Inter-user messaging in a multi-user fabrication platform

Abstract

An interactive platform supports multi-user participation in a shared virtual workspace to prepare and schedule virtual print trays for printing on a three-dimensional (3D) printer or other fabrication resource. Computerized models may be automatically positioned within the print tray, manually positioned within the print tray, or some combination of these. After objects are placed in the virtual workspace users may be given identity-based control of the print tray including, e.g., identity-specific capabilities for viewing, modifying or removing objects within the print tray. The platform may also provide an interactive environment including a communications platform for sharing comments among users.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product for managing multi-user access to fabrication resources, the 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:
 receiving computerized models of physical objects from a number of users;   positioning the computerized models within a virtual print tray corresponding to a build volume of a fabrication resource;   submitting the virtual print tray to a print queue for allocation to one of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) printers;   providing an interactive environment for access to the virtual print tray by the number of users through user interfaces on user devices, the interactive environment including a communications platform for sharing comments among the number of users, wherein the number of users may interact with the computerized models positioned on the virtual print tray through the user interfaces, and wherein a user interaction with the virtual print tray is dependent on an identity of a corresponding one of the number of users;   receiving a user comment from one of the number of users in one of the user interfaces, the user comment accessible to other ones of the number of users of the virtual print tray in the interactive environment; and   transmitting the computerized models in the virtual print tray to one of the plurality of 3D printers for fabrication.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the user comment is displayed to the number of users within the virtual print tray in the interactive environment. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the user comment is spatially fixed within the virtual print tray. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the user comment is spatially fixed relative to one of the computerized models. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the user comment includes at least one of a pin or a marker designating an area within the virtual print tray. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the user comment is attached to a feature of one of the computerized models. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the user comment specifies one or more of the number of users of the virtual print tray having access to the user comment. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the communications platform supports one or more of direct messages, instant messages, group chats, and chat rooms. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the communications platform supports one or more of text messages and electronic mail. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the communications platform includes one or more of an instant messaging service, a screen sharing service, a collaborative editing platform, a message board, and a social networking platform. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the communications platform supports communications with an operator of a printer or a print facility available for printing contents of the virtual print tray. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the interactive environment provides a control for the one of the number of users to manage how the user comment is rendered for the other ones of the number of users. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the interactive environment provides a control for the one of the number of users to manage whether the user comment is rendered for the other ones of the number of users. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the interactive environment displays at least one of a user name, an organization name, a user type, or a role associated with the user comment. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 1  wherein the interactive environment includes a control for the one of the number of users to cloak the user comment from one or more of the other ones of the number of users. 
     
     
         16 . A method for inter-user messaging in a multi-user fabrication platform, the method comprising:
 receiving computerized models of physical objects from a number of users;   positioning the computerized models within a virtual print tray corresponding to a build volume of a fabrication resource;   submitting the virtual print tray to a print queue for allocation to one of a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) printers;   providing an interactive environment for access to the virtual print tray by the number of users through user interfaces on user devices, the interactive environment including a communications platform for sharing comments among the number of users, wherein the number of users may interact with the computerized models positioned on the virtual print tray through the user interfaces, and wherein a user interaction with the virtual print tray is dependent on an identity of a corresponding one of the number of users;   receiving a user comment from one of the number of users in one of the user interfaces, the user comment accessible to other ones of the number of users of the virtual print tray in the interactive environment;   transmitting the computerized models in the virtual print tray to one of the plurality of 3D printers for fabrication; and   fabricating the computerized models in the virtual print tray using the one of the plurality of 3D printers.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the user comment is spatially fixed within the virtual print tray. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the user comment is spatially fixed relative to one of the computerized models. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the user comment includes at least one of a pin or a marker designating an area within the virtual print tray. 
     
     
         20 . A system for managing multi-user access to fabrication resources, the system comprising:
 a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) printers;   a first memory storing a virtual print tray corresponding to a build volume of a fabrication resource; and   management facility coupled to the plurality of 3D printers through a data network, the management facility including one or more processors and a second memory, wherein the management facility is configured by program code stored in the one or more processors to perform the steps of:   receiving computerized models of physical objects from a number of users;   positioning the computerized models within the virtual print tray;   submitting the virtual print tray to a print queue for allocation to one of the plurality of 3D printers;   providing an interactive environment for access to the virtual print tray by the number of users through user interfaces on user devices, the interactive environment including a communications platform for sharing comments among the number of users, wherein the number of users may interact with the computerized models positioned on the virtual print tray through the user interfaces, and wherein a user interaction with the virtual print tray is dependent on an identity of a corresponding one of the number of users;   receiving a user comment from one of the number of users in one of the user interfaces, the user comment accessible to other ones of the number of users of the virtual print tray in the interactive environment; and   transmitting the computerized models in the virtual print tray to one of the plurality of 3D printers for fabrication.