Alec McKay: Pepakura

Concept: I was inspired by some of the other figures I've seen in the ATEC building, so I decided that I wanted to do a figure. However, to do a full figure the way I would want to would end up well over 300 polygons, so I decided to do one that is just the torso, as I have seen done in a few different Greek marble statues and other sculptural work. I also wanted my figure to have a more dynamic pose than just standing straight up and down, so I adjusted the torso after modeling it to give it more of a pose.

Technique: I modeled the torso in Maya, beginning with a cube and a few reference images of a male torso. I added more edge loops and moved points around gradually until the torso began to take shape. Initially I modeled a figure with arms, legs, and a basic, featureless head, until I decided to stop trying to lower the density of my model further and just remove those extra parts. Once that was done, I used bend and twist deformers to pose the figure. From there, I converted the model to an .obj and went about the process of unwrapping it, placing the seams in rings around the torso, and then moved the 2D images to rhino to be cut. Once I got my pieces back, I started from the top and worked my way down, since the legs were where I would have a base with a hole. I also covered all of my edges with white tape.

Materials: For the physical sculpture, I decided to go with Professor Scott's suggestion of the E-Flute cardboard, because it is a thin cardboard that is sturdy enough to hold its shape but thin enough to fold well. The bottom plane of the sculpture is cut from 2-ply cardboard, for a sturdier base. I also used a white tape to cover my edges for a more finished looking product. There are also weights placed in the legs so that his leaning pose doesn't cause him to fall over. In my KeyShot renderings, I decided to make my model out of stone, to see what it would look like as a stone statue.

One of my favorite parts of this project was the physical work of putting the pieces together. I actually tried a small scale pepakura work once before when I was in high school, with less success. The larger scale made it easier to put together. This was one of my favorite projects, and I look forward to doing more projects with the laser cutter while I'm still at school.

Will McKiernan Pepakura

For this project, I wanted to continue with the theme of wolves because I believe the embody the harmony of elegance and power found in nature. I also wanted to create something that could be replicated at a smaller scale to become something like a mask. I also wanted to challenge myself to create something in Maya because I have little skill in that software and felt this would be a very beneficial exercise in that area.

I began modeling in Maya be cutting a sphere into fourths. I used the vertex tool to stretch the faces into the position I wanted them. I also used the extrude edge to add extra geometry to my model. I focused on modeling only one side of the head so that I could mirror the geometry and have a symmetrical model. After I had the basic shape I wanted, I went back through the model and merged vertices where necessary to create loops so that slicing it in the pepakura software would be much easier. Once in pepakura, I sliced along the loops and also down the middle to create identical halves. I removed all edge numbers except the ones essential to knowing which pieces came together.

As with the last pepakura project I thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on putting together of the model. This time I was much more generous with the Loctite and it resulted in a much sturdier build. Some cut lines on some of the faces had not actually been  cut and resulted in a little warping, but overall it came out very well.

Victoria Mayfield & Jonathan Gloria: Purple Rain Pepakura

Concept: When we first began trying to come up with ideas for a successful pepakura project, we knew we wanted to do something from nature. We researched different possibilities like trees, mountains, even rainbows. We ended up deciding on a raincloud. We then decided to model a lightning bolt as well as raindrops to be suspended by fishing line.

Modeling: The modeling was pretty basic. We used Maya for most of our modeling, and Rhino for scaling. For the cloud, we created a sphere, extruded it and pulled it into the general shape we wanted. Then we used the sculpt geometry tool to pull out the bumps of the cloud. We used rhino to create the lightning bolt. For that, we simply created the main body shape using the curve tool, I then extruded that curve, and capped off the open faces. The rain drops were created in Maya by simply extruding a box multiple times, and merging the vertices on each side to one point. We then used Rhino to scale three different sizes of the raindrops to create some interest using size.

Materials: For the materials, we used eflute cardboard, as it is best for pepakura. We then went over the seams of the cloud with white duct tape to give the cloud a more uniform shape and feel. For the raindrops, we decided to coat them in purple glitter to commemorate Prince after his tragic passing. From there, I used an exacto knife to cut organic lightning shapes into the lightning bolt, and lined the inside of the bolt with LED lights. This created a really nice effect when the LEDs would reflect off the purple glitter on the raindrops. I then used a thing white masking tape around the edges of the lightning bolt to hold everything together. We attached the rain drops and the lightning bolt to the bottom of the cloud with fishing line and super glue. Then used fishing line and a metal ring attached to the top of the cloud to create an apparatus to hang the cloud from. Overall, we are very pleased with how the project turned out and think it’s a beautiful homage to one of the greatest and most influential musical artists of our time.

Austin Bower: Final project

The inspiration for this project came from the free form model I finished earlier in the year. I model it in Maya and import the model in to Rhino to set it up for serial slicing. The model is set up so that it can use 3 different materials. For the this one I choice to cut the whole model out of MDF board.

I model it to laser cut two half inch square holes in each arm to connect them to the main piece. and the supporting dowel rods that go through the model are half inch as well

Austin Bower: Serial Slice

The inspiration for this project came from a fictional vehicle called a magrider with is a car that travels by magnetic levitation. I modeled it in Maya and serial sliced it in Rhino

I chose to use half inch dowel rods for this model because the thickness of the rod flowed well with the two noises of the model. 

Victoria Mayfield: Elephant Engraving

Concept: When I first began brainstorming ideas for my laser engraving I wanted to do something that incorporated my love for modern art. After brainstorming and looking at reference ideas for modern art, I decided I also wanted to incorporate my favorite animal, the elephant! I also decided I wanted there to be contrast in each line stroke within the elephant shape, and with the shapes I wanted to surround my modern elephant. 

Modeling: I used a few modeling techniques to create this design, but mostly it was the curve tool. I was able to use the PictureFrame command to bring in my reference drawing of the elephant with geometric lines all across it. Then use the curve tool to outline the elephant body and the lines inside. I decided I wanted to create contrast within the body by having the interior geometric lines be different depths. This didn’t really pay off because the different depths are not as apparent as I had initially wanted. 

Materials: I used a .25 thick MDF plywood to engrave on. I wanted the piece to have some weight to it, which is why I chose the thicker cut. However, I also liked how the MDF reacts to the laser and leaves a somewhat burnt edge, but not black residue like with lower quality wood. Overall, I am pleased with the outcome. From here, I would like to use water colors to add a pop of color and to emphasize the elephant and the bubbles. I would like to leave the area around my elements bare, and put a lacquer on it to emphasize the wood grain.  

Nathan Bower: Freeform - Spring 16

Nathan Bower: Serial Slice - Spring 16

Nathan Bower: Final Project - Serial Lamp

The concept behind the design of my lamp was to make a lamp shade that, with light shining through, would cast a shadow similar to that of a traditional house lamp.  The harder and more interesting parts of this project was having to compensate the sizing of the lamp shade with the two different materials use in its construct when modeling.

The Lights I used:  http://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-5-Meter-Waterproof-Flexible-Changing/dp/B00ASHQQKI?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Charlotte Guzman-Russell: Wolf Head - Pepakura

Concept: For this project, I wanted to make a mask of an animal head. I think masks are both mysterious as they hide the identity of the wearer yet also reveal some aspect of their personality. In the future, I would be interested in making a variety of masks using different animals, which could be used for an masquerade party or something related.

 Technique: I used Maya to model the mask. I started out with a cube and then added edge loops and extruded faces as went and adjusted edges and vertices until I got the result I wanted. I then cut the model in half and mirrored it across to make the model symmetrical. Then I cut out loops in Pepakura Designer.

Materials: I used a rough black plastic material in Keyshot for the mask and used a warm light for two spheres I used for eyes. For the physical mask, I used eFlute cardboard and then coated it with a layer of black spray paint because it looked incomplete without it. 

Now that I know the process of creation using Pepakura, I would like to redo a few aspects of the mask in the future to make the assembly of the model easier. This would include changing the hole in the mask from the bottom to the back so people of different head shapes can wear it, as well as redoing the layout in pepakura. I would also like to install LEDs into the inside of the mask to give the appearance that the mouth or eyes are glowing.