Patent ID: 6936212

Claim:
A method of forming a three-dimensional object by selective deposition modeling from a solidifiable build material, the three-dimensional object having an outer surface defined by a shell structure of a desired dimensional configuration surrounding an internal volume of the object, the method comprising the steps of: selectively dispensing the build material from at least one orifice in a flowable state to form layers of the object comprising the shell structure and an internal lattice structure formed in the areas of the layers that reside within the internal volume of the object, the internal lattice structure formed by dispensing the build material along a plurality of continuous segments that attach across the shell structure of the layer being formed for maintaining the desired dimensional configuration of the shell structure as it is formed; and solidifying the dispensed material to a non-flowable state, the internal lattice structure substantially preventing the shell structure from non-uniformly deforming as the build material solidifies and shrinks.