Sharnia King Design: September 2012

Iterations

This is the original form that I begun with. I created this in 3DS Max using a cylinder to form the base and tubes to form the rest. I decided to use tubes because they are hollow, but I made sure that the thickness of these tubes are thick enough to be printed safely in 3D.

With these iterations for model #1, I created a simple form in 3ds Max using a cylinder for the base and many tubes for the individual pieces. I then applied modifiers to create iterations of the forms. I mainly use the bend, skew, taper and twist effects to produce the forms I currently have.

And then I realised that some of the pieces were going to be too thin and not worth the risk incase breaking were to happen. This is down to my bad maths. So i modified the form that I was the happiest with and am going to use this one for further development.

#7

I have created the first basic model that I will use to iterate more forms until I am happy with the result.

I have taken a render of the front and top of the model I created. As the model is basically symmetrical these views are all that is needed to see the full extent of the model.

Applying Materials:

Leaf:
The leaf image that I used shows the veins well, but the colour of the green is bright and overwhelming. This results in the colour dominating rather than the actual form.

Greenstone:
The greenstone is better than the previously used leaf, but the design doesn't make the most of the form.

Stone:
The stone is good for showing aspects of the model off. However the pattern of the stone could be used better.

I will continue to use this stone material temporarily while creating models and iterations.

I am struggling to understand how to go about creating this model. I just couldn't fathom how to do it, no matter how I tried. Also I had many ideas that I really wanted to work with, overwhelming me with what I wanted.

I am going to begin working with a simpler idea for now, that still relates to my previous ideas, precedents and sketches. I will then transform this with iterations until I am happy with the final form for this model.

This is a form of the simpler model:

I learned how to make new objects through calling a function with the keyPressed method. I made it so that the new objects would be made where the position of the mouse is.

Pseudocode

Initial Screen()

{

No movement.

Objects already on page.

}

Mouse Drag()
{
Mouse is dragged passed object.
Object rotates.
Object moves away from mouse.
Rest of objects move also.
}

Mouse Click()
{
Mouse click on object.
Specified object moves, "jumps", a certain amount.
If two or more objects collide, explosion of those objects occurs.
}

Key Press()
{
When a key is pressed, a new object is made.
}

What I want to achieve with this project.

What I want to achieve is to create an interaction, not a controlling experience. To do this, the user must interact and learn how to use the interaction. The idea I have thought up and am working towards investigates interaction through the use of a "mouse toy". By using appropriate design choices and methods, this interaction should be able to keep the users attention and keep them interested.

There are many interactions out there that I have researched and experienced, that are able to hold the users attention. I also want to hold the users attention and keep them interested. Control is not interesting, but with interaction there is a conversation occurring between the user's input and the computer's response. It is this conversation that allows for interaction.

By the end of the project I want to have created a fully functional interaction that is able to hold the user's attention even once they have learned how to use the interaction. It is these interactions which are the best and make the user want to keep interacting. This is my goal.

Arrays:

Arrays allow the storage of more than one value in a variable, whilst retaining a single reference.

An array is the equivalent of a box divided into partitions, each containing a single piece of data.

A array is a simple mechanism for storing and working with a set of related data.

Use an array when needing to store multiple values of the same data type.

Arrays can be one-dimensional or two-dimensional.

Our introduction to arrays:

This interaction was based on storing independent information about each object into an array, retaining the single reference. It involved the mouseX, mouseY and mousePressed features to define the information about the new object in the array slot. The mouseX and mouseY stored the starting x and y positions of the object. mousePressed created new objects according to where mouseX and mouseY were positioned. There are no limits to the length of this array, therefore an infinite amount of objects can be created, whilst retaining the single reference.

Today we learned how to use aspect of mouse control. We did different things to see how mouse control features work and created some code to make applications that you can control. In some ways, this was also a lesson on control and how the control of objects through the use of mouse, can be coded.

The first attempt at mouse control was through the use of the mousePressed method. With this piece of code an if statement was created and actions commenced if the Boolean expression of the mousePressed method was equal to true. Therefore is mousePressed was not equal to true (false), then no actions occured. The statements written if mousePressed equals true resulted in the movement of the rectangle by a specfied number.

The next processing application written was one based on the movement of the mouse. According to tutor's we used the most classic example that shows interaction, and I found it pretty interactive myself. We created a line that was meant to act as if it was dragging an ellipse, with the length of the line differing and affecting the speed and distance the ellipse must travel. The x and y positions are base on the x and y positions of the mouse. When the mouse moves in the x and y positions, the objects will move accordingly.

Detailed sketches using motifs and patterns.

Possible materials that I could use on my model.

One: Greenstone
This greenstone has a nice growing gradient of colour from dark to light. Combining with lighting techniques, this could transform a static model into a living, growing organism of sorts.

Two: Bark
The ridges in this bark provide a nice texture of a living organism with the dips and rises.

Three: Leaf
The veins of the leaf are really intriguing, as it is the veins that support the life of a leaf.

Four: Rock
This material is very cold and static, but it will be good to try and see how it turns out.

"Patterns are everywhere..." according to the brief.

It has been my challenge to find a minimum of 6 precedent images that I want to use to create a 3D printed model. These precedent images are meant to be used as inspiration and to create a visual theme while investigating an aspect of pattern.

One:

I really like the pattern on this peacock feather. This image captures what I really want to create, growth of a pattern creating new form. The pattern of the structure works well, but the way the colours grow create a new form out of the same pattern. Due to the slight changes in the DNA of a peacock, new forms are made visually, producing the peacock spot.

Two:

I like the shape of this vine as it develops itself. It is very fluid despite the hard stone. As the direction of this vine moves from the right towards the left, the vine actually becomes wider as it "grows". This indicates that the vine is growing from a point on the right, and changes inch by inch.

Three:

With growth there must be a starting point. This is the literal starting point of a plant. Also an anchor point, weighing down the plant to a specific place in the world. The roots of a plant are not only a starting point of growth, roots also grow themselves in size and length as a plant ages.

Four:

The pattern in this is intriguing as the straight lines are a channel for growth and fabrication to occur at the top of the column. By looking at the bottom and working upwards, there is a rhythmic movement of symmetry, and a satisfying feeling towards the ancient art.

Five:

This is 3D printing and I really like the way the left side of the model twists together. I can't quite decide if that is the end product of growth, or if it is the starting point from which the form unravels, producing a model.

Six:

On the left lamp, I like the structure it has and the sharp points facing upwards. This would complement the column structure in a model, leading towards growth. There is a system involved with this model in relation to growth. The sharp points grow upwards towards the sun, if it were a living organism. However, the model itself is the light source, representing the sun.

I want to use a combination of these precedent image to create a 3D printed form which investigates how changing a pattern or adding to a pattern can create new forms, but still have a visible connection to the pattern.

I have found inspiration for 3D printing while researching the possibilities and limits 3D printing has at the current stage.

3D printing really is limitless as it has so many opportunities and possibilities that we weren't able to comprehend a few decades ago. Many things in everyday life are made through 3D printing, as it is a cheap way of producing objects and models.

"Patterns are everywhere..."

And that is how I am going to create a form that encompasses growth. The pattern of growth can produce new and interesting forms that have a repetitive aspect, all the whilst still growing.

To build a form, I need to consider an aspect of "pattern" that I want to investigate and work with.

Pattern:

1 - An arrangement of repeated or corresponding parts, decorative motifs etc.

2 - A decorative deisgn

3 - A style

4 - A plan or diagram used as a guide in making something

5 - A standard way of moving, acting

6 - A model worthy of imitation

7 - A representative sample

So, what aspect of pattern do I want to investigate?

I want to look at how a pattern can be repeated with slight changes to show growth, creating new patterns and aspects of forms.

How?

To be answered...

Order and Chaos:

The Hand:

Jellyfish:

This is my main image. I feel this image best supports my three words, storm, shatter and violent.

The curved pieces help support the word storm as pieces become entangled in each other, creating a tangled mess of sharp curves. To portray the violence from my digital model I created many jagged edges on all of the acrylic pieces. This view, mixed with the red and black paint, creates a distinction between storm and shatter and the harshness of violence. I have used a stand to show how destructive my model is based on the words I chose at the beginning of the year. As all three words are a form of destruction, displaying my model on a stand meant that I could incorporate the potential destruction has and its reality. This was enhanced by the angle which I photographed my model because the destruction of the stand can be seen, as well as the potential of the jagged edges, wire and curved mess of acrylic.

Final:

Supporting #1:

Supporting #2:

Final render:

I have added lighting to my final render while it is against the black background. This makes certain areas of the model such as the jagged edges stand out. This reiterates my idea of destruction. The lighting also causes shadows to be made that occur on the softer edges, again increasing the effect of violence and destruction. I applied a material to my model to link the colours of my digital and physical models. I chose wood as a material and applied this to my model, as I created an acrylic physical model with a wooden stand. The colour of the wood has reddish tones in it which enhances the connection between the jagged edges which I painted a mixture of black and red.

Pushing render further:

I decided to push my digital render even further by adding a background. I had earlier tested out backgrounds and the most effective one is the one featured above, but in brighter hues. My digital model became lost in the background because of the material applied, so I therefore decided to edit the photo with a brighter hue. This made the model stand out more than before, but the model itself is not as effective as it is with a black background.

I have made a contact sheet of the images I have taken of my model.

I have drawn some shapes that I am considering using in the design of my interaction. They all involve lines and ellipses, because I feel they will show the rotation of the object the best. I will also involve colour after researching possible colour pallets, to determine colours that will work well together and won't overdo the interaction.

The shapes that I really like are #2, #5, #8.

#2 - The center ellipse acts as an anchor point for the object, giving it a grounded point. This will show the rotation nicely, and will also give the object gravity as it moves around the page.

#5 - This one is similar to the previous one, but the center point doesn't have that heavy anchor to it, reducing the grounding effect. Having more pieces off the center point will show nice colour change while rotating.

#8 - This shape would look aesthetically pleasing while rotating due to the arc shapes. However, the center point whilst remaining anchored creates a busy atmosphere and overdoing the shape of the object.

After looking at the components of the shapes I have considered, I will use #2, because the anchor point of the central ellipse will help create a smooth and anchored rotate of the object.

I have attached my physical model to the stand by drilling very small holes into the wood and inserting the wire through. This means that the model is secure and I can position it how I want to. (protective covering is still on)

Lighting for digital model.

One:

Two:

Three:

The lighting used in the third image is effective because it casts light on the sharp/jagged edges and pieces high lighting their importance. Whereas shadows are cast onto softer areas, making the high lighter areas stand out. This is important for my narrative to highlight the potential destruction that can be caused.

Sharnia King Design

About

Labels

Blog Archive