A voxelization method for multi-color and multi-material 3D printing models based on slice-to-volume reconstruction

To address the limitations of traditional voxelization algorithms—specifically, their inadequate geometric accuracy and frequent omission of material properties when processing complex models—this study introduces a novel voxelization method for multi-color, multi-material 3D printing models based on layered slicing reconstruction. By performing layered slicing on 3MF models, the method extracts two-dimensional contour data embedded with explicit material attributes. Following this, an attribute-driven high-quality constrained Delaunay triangulation (CDT) algorithm is employed to accurately capture regions exhibiting material gradient transitions within each contour. To further ensure both geometric fidelity and material continuity, a dual-constraint adaptive quadtree subdivision strategy is incorporated. This strategy simultaneously considers geometric error and color deviation, enabling the construction of a multilevel voxel representation that preserves fine structural details while maintaining smooth material transitions. Experimental results demonstrate that, compared to conventional methods, the proposed algorithm excels in reconstructing surface geometric features, enhancing the precision of material property assignment, and achieving smoother gradient transitions. These improvements significantly advance the preprocessing quality and extend the applicability of multi-material 3D printing technologies.