path 26 that conveys the recording medium 50. The post-processing device 14 acquires a series of control data corresponding to a series of slice images from the information processing device 10.

Here, the slice image will be described.
4A to 4C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a state in which slice images are formed on a recording medium. As shown in FIG. 4A, the slice image M on the recording medium 50 includes a laminated component 52 and an unnecessary portion 53 that are laminated to form a three-dimensional structure. A colored region 56 having a set width is provided in the periphery of the laminated component 52. As shown in FIG. 4B, the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52 is a cut line 54 for cutting out the laminated component 52 from the recording medium 50.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, the gluing area 58 is set inside the outer peripheral line (cutting line 54) of the laminated component 52, such as an area inside the colored area 56, for example. Note that the entire surface of the recording medium 50 including the unnecessary portion 53 may be glued. However, by setting the glue region 58 inside the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52, the removal target D is compared with the case where the glue is applied to the entire surface. The operation of removing (see FIG. 3B) is facilitated. Further, by setting the gluing region 58 inside the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52, the glue does not protrude from the laminated component 52 during the crimping process after gluing.

  Note that the setting of the width of the coloring area 56 and the setting of the receding width from the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52 in the gluing area 58 are performed by, for example, displaying a setting screen on the display unit 34 of the information processing apparatus 10 and operating the operation unit 32. It may be performed when the user instructs three-dimensional modeling, such as accepting a setting from the user. Further, a predetermined initial setting may be adopted.

  The control data includes control data for specifying the cut line 54 and control data for specifying the pasting area 58. For example, the coordinate data of a point on the path of the cut line 54 becomes control data for specifying the cut line 54. Also, the coordinate data of each point in the gluing area 58 becomes control data for specifying the gluing area 58.

  Recording media 50 are supplied to the gluing unit 20 one by one from a bundle of a plurality of recording media 50. The gluing unit 20 applies glue to the gluing area 58 of the recording medium 50 based on the control data for specifying the gluing area 58. The gluing unit 20 may include, for example, a glue ejection head that ejects glue. The glue ejection head moves in the stacking direction (z direction) and the in-plane direction (x direction, y direction) of the recording medium 50. The glue discharge head scans the glue area 58 while discharging glue, whereby the glue is applied to the glue area 58 of the recording medium 50. The recording medium 50 that has undergone the gluing process is supplied to the cutout unit 22.

  The cutout unit 22 cuts the recording medium 50 along the cutout line 54 based on the control data for specifying the cutout line 54. The cutout unit 22 may be a cutter having a cutting edge, for example. The cutting edge of the cutter moves in the stacking direction (z direction) and the in-plane direction (x direction, y direction) of the recording medium 50. The recording medium 50 is cut by moving the cutter blade edge in the in-plane direction while pressing against the recording medium 50.

  By adjusting the position of the cutting edge of the cutter in the stacking direction, the depth of cutting can be determined. The depth of the cut may be a depth that does not reach the back surface. Since the laminated component is not separated from the recording medium 50, the lack of the laminated component 52 during the conveyance process is avoided.

  The cutter only needs to have a function of cutting the recording medium 50 along the cut line 54, and is not limited to a mechanical cutter that presses the blade edge. For example, an ultrasonic cutter that cuts by irradiating ultrasonic waves or a laser cutter that cuts by irradiating laser light may be used.

  Note that the cutout unit 22 may form a plurality of perforations in the recording medium 50 along the cutout line 54 instead of making cutouts. In the case of forming a plurality of perforations, since the laminated component is connected to the recording medium 50, the omission of the laminated component 52 in the conveying process is further avoided.

The recording medium 50 that has been cut out is supplied to the crimping unit 24. The crimping unit 24 sequentially stacks the supplied recording media 50. At this time, the plurality of recording media 50 ₁ to 50 _T are stacked in ascending order from No. 1 to T. Then, the crimping section 24 applies pressure to the bundle of the plurality of stacked recording media 50 along the stacking direction to crimp the plurality of recording media 50. Each of the plurality of recording media 50 ₁ to 50 _T glued by the pressure bonding is bonded to the upper and lower recording media 50 at the gluing region 58.

  The recording medium 50 that has been cut out is composed of the laminated component 52 and the unnecessary portion 53 that are stacked to form the three-dimensional structure P, and are laminated together without removing the unnecessary portion 53. The unnecessary portion 53 of the recording medium 50 becomes a support member that supports the three-dimensional structure P on which the laminated component 52 is laminated. After the crimping process in the crimping part 24 is completed, the removal target D on which the laminated component 52 of the recording medium 50 is laminated is removed, and the three-dimensional structure P is separated.

Here, an example of “control data” will be described.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of control data for specifying a cut line. FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of control data for specifying a pasting area. As will be described later, the slice data includes coordinate data of the vertices of the intersecting region where the polygon and the slice plane intersect. The intersecting region exists along the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the coordinate data of the point in the path of the cut line 54, such as the coordinates (x ₀ , y ₀ ) of the point A ₀ , becomes control data for specifying the cut line 54. .

In the illustrated example, the laminated component 52 of the star has from 11 vertices A ₀ to A _10. For example, when starting from the point A ₀ , the points are traced in the order of A ₀ → A ₁ → A ₂ → A ₃ → A ₄ → A ₅ → A ₆ → A ₇ → A ₈ → A ₉ → A _10. Thus, the cut line 54 is specified.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, when a plurality of perforations are formed, the coordinate data of the perforation points in the path of the cut line 54 becomes control data for specifying the cut line 54. For example, when the point A ₀ is set as the start point, the cut line 54 is specified by tracing each point in the order of formation of the perforations, such as A ₀ → A ₁ → A ₂ → A ₃ → A ₄ .

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the coordinate data of each point in the gluing area 58 becomes control data for specifying the gluing area 58. The gluing area 58 is slightly smaller than the laminated component 52 and is set inside the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52. The glued region 58 may be specified by reducing the image of the laminated component 52. In this case, the gluing area 58 is arranged so that the center of gravity of the image of the laminated component 52 matches the center of gravity of the gluing area 58. The coordinate data of each point in the gluing area 58 is obtained from the receding width from the outer peripheral line of the laminated component 52 and the coordinate data of the point in the path of the cut line 54.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, it is not necessary to perform gluing over the entire gluing region 58. The pasting area 58 may be partially thinned, and a part of the pasting area 58 may be pasted. Further, the density of the glue does not need to be constant throughout the pasting area 58. When the density of the glue may be changed, the density of the glue around the gluing area 58 may be set higher than the density of the glue at the center of the gluing area 58.

  The origin of the control data specifying the cut line 54 and the origin of the control data specifying the pasting area 58 are aligned with the origin of the image forming position when forming the slice image. When the post-processing device 14 has an image reading function, the image forming device 12 forms a mark image representing the position of “control data origin” on the recording medium 50 together with the slice image, and the post-processing device 14 The position information of “control data origin” may be acquired by reading the mark image.

  The format of the control data is not limited to coordinate data. For example, image data in which the cut line 54 and the pasting area 58 are expressed as graphics or images, such as binary raster image data, may be used. In the case of binary raster image data, in the example shown in FIG. 4B, the pixel value of the clipping line 54 is set to “1”, and the pixel values of other areas are set to “0”. In the example shown in FIG. 4C, the pixel value of the gluing area 58 is “1”, and the pixel values of the other areas are “0”. For example, the glue ejection head of the gluing unit 20 ejects glue on the recording medium 50 when the pixel value is “1”. When the pixel value is “0”, no glue is ejected onto the recording medium 50.

<Information processing device>
Next, the information processing apparatus will be described.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the information processing apparatus 10 includes an information processing unit 30, an operation unit 32 that receives a user's operation, a display unit 34 that displays information to the user, and a communication unit 36 that communicates with an external device 31. And a storage unit 38 such as an external storage device. The operation unit 32, the display unit 34, the communication unit 36, and the storage unit 38 are connected to an input / output interface (I / O) 30E of the information processing unit 30.

  The information processing unit 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 30B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 30C, a nonvolatile memory 30D, and an I / O 30E. The CPU 30A, ROM 30B, RAM 30C, nonvolatile memory 30D, and I / O 30E are connected to each other via a bus 30F. The CPU 30A reads the program from the ROM 30B and executes the program using the RAM 30C as a work area.

  The operation unit 32 receives an operation from a user using a mouse, a keyboard, or the like. The display unit 34 displays various screens to the user using a display or the like. The communication unit 36 communicates with the external device 31 via a wired or wireless communication line. For example, it functions as an interface for communicating with an external device such as a computer connected to a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The storage unit 38 includes a storage device such as a hard disk.

(Functional configuration of information processing device)
Next, a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a file format conversion unit 40, a raster processing unit 42, a three-dimensional data processing unit 44, a control data storage unit 48, and a blocking unit 49. When data described in a page description language (hereinafter referred to as “PDL data”) is acquired, the file format conversion unit 40 converts the acquired PDL data into intermediate data.

  The raster processing unit 42 performs raster processing on the intermediate data obtained by the file format conversion unit 40 to generate raster image data. The raster processing unit 42 generates raster image data by performing raster processing on slice image data obtained by an image data output unit 64 described later.

  The three-dimensional data processing unit 44 processes the acquired three-dimensional data to generate slice image data and control data. Specifically, the three-dimensional data processing unit 44 includes a slice processing unit 45, an image data generation unit 46, and a control data generation unit 47. The slice processing unit 45 generates slice data from the acquired three-dimensional data. The image data generation unit 46 generates slice image data from the slice data obtained by the slice processing unit 45.

  The control data generation unit 47 generates control data from the slice data obtained by the slice processing unit 45. The control data storage unit 48 stores the control data obtained by the control data generation unit 47.

  The blocking unit 49 includes an image data dividing unit 60, an image data storage unit 62, and an image data output unit 64. The image data dividing unit 60 divides a series of slice image data obtained by the image data generating unit 46 into a plurality of blocks. The image data storage unit 62 stores a series of slice image data for each block. The image data output unit 64 reads out a series of slice image data from the image data storage unit 62 for each block, and outputs it to the raster processing unit 42 for each block.

(Two-dimensional data processing)
“Two-dimensional data processing” for a two-dimensional image will be described.
When image formation based on two-dimensional image data is instructed, the two-dimensional image data is acquired as PDL data. The PDL data is converted into intermediate data by the file format conversion unit 40 and output to the raster processing unit 42. The intermediate data is rasterized by the raster processing unit 42 to generate raster image data of a two-dimensional image. The raster image data is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  Here, the “intermediate data” is section data obtained by dividing each object (for example, character font, graphics figure, image data) that is an image element constituting the image of the page for each scanning line of raster scanning. The section data is data representing a section that the object occupies on one scanning line. The section data is represented by, for example, a set of coordinates at both ends of the section. The section data includes information that defines the pixel value of each pixel in the section. By converting the PDL data into intermediate data and transferring it, the data transfer speed in the information processing apparatus 10 is improved.

(3D data processing)
“3D data processing” for 3D data will be described.
When the three-dimensional modeling based on the three-dimensional data is instructed, the three-dimensional data of the three-dimensional model is acquired. The slice processing unit 45 generates a series of slice data from the three-dimensional data. The generated series of slice data is output to each of the image data generation unit 46 and the control data generation unit 47. Here, “three-dimensional data” and “slice data” will be described in detail.

  As the three-dimensional data of the three-dimensional model M, for example, three-dimensional data in the OBJ format (hereinafter referred to as “OBJ data”) is used. In the OBJ data, the solid model M is expressed as a set of triangular polygons. Note that the three-dimensional data may be in other formats such as an STL format. Since the STL format does not include color information, color information is added when the STL format is used.

  Hereinafter, a case where the three-dimensional data is OBJ data will be described. The OBJ data includes an OBJ file that handles shape data and an MTL file that handles color information. In the OBJ file, for each polygon, a surface number unique to the polygon and coordinate data of each vertex of the triangular polygon are defined in association with each other. In the MTL file, color information is defined in association with each polygon.

  A slice plane parallel to the ground plane (XY plane) on which the three-dimensional model M is grounded as the three-dimensional structure P is set. For example, first, a slice plane is set in the lowest layer of the three-dimensional model. Slice data is generated each time the slice plane is shifted while shifting the slice plane by a predetermined stacking pitch (distance) p along the stacking direction (Z-axis direction).

  The number of the lowermost slice plane is “1”, and the number is incremented by “1” every time the slice plane shifts. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, there are T slice planes from No. 1 to No. T. The slice data represents a cross-sectional image obtained by slicing a three-dimensional model with a slice plane. Specifically, the slice data includes the slice surface number, the coordinate data of the vertices of the intersection region where the polygon and the slice surface intersect, and the color information set for the polygon that intersects the slice surface. Represents an image. T slice data from No. 1 to T is generated according to T slice planes.

  The image data generation unit 46 converts each of a series of slice data obtained by the slice processing unit 45 into PDL data, and generates a series of slice image data. The slice image data is PDL data. Here, “slice image data (PDL data)” is data for each page for forming one slice image per page. Note that when the slice image data is generated, a colored region may be added to the slice image. The generated series of slice image data is output to the image data dividing unit 60.

  The image data dividing unit 60 divides a series of slice image data obtained by the image data generating unit 46 into a plurality of blocks. The image data storage unit 62 assigns identification information to each of the plurality of blocks, and stores each of the series of slice image data in association with the identification information of the block to which each belongs. The image data output unit 64 reads out a series of slice image data from the image data storage unit 62 for each block, and outputs it for each block.

  The slice image data for one block is output to the raster processing unit 42. The raster processing unit 42 performs raster processing on the slice image data for one block obtained from the image data output unit 64 to generate raster image data for one block. The generated raster image data for one block is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  When performing error recovery, which will be described later, the image data output unit 64 reads again the slice image data belonging to the block in which the problem has occurred from the image data storage unit 62 and outputs it again to the raster processing unit 42. The generated raster image data for one block is output again to the image forming apparatus 12.

  Here, “identification information” is information for indicating that each block is part of a series of slice image data and for identifying each of the plurality of blocks. The image data storage unit 62 is an example of “management unit”, and the image data output unit 64 and the raster processing unit 42 are examples of “image data output unit” and “re-output unit”.

  Further, intermediate data may be generated from slice image data. In this case, the image data output unit 64 outputs slice image data (PDL data) for one block to the file format conversion unit 40. The PDL data for one block is converted into intermediate data for one block by the file format conversion unit 40 and output to the raster processing unit 42. The intermediate data for one block is subjected to raster processing by the raster processing unit 42 to generate raster image data for one block. The generated raster image data for one block is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  The control data generation unit 47 generates a series of control data from the slice data obtained by the slice processing unit 45. The generated series of control data is associated with the slice image number (same as the slice surface number) and stored in the control data storage unit 48. The series of control data is read from the control data storage unit 48 and output to the post-processing device 14 when an instruction to start post-processing is received from the user.

  In the present embodiment, the information processing apparatus 10 includes the control data storage unit 48, but a storage unit that stores a series of control data may be arranged outside the information processing apparatus 10. For example, the post-processing device 14 may be provided with storage means. In this case, a series of control data generated by the information processing device 10 is stored in the storage unit of the post-processing device 14 and is read from the storage unit of the post-processing device 14 and used.

  Further, for example, the storage means for storing a series of control data may be a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. In this case, a series of control data generated by the information processing apparatus 10 is stored in a computer-readable portable recording medium. The stored series of control data is read from a computer-readable portable recording medium and used by a data reading mechanism such as a drive provided in the information processing apparatus 10 or the post-processing apparatus 14.

(Division form of a series of slice image data)
Next, a division form of a series of slice image data will be described.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a division form of slice image data. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a division form of the image forming process. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the series of slice image data is arranged so that the order in which the slice images are formed is the order in which the post-processing for 3D modeling is slow.

  In the illustrated example, the series of slice image data is T slice image data from No. 1 to No. T. T slice images from No. 1 to T are formed in descending order from No. T. A plurality of recording media on which a series of slice images are formed are post-processed for 3D modeling in ascending order from the first in the post-processing step, and are stacked in ascending order from the recording medium on which the first slice image is formed. Is done.

  The T slice image data is divided into N blocks from the first to the Nth. The kth block is referred to as “block k”. FIG. 9 shows three (N = 3) blocks, where “N” is an integer of 2 or more. In the illustrated example, m slice image data from 1 to m belong to the block 1. In block 2, n slice image data from (m + 1) to (m + n) belong. In the block N, p slice image data from (m + n + 1) to (m + n + p = T) belong. A slice image is formed for each block in ascending order from block 1 to block N.

  Each of the m slice image data of the block 1 has page description information such as “image forming mode: color” and “imposition: none”. Similarly, each of the n slice image data of the block 2 and each of the p slice image data of the block 3 has page description information such as “image forming mode: color” and “imposition: none”. ing.

As shown in FIG. 10, if the image is not divided into N blocks, the image forming process based on the T slice image data is handled as one image forming process 80 that is collectively performed by one image forming apparatus. . In the present embodiment, by dividing T slice image data into N blocks, the image forming process based on the T slice image data is handled as _N partial image forming processes 80 ₁ to 80 _N. It is. Each of the N partial image forming processes 80 ₁ to 80 _N may be sequentially performed by one image forming apparatus or may be performed in parallel by a plurality of image forming apparatuses.

  A plurality of blocks are managed in association with each other by identification information given to each block. For example, a file name when storing slice image data for each block may be used as identification information of each block. As shown in FIG. 10, the file names “XX-1” and “XX-2” of each block are appended with a number indicating the image formation order of each block to the file name “XX” of the entire series of slice image data. It is a thing. The slice image data of the corresponding block is read from each file, and the partial image forming process is performed.

  At the end of the partial image forming process 82, for example, a recording medium for displaying the identification information of the corresponding block such as a banner sheet may be inserted. By inserting a recording medium for displaying block identification information, the division between the plurality of partial image forming processes 82 is clarified, and the identification information of the block subjected to image formation is displayed to the user.

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, T pieces of slice image data are divided into N pieces of a block 1 (m pieces), a block 2 (n pieces), and a block N (p pieces). The numbers in parentheses indicate the number of slice image data belonging to each block. The number of slice image data belonging to each block may be the same or different for each block. The number of slice image data is equal to the number of recording media on which the slice image is formed. The number of slice image data belonging to each block may be a predetermined number such as, for example, the number of sheets stored in the storage mechanism.

Further, the number of slice image data belonging to each block may be determined according to the shape of the three-dimensional model M. FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating another example of the division form of slice image data. Three-dimensional model M is constituted by a solid component B ₁ and the three-dimensional part B _2. The three-dimensional model M is reproduced as a three-dimensional structure P, and each three-dimensional part B is reproduced as a part of the three-dimensional structure.

In the example shown in FIG. 11 (A), the slice image data corresponding to the stereoscopic component B ₁ and block 1, the slice image data corresponding to the stereoscopic component B ₂ and block 2. By dividing the block for each solid component B, slice images are formed and post-processed for each solid component B. Note that the block may be divided where the score of the three-dimensional component B changes. The number of three-dimensional parts B can be easily grasped.

In the example shown in FIG. 11 (B), separates a page image area of the slice image solid component B ₁ is increased, the block in the page image area of the slice image solid component B ₂ is increased. A series of slice image data is divided into three blocks, block 1, block 2, and block 3. When slice image formation and post-processing are performed for each block, the bonding area of each component is widened, and bonding of the components of the three-dimensional structure is facilitated.

<Information processing program>
Next, the information processing program will be described.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the “information processing program” according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information processing program is stored in the ROM 30B of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing program is read from the ROM 30B and executed by the CPU 30A of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing program is executed when an image formation instruction or a three-dimensional modeling instruction is received from the user.

  In the present embodiment, the form in which the information processing program is stored in advance in the ROM 30B of the information processing apparatus 10 will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, the information processing program is provided by being stored in a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB memory, or via a network. It is good also as a form provided.

  First, in step S100, it is determined whether or not the data according to the instruction is three-dimensional data. When 3D modeling based on 3D data is instructed, the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the “three-dimensional data processing” is executed. On the other hand, if an image formation based on the two-dimensional image data is instructed, the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the “two-dimensional data processing” is executed.

  Next, in step S106, it is determined whether there is a next process. When the next image formation instruction or the next three-dimensional modeling instruction is received during the execution of the “three-dimensional data processing” or “two-dimensional data processing”, the next processing is performed, so the process returns to step S100, and step S100 To step S106 are repeated. If there is no next process in step S106, the "information processing program" routine is terminated.

<Main operations of 3D modeling system>
Next, main operations of the three-dimensional modeling system according to the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing main operations of the three-dimensional modeling system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 13, when the information processing apparatus 10 acquires three-dimensional data in step S200, the information processing apparatus 10 generates a series of slice data from the three-dimensional data in step S202.

  Next, the information processing apparatus 10 generates a series of slice image data from the series of slice data in step S204, and generates a series of control data from the series of slice data in step S206. Next, in step S208, a series of control data is stored in the storage means. Note that a series of control data may be generated and stored after a series of raster image data has been output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  Next, the information processing apparatus 10 divides the series of slice image data into a plurality of blocks in step S210, and stores each of the series of slice image data in association with the identification information in step S212. Next, in step S <b> 214, slice image data for one block is read from the storage unit, raster image data for one block is generated, and raster image data for one block is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  The image forming apparatus 12 acquires raster image data for one block in step S216, and forms a slice image on the recording medium based on each raster image data for one block in step S218. The plurality of recording media on which the slice images are formed are stacked in the order in which the slice images are formed and accumulated in a storage mechanism such as a stacker.

  Next, the image forming apparatus 12 performs error detection in step S220. The detection result is notified to the information processing apparatus 10. Disturbances in the image formed on the recording medium, double feeding of the recording medium, paper jam, stop instruction from the user, and the like are detected as defects (errors). For example, image disturbance is detected by reading an image formed on a recording medium and collating the read result with raster image data. Further, a user who finds an image disturbance may instruct to stop image formation. When a failure is detected, the image forming apparatus 12 notifies the occurrence of the failure. On the other hand, if no defect is detected, the normal end of image formation is notified.

  Next, in step S222, the information processing apparatus 10 performs error recovery according to the detection result notified from the image forming apparatus 12. When the occurrence of a defect is notified from the image forming apparatus 12, the information processing apparatus 10 reads out the slice image data of the block in which the defect has occurred from the storage unit, generates raster image data again, and rasters for one block The image data is output again to the image forming apparatus 12.

  On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 12 is notified of the normal end of image formation, the information processing apparatus 10 reads the slice image data of the next block from the storage unit, generates raster image data of the next block, One block of raster image data is output to the image forming apparatus 12. The procedure from step S214 to step S222 is repeated until a series of slice images is formed, and slice images are sequentially formed for each block.

  Next, when the information processing apparatus 10 receives a post-processing start instruction from the user in step S224, the information processing apparatus 10 reads a series of control data from the storage unit in step S226, and in step S228, the series of control data is sent to the post-processing apparatus 14. Output.

  The post-processing device 14 acquires a series of control data in step S230, and performs post-processing on each of the plurality of recording media on which the series of slice images are formed in step S232.

(Image data output processing)
Here, the “image data output process” corresponding to steps S214 and S222 in FIG. 13 will be described in detail. The “image data output process” is executed as a function of the image data output unit 64 (see FIG. 8) of the information processing apparatus 10. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of “image data output processing” according to the first embodiment. A program for executing the “image data output process” is stored in the ROM 30B of the information processing apparatus 10, and is read and executed by the CPU 30A of the information processing apparatus 10.

  First, in step S300, the slice image data of the kth block k out of all N blocks is read. Starting from k = 1. Next, in step S302, the slice image data of block k is rasterized to generate raster image data of block k. In step S304, the raster image data of block k is output to the image forming apparatus 12. In the image forming apparatus 12, a slice image is formed based on the raster image data of the block k. Further, error detection is performed, and the detection result is notified to the information processing apparatus 10.

  Next, in step S306, it is determined whether or not a failure has been notified from the image forming apparatus. When the occurrence of a defect is notified from the image forming apparatus 12, the process returns to step S300, the slice image data of the block k in which the defect has occurred is read again, and raster image data of the block k is generated again in step S302. In step S304, the raster image data of block k is output again to the image forming apparatus 12.

  On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 12 notifies the normal end of image formation, the process proceeds to the next step S308. In step S308, raster image data of a page displaying the identification information of block k is generated and output. In the image forming apparatus 12, for example, a recording medium displaying the identification information of the block k is inserted in a banner sheet form after the recording medium on which the slice image of the block k is formed.

  Next, in step S310, it is determined whether all N blocks have been read. If all N blocks have been read, the routine ends. On the other hand, if all N blocks have not been read, the process proceeds to step S312, and k is increased by 1 in step S312, and the process returns to step S300.

  For example, when the normal end of image formation is notified after the output of the raster image data of block 1, the slice image data of the next block 2 is read out in step S300, and raster image data is generated in step S302. In step S304, the raster image data is output to the image forming apparatus 12. In this way, the same procedure is repeated until the normal end of image formation is notified for the Nth block, and slice images are sequentially formed for each block.

  In the three-dimensional modeling of the sheet lamination type, the number of recording media to be stacked is, for example, 1000 even when a 10 cm square cube is three-dimensionally modeled using a recording medium having a thickness of 0.1 mm. It reaches. In the present embodiment, a series of slice images are formed on a recording medium for each block. When a problem occurs in the image forming process, the slice image is formed again only for the block where the problem has occurred. Therefore, the number of recording media consumed is suppressed as compared with the case where a series of slice images are completely formed again. In addition, after the post-processing process is performed, no defects in the image forming process are found.

  In the present embodiment, post-processing is started after slice images are formed for all blocks, that is, after a series of slice images are formed. Since slice images are formed for each block, post-processing may be started during the formation of a series of slice images. However, starting post-processing after formation of a series of slice images is more effective for slice images and control data. Correspondence becomes easy. The case of performing slice image formation and post-processing for each block will be described in detail in a second embodiment to be described later.

  A series of slice images is formed, and a bundle of a plurality of recording media stacked in the slice image formation order is set in the post-processing device 14. A recording medium on which a slice image is not formed, such as a recording medium that displays block identification information, is removed before being set in the post-processing device 14. The post-processing device 14 performs post-processing by taking out the recording media one by one in order from the upper side in the stacking direction of the recording medium bundle. That is, each of the plurality of recording media is glued, cut out, and stacked. The plurality of stacked recording media are subjected to pressure bonding. Finally, the removal target D is removed to obtain a three-dimensional structure P (see FIG. 3B).

  In the image forming apparatus 12, for example, high-speed processing of several hundred pages per minute is realized. On the other hand, in the post-processing apparatus 14, for example, the stacking speed is a very low speed process of about several millimeters per hour. Therefore, the processing speed until the three-dimensional structure is generated is limited by the processing speed of the post-processing device 14. When the control data is generated according to the processing speed of the post-processing device 14, the information processing device 10 does not perform other processing such as raster processing of 2D image data while the control data is being generated. For this reason, the processing capability of the image forming apparatus 12 also decreases.

  In the present embodiment, a series of control data is stored in the storage means and can be read out when post-processing is executed. Thereby, the process of forming a slice image on the recording medium by the image forming apparatus 12 and the process of performing the post-processing for three-dimensional modeling on the recording medium by the post-processing apparatus 14 are separated. Compared with the case where a series of control data is used without being stored in the storage means, the processing capability of each device is improved.

  The information processing apparatus 10 generates control data regardless of the post-processing process performed by the post-processing apparatus 14. The image forming apparatus 12 forms a slice image on the recording medium regardless of the post-processing process performed by the post-processing apparatus 14. Further, the image forming apparatus 12 may perform another image forming process without waiting for the post-processing process of the recording medium on which the slice image is formed. That is, the image forming apparatus 12 is not an apparatus dedicated to three-dimensional modeling, but is used as a normal image forming apparatus that also performs image formation based on two-dimensional image data. Further, the post-processing device 14 also performs post-processing regardless of the slice image forming process performed by the image forming device 12.

(Modification 1)
In the above embodiment, error detection and error recovery are performed for each block. However, error detection and error recovery may be performed after slice images are formed for all N blocks. In the sequence shown in FIG. 13, the procedure from step S214 to step S218 is repeated until a series of slice images are formed, and slice images are sequentially formed for each block. The image forming apparatus 12 performs error detection in step S220 after a series of slice images is formed. The information processing apparatus 10 performs error recovery in step S222.

  Here, the “image data output process” corresponding to steps S214 and S222 in FIG. 13 will be described in detail. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of “image data output processing” according to the modification of the first embodiment.

  First, in step S320, the slice image data of the kth block k out of all N blocks is read. Starting from k = 1. Next, in step S322, the slice image data of block k is rasterized to generate raster image data of block k. Next, in step S324, raster image data of block k is output. In the image forming apparatus 12, a slice image is formed based on the raster image data.

  Next, in step S326, raster image data of a page displaying the identification information of the block k is generated and output. In the image forming apparatus 12, for example, a recording medium displaying the identification information of the block k is inserted in a banner sheet form after the recording medium on which the slice image of the block k is formed.

  Next, in step S328, it is determined whether all N blocks have been read. If all N blocks have been read, the process proceeds to step S330. On the other hand, if all N blocks have not been read, k is incremented by 1 in step S338, and the process returns to step S320. Thus, the same procedure is repeated until slice images are formed for the Nth block, and slice images are sequentially formed for each block.

  The image forming apparatus 12 detects an error after a series of slice images is formed, and notifies the information processing apparatus 10 of the detection result. When a failure is detected, the image forming apparatus 12 notifies the occurrence of the failure. When notifying the occurrence of a failure, the identification information of the block where the failure has occurred is also notified. On the other hand, if no defect is detected, the normal end of image formation is notified.

  Next, in step S330, it is determined whether or not the occurrence of a problem is notified from the image forming apparatus 12. When the occurrence of a defect is notified from the image forming apparatus 12, in the next step S332, identification information of the block in which the defect has occurred is acquired. In the next step S334, the slice image data of the block related to the identification information is read, raster image data is generated from the slice image data, and the raster image data is output. That is, the slice image data of the defective block is read again, raster image data is generated again, and raster image data for one block is output to the image forming apparatus 12 again.

  Finally, in step S336, raster image data of a page displaying the identification information of the defective block is generated and output, and the routine ends. If there are a plurality of blocks in which a defect has occurred, raster image data is generated and output for each block.

(Modification 2)
In the above embodiment, the example in which a plurality of partial image forming processes are sequentially executed by one image forming apparatus 12 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plurality of partial image forming processes may be performed at different times instead of sequentially, or may be performed by changing the order. A plurality of partial image forming processes may be executed by a plurality of image forming apparatuses. A bundle of a plurality of recording media stacked in the order of slice image formation is obtained for each block. A plurality of recording medium bundles obtained for each block are arranged in the order of formation of a series of slice images based on the block identification information. A plurality of recording medium bundles arranged in the order of formation of a series of slice images are collectively set in the post-processing device 14.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, slice images are formed for each block, and post-processing is performed after a series of slice images are formed. In the second embodiment, slice image formation and post-processing is performed for each block. And do.

(Functional configuration of information processing device)
Next, the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Since the configuration is the same as the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 8 except that the configuration of the blocking unit 49 is different, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The blocking unit 49 includes an image data dividing unit 60, an image data storage unit 62, an image data output unit 64, a control data division unit 66, a control data storage unit 68, and a control data output unit 70.

  The image data dividing unit 60 divides a series of slice image data obtained by the image data generating unit 46 into a plurality of blocks. The image data storage unit 62 assigns identification information to each of the plurality of blocks, and stores each of the series of slice image data in association with the identification information of the block to which each belongs. The image data output unit 64 reads out a series of slice image data from the image data storage unit 62 for each block, and outputs it for each block.

  The slice image data for one block is output to the raster processing unit 42. The raster processing unit 42 performs raster processing on the slice image data for one block obtained from the image data output unit 64 to generate raster image data for one block. The generated raster image data for one block is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  When performing error recovery, which will be described later, the image data output unit 64 reads again the slice image data belonging to the block in which the problem has occurred from the image data storage unit 62 and outputs it again to the raster processing unit 42. The generated raster image data for one block is output again to the image forming apparatus 12.

  Each of the series of control data corresponds to each of the series of slice image data. The control data dividing unit 66 divides the series of control data obtained by the control data generation unit 47 into a plurality of blocks, like the corresponding series of slice image data. The control data storage unit 68 stores a series of control data for each block. Each of the series of control data is stored in association with the identification information of the block to which the corresponding slice image data belongs.

  When raster image data for one block is output from the image data output unit 64, the control data output unit 70 reads control data associated with the same block from the control data storage unit 68, and outputs control data for one block. Is output to the post-processing device 14.

  The image data division unit 60 and the control data division unit 66 are examples of “division means”, and the image data storage unit 62 and the control data storage unit 68 are examples of “management means”. The image data output unit 64 and the raster processing unit 42 are examples of “image data output unit” and “re-output unit”, and the control data output unit 70 is an example of “control data output unit” and “re-output unit”. It is.

(Main operations of 3D modeling system)
Next, main operations of the 3D modeling system according to the second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram showing main operations of the three-dimensional modeling system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 17, when the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the three-dimensional data in step S400, the information processing apparatus 10 generates a series of slice data from the three-dimensional data in step S402.

  Next, in step S404, the information processing apparatus 10 generates a series of slice image data from the series of slice data, and generates a series of control data from the series of slice data in step S406.

  Next, in step S408, the information processing apparatus 10 divides the series of slice image data into a plurality of blocks, and divides the series of control data into a plurality of blocks. Since each of the series of control data corresponds to each of the series of slice image data, the series of control data is divided in the same manner as the series of slice image data.

  In step S410, each of the series of slice image data is stored in association with the block identification information. In step S412, each of the series of control data is stored in association with the block identification information.

  Next, in step S 414, slice image data for one block is read from the storage unit, raster image data for one block is generated, and raster image data for one block is output to the image forming apparatus 12.

  The image forming apparatus 12 acquires raster image data for one block in step S416, and forms a slice image on the recording medium based on each of the raster image data for one block in step S418. The plurality of recording media on which the slice images are formed are stacked in the order in which the slice images are formed and accumulated in a storage mechanism such as a stacker.

  Next, the image forming apparatus 12 performs error detection in step S420. The detection result is notified to the information processing apparatus 10. When a defect is detected, the occurrence of the defect is notified. On the other hand, if no defect is detected, the normal end of image formation is notified.

  Next, in step S422, the information processing apparatus 10 performs error recovery according to the detection result notified from the image forming apparatus 12. When the occurrence of a defect is notified from the image forming apparatus 12, the information processing apparatus 10 reads out the slice image data of the block in which the defect has occurred from the storage unit, generates raster image data again, and rasters for one block The image data is output again to the image forming apparatus 12.

  On the other hand, when the normal end of image formation is notified from the image forming apparatus 12, the control data associated with the block notified of the normal end of image formation is read in step S424, and the control data for one block is obtained. Output to the post-processing device 14.

  The post-processing device 14 acquires control data for one block in step S426, and performs post-processing on each of the plurality of recording media on which the slice images are formed in step S428. Next, the post-processing device 14 performs error detection in step S430 and notifies the information processing device 10 of the detection result. For example, a lack of laminated parts is detected as a failure (error). When a defect is detected, the occurrence of the defect is notified. On the other hand, when no defect is detected, the normal end of post-processing is notified.

  Next, in step S432, the information processing apparatus 10 performs error recovery according to the detection result notified from the post-processing apparatus 14. When the post-processing device 14 is notified of the occurrence of a failure, the information processing device 10 reads out the slice image data of the block in which the failure has occurred from the storage means, generates raster image data again, and rasters for one block The image data is output again to the image forming apparatus 12.

  On the other hand, if the post-processing device 14 is notified of the normal end of the post-processing, the process returns to step S414 to read out the slice image data of the next block from the storage unit and generate the raster image data of the next block, One block of raster image data is output to the image forming apparatus 12. Until the post-processing is normally completed for the last block, the procedure from step S414 to step S432 is repeated, and slice image formation and post-processing are sequentially performed for each block.

(Data output processing)
Here, the “data output process” corresponding to step S414, step S422, step S424, and step S432 in FIG. 17 will be described in detail. The “data output process” is executed as a function of the image data output unit 64 and the control data output unit 70 (see FIG. 16) of the information processing apparatus 10. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of “data output processing” according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A program for executing the “data output process” is stored in the ROM 30B of the information processing apparatus 10, and is read and executed by the CPU 30A of the information processing apparatus 10.

  First, in step S500, the slice image data of the kth block k among the N blocks in total is read. Starting from k = 1. Next, in step S502, the slice image data of block k is raster-processed to generate raster image data of block k. In step S504, the raster image data of block k is output to the image forming apparatus 12. In the image forming apparatus 12, a slice image is formed based on the raster image data. Further, error detection is performed, and the detection result is notified to the information processing apparatus 10.

  Next, in step S506, it is determined whether or not a failure has been notified from the image forming apparatus. When the occurrence of a defect is notified from the image forming apparatus 12, the process returns to step S500, the slice image data of block k is read again, the raster image data of block k is generated again in step S502, and the block is processed in step S504. The raster image data of k is output again.

  On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 12 notifies the normal end of image formation, the process proceeds to the next step S508. In step S508, the control data of block k is read, and in step S510, the control data of block k is output to the post-processing device 14. The post-processing device 14 performs post-processing on the recording medium on which the slice image is formed based on the control data. Further, error detection is performed during post-processing, and the detection result is notified to the information processing apparatus 10.

  Next, in step S512, it is determined whether or not a failure has been notified from the post-processing device. If the post-processing device 14 is notified of the occurrence of a problem, the process returns to step S500 and starts again from the image forming process. That is, the slice image data of the block k in which the problem has occurred is read again, the raster image data of the block k is generated again, and the raster image data of the block k is output to the image forming apparatus 12 again.

  On the other hand, when the post-processing device 14 notifies the normal end of the post-processing, the process proceeds to the next step S514. In step S514, it is determined whether all N blocks have been read. If all N blocks have been read, the routine ends. On the other hand, if all N blocks have not been read, the process proceeds to step S516, k is incremented by 1 in step S516, and the process returns to step S500. In this way, the same procedure is repeated until the normal end of post-processing is notified for the Nth block, and slice image formation and post-processing are sequentially performed for each block.

  The plurality of recording media on which the slice images are formed are stacked in the order in which the slice images are formed, and are stored in a storage mechanism such as a stacker. A bundle of a plurality of recording media on which slice images for one block are formed is held by the image forming apparatus 12 until error detection is completed. As a result of the error detection, when image formation is normally completed, a bundle of a plurality of recording media is set in the post-processing device 14. On the other hand, when a problem occurs, a bundle of a plurality of recording media is discarded.

  In the present embodiment, the formation of the slice image on the recording medium and the post-processing on the recording medium on which the slice image is formed are performed for each block. When a problem occurs in the image forming process or the post-processing process, the process is repeated only for the block in which the problem has occurred. Therefore, the number of recording media consumed can be suppressed compared to the case where a series of slice images are formed and post-processed all over again.

  In this embodiment, error detection and error recovery are performed in both the image forming process and the post-processing process. If the image forming process is normally completed and the process proceeds to the post-processing process, and a defect occurs in the post-processing process, the process starts again from the image forming process. That is, when a defect occurs in the post-processing process, a bundle of a plurality of recording media on which slice images are formed is lost, but a bundle of a plurality of recording media is acquired again by error recovery.

  In the present embodiment, post-processing is started during the formation of a series of slice images, and the image forming step and the post-processing step are not separated. However, since a part of a three-dimensional structure is obtained for each block, the partial image forming process and the post-processing may be separated for each block. For example, the partial image formation processing and post-processing for each block may be performed at different times instead of sequentially, or may be performed by changing the order. Further, the partial image forming process and post-processing for each block may be performed using a plurality of sets of image forming apparatuses and post-processing apparatuses.

(Modification)
In the second embodiment, a part of a three-dimensional structure (hereinafter referred to as “modeling part P _n ”) is generated for each block. Each modeling part P of the three-dimensional structure is generated in a state where it is not bonded. The bonding of each modeling part P of the three-dimensional modeled object may be performed by the user. Therefore, in the modification, the alignment mark PM is added to the side surface of each modeling component P so that the modeling components _Pn are bonded to each other at a correct position.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are schematic views showing a modification of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19 (A), the shaped part P ₁ which constitutes a part of the 3D object P and shaped part P ₂ is generated. A band-shaped alignment mark PM is added to each side of the modeling part P ₁ and the modeling part P ₂ so as to straddle each modeling part.

The alignment mark PM _1F added to the modeling component P ₁ is aligned with the alignment mark PM _2F added to the modeling component P ₂ . Shaped positioning mark _{PM 1R} added to part _{P 2} is combined with shaped part _{P 2} in the appended alignment mark _{PM 2R.} By aligning with two different points, the shaped part P ₁ and the shaped part P ₂ is bonded in the correct position.

  The number and form of the alignment marks PM are not limited to those illustrated. There may be one alignment mark PM. In this case, alignment is performed at one place. Further, the alignment mark PM is only required to be added to the end portion to be bonded, and does not need to be added in the stacking direction.

As shown in FIG. 19 (B), the alignment mark PM of the image, when dividing a series of slice image data are synthesized in a part of the slice image M _2. In this example, a portion of the shaped part colored area of the recording medium 50 on the slice image M ₂ constituting the P ₂ is replaced with the alignment mark PM _2F and alignment mark PM _2R. These alignment mark PM _2F and alignment mark PM _2R form the appearance of the shaped part P ₂ .

Further, when the partial image forming process and the post-processing are performed by changing the order of the blocks, the plurality of shaped parts _Pn are not obtained in the order of the blocks. Even in this case, the plurality of modeling parts _Pn are combined by the alignment mark PM, and the three-dimensional modeled object P as a finished product is assembled.

  Note that the configurations of the information processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus, and the program described in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it goes without saying that they may be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the image forming apparatus detects a defect that has occurred in the image forming apparatus such as the slice image disturbance has been described. However, the image forming apparatus performs the inspection of the slice image in the post-processing apparatus. You may detect the malfunction which occurred in.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information processing apparatus 12 Image forming apparatus 14 3D modeling post-processing apparatus (post-processing apparatus)
16 accommodating mechanism 18 communication line 20 gluing unit 22 cutting unit 24 crimping unit 26 conveying path 30 information processing unit 31 external device 32 operation unit 34 display unit 36 communication unit 38 storage unit 40 file format conversion unit 42 raster processing unit 44 three-dimensional data Processing unit 45 Slice processing unit 46 Image data generation unit 47 Control data generation unit 48 Control data storage unit 49 Blocking unit 50 Recording medium 52 Laminated part 53 Unnecessary part 54 Cut line 56 Colored area 58 Gluing area 60 Image data division part 62 Image Data storage unit 64 Image data output unit 66 Control data division unit 68 Control data storage unit 70 Control data output unit 80 Image formation process 82 Partial image formation process B Solid part D Removal target M Solid model M _n slice image P Three-dimensional structure _Pn modeling part PM alignment mark

Claims (8)

Generating means for generating a series of slice image data representing a series of slice images from a plurality of slice data obtained by slicing three-dimensional data;
Dividing means for dividing the series of slice image data into a plurality of blocks;
Management means for managing the plurality of blocks in association with each other;
Image data output means for generating image formation information for forming a slice image on a recording medium by the image forming apparatus from the slice image data for each block, and outputting the generated image formation information to the image forming apparatus; ,
An information processing apparatus comprising:   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a re-output unit that re-generates image formation information from slice image data belonging to a block in which a problem has occurred in an image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus, and re-outputs the image formation information to the image forming apparatus. Information processing device.   The management unit associates each of the plurality of blocks with each other by adding identification information indicating that each of the plurality of blocks is part of a series of slice image data and identifying each of the blocks. The information processing apparatus described.   4. The series of slice image data according to claim 1, wherein the sequence of slice image data is arranged so that the order in which slice images are formed is in the order in which post-processing for three-dimensional modeling is slow. Information processing device. The generation unit is configured to perform a series of post-processing for three-dimensional modeling on the recording medium on which the series of slice images is formed by a post-processing apparatus together with the series of slice image data from the plurality of slice data. Control data and generate
The dividing unit divides each of the series of slice image data and the series of control data into a plurality of blocks,
Control data output means for outputting control data belonging to the block output by the image data output means to the post-processing device,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The re-output unit re-generates image formation information from the slice image data belonging to the block in which the malfunction occurred in the image forming process by the image forming apparatus and the block in which the malfunction occurred in the post-processing process by the post-processing apparatus. Re-output to the image forming apparatus,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 5. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium in accordance with image forming information;
A post-processing device for 3D modeling that performs post-processing for 3D modeling based on control data corresponding to the formed slice image for the recording medium on which the slice image is formed,
3D modeling system with   The program for functioning a computer as each means of the information processing apparatus of any one of Claim 1- Claim 6.