Abstract: In a method and apparatus for forming a resin article by forming a film of photosetting resin liquid on a surface of a workpiece, the workpiece is held in a direction to keep its axis approximately in a horizontal posture. The workpiece is rotated about the axis to thereby form the film of the resin liquid on the surface of the workpiece. The laser beam supplied from above the workpiece is emitted toward the film. At least one of the workpiece and the laser beam is relatively moved continuously or intermittently along the axis.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object-forming method for forming an object of a three-dimensional shape with photosetting resin, includes the following steps. The desired three-dimensional shape is represented by a set of data related to sectional shapes of the three-dimensional shape cut at predetermined intervals distance of. The laser light is scanned, from above a tank containing liquid of photosetting resin not yet hardened, outward around a predetermined point of each sectional shape in a manner to trace similar figures to an arbitrary shape, to thereby to set a surface of a resin layer in a shape corresponding to one sectional shape. The set resin layer is sunk into the liquid of the photosetting resin not yet hardened by a distance of a cross section. A plurality of the set resin layers of the photosetting resin is laminated by repeating the scanning and sinking steps on the basis of the set of data.