Downloadable three-dimensional models

Abstract

A server is configured to store a number of different models of an object in machine-ready form corresponding to a number of different three-dimensional printers having differing capabilities and/or hardware configurations. When a user at a client device or a printer requests the object, the server automatically determines a printer type and selects a suitable, corresponding machine-ready model for immediate fabrication by the printer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product comprising computer-executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
 storing a plurality of machine-ready models of an object, each one of the plurality of machine-ready models adapted for one of a number of types of three-dimensional printers each having a predetermined configuration; and   receiving a request from a client for the object through a data network;   identifying a three-dimensional printer associated with the client;   selecting one of the machine-ready models corresponding to the three-dimensional printer associated with the client; and   transmitting the one of the machine-ready models to the client through the data network.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the request from the client includes a single action from the client in a web page served by a web server to the client. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 2  further comprising code that performs the step of receiving the one of the machine-ready models at the client and transmitting the one of the machine-ready models from the client to the three-dimensional printer for fabrication. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 2  wherein the client is configured to automatically store the machine-ready model on a removable memory device locally coupled to the client. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 2  wherein the single action is a single mouse click from the client. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the machine-ready models include g-code for fabricating the object. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the client is the three-dimensional printer. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the client is a computing device coupled in a communicating relationship with the three-dimensional printer. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising code that performs the steps of:
 receiving a digital model of the object through the data network; and 
 creating the plurality of machine-ready models based upon the digital model. 
 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising code that performs the step of storing a second plurality of machine-ready models for each of a plurality of objects. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10  further comprising code that performs the step of providing a user interface through the data network for the client to browse the plurality of objects and select one of the plurality of objects for fabrication. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising code that performs the step of verifying a printability of each one of the machine-ready models on a corresponding one of the types of three-dimensional printers. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising code that performs the step of storing metadata for the object. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the metadata includes one or more of a computer rendering of the object, a photograph of the object, an author comment for the object, a number of downloads for the object, a category tag for the object, and a popularity rating for the object. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14  wherein the metadata includes the number of downloads for the object, wherein the number of downloads includes a number of downloads for each one of the machine-ready models for the object. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising code that performs the step of modifying a selected one of the machine-ready models according to specific configuration information for the three-dimensional printer associated with the client. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising code that performs the steps of:
 automatically determining when a request to fabricate a selected one of the machine-ready models should be redirected to a second three-dimensional printer; and 
 performing a second selection of one of the machine-ready models corresponding to the second three-dimensional printer. 
 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17  further comprising code that performs the step of managing a print queue for the three-dimensional printer and the second three-dimensional printer. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17  further comprising code that performs the step of managing a print queue for the client. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the types of three-dimensional printers include different printers from a single manufacturer. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the types of three-dimensional printers include printers using two or more printing technologies selected from a group including jet printing, stereolithography, fused deposition modeling, layered object manufacturing, and selective laser sintering. 
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined configuration includes one or more hardware components of the three-dimensional printer. 
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 22  wherein the one or more hardware components include one or more of a display, a heated build platform, a camera, a conveyor, and a color-mixer. 
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 1  further comprising, when two or more of the machine-ready models are suitable for the three-dimensional printer associated with the client, selecting one of the two or more machine-ready models according to a predetermined criterion and transmitting the one of the two or more machine-ready models to the client.