Three-dimensional shaping method

Abstract

A three-dimensional object that maintains a satisfactory visual color quality when the object is observed at different positions or through different angles, and a three-dimensional shaping apparatus for and a three-dimensional shaping method of shaping such a three-dimensional object are provided. The three-dimensional object includes: a shaping base having a first and second outer surfaces adjacent to each other at an adjacent angle; a first colored layer formed on the first outer surface and including a transparent material colored in a first color; a second colored layer formed on the second outer surface and including a transparent material colored in a second color different from the first color; and a partition layer interposed between the side surfaces of the first colored layer and the second colored layer. The partition layer is opaque and has one of the first color, the second color, and an achromatic color.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A three-dimensional shaping method, adapted for shaping a three-dimensional object by stacking unit layers on one another using a three-dimensional shaping apparatus, the unit layers including a plurality of different shaping materials that enable color reproduction of at least a first color and a second color different from the first color,
 the three-dimensional object comprising:   a shaping base having a first outer surface and a second outer surface adjacent to each other at an adjacent angle;   a first colored layer formed on the first outer surface of the shaping base, the first colored layer including a transparent material colored in the first color; and   a second colored layer formed on the second outer surface of the shaping base, the second colored layer including a transparent material colored in the second color,   the three-dimensional shaping method comprising:   an obtaining step of obtaining color shaping data representing an original colored object including the shaping base, the first colored layer, and the second colored layer; and   a correcting step of correcting the color shaping data obtained in the obtaining step to interpose a partition layer between a side surface of the first colored layer and a side surface of the second colored layer in the original colored object, the partition layer being opaque and having an achromatic color with zero saturation or very low saturation,   wherein in the correcting step, the color shaping data is corrected so that the partition layer is formed along a region where the side surface of the first colored layer makes a surface contact with the side surface of the second colored layer,   and the partition layer is formed so that at a position where the side surface of the first colored layer makes the surface contact with the side surface of the second colored layer, a light incident from an outside of the first colored layer or the second colored layer is shielded and reflected from the partition layer to an opposite side with respect to the partition layer.   
     
     
         2 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 1 , in a step which is after the obtaining step or before the correcting step, further comprising a determining step in which a necessity or an unnecessity of disposing the partition layer is decided. 
     
     
         3 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 1 , wherein the color shaping data comprises a combination of a shape model data representing a three-dimensional frame of the three-dimensional object and a surface image data representing images on an outermost surface of the three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         4 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 2 , wherein the color shaping data comprises a combination of a shape model data representing a three-dimensional frame of the three-dimensional object and a surface image data representing images on an outermost surface of the three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         5 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 2 , wherein the adjacent angle is calculated by executing geometrical computations using a frame information contained in a shape model data in the determining step, and the partition layer is provided only where the adjacent angle has a degree less than a threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 3 , wherein the adjacent angle is calculated by executing geometrical computations using the frame information contained in a shape model data in the determining step, and the partition layer is provided only where the adjacent angle has a degree less than a threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 3 , wherein the partition layer is provided at an inner side with respect to the outermost surface of the three-dimensional object at a position where the first colored surface makes the surface contact with the second colored layer, and the partition layer is formed in a shape which extends from a place where the first outer surface of the three-dimensional object and the second outer surface of the three-dimensional object are adjacent to each other along a place where the first colored layer and the second colored layer are in contact with each other. 
     
     
         8 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 4 , wherein the partition layer is provided at an inner side with respect to the outermost surface of the three-dimensional object at a position where the first colored surface makes the surface contact with the second colored layer, and the partition layer is formed in a shape which extends from a place where the first outer surface of the three-dimensional object and the second outer surface of the three-dimensional object are adjacent to each other along a place where the first colored layer and the second colored layer are in contact with each other. 
     
     
         9 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition layer has a lower light transmittance than the first colored layer and the second colored layer. 
     
     
         10 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 2 , wherein the partition layer has a lower light transmittance than the first colored layer and the second colored layer. 
     
     
         11 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 3 , wherein the partition layer has a lower light transmittance than the first colored layer and the second colored layer. 
     
     
         12 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 5 , wherein the partition layer has a lower light transmittance than the first colored layer and the second colored layer. 
     
     
         13 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 7 , wherein the partition layer has a lower light transmittance than the first colored layer and the second colored layer.