Melanie Estes: Week 15 3D Scanning

     For this assignment I partnered with Griff Crow. Our original idea was to use a crocheted object and explore the texture that was scanned. Unfortunately, crocheted items are not stiff and it was impossible to keep the figure stable to properly scan the top.

Crochet Model (An imitation of Groot)

Example Scan

      We also created a different sculpture together from molding clay onto an empty Snapple bottle. We attempted to scan it, but the hood part of the snake was reading as a hollow object. Unfortunately, after Griff spent a few hours trying to fix it and I had no luck with it either, we realized we had to use a different model.

Snake

      To further play with texture, I created a candleholder out of air-dry clay. I chose a more cartoonish approach to contrast the soft model shapes with the hard lines between different keyshot materials. I molded a cylinder and cut out space for a tea-light candle. I then took beads of fish, dolphins, turtles, and a ship and pressed them into the sides to form a reversed relief. I carved a wavy line around the middle for the horizon.

Candle holder

Candle holder model

    We scanned it using 12 images in 360 and a single image of the top. We were able to use the impressions to align the scans. With wonderful help from Chelsea, we used the sandpaper tool to smooth it in rapidworks, added a flat bottom to the mesh, and chose a final model with a few hundred polys. I took the model into Rhino and separated sections of the mesh into different layers so they could have different materials.

Rapidworks

Ghosted painted black

Separated into layers for Keyshot

     

     I originally placed the candle in an image of the mermaid building in the north part of campus to go with the ocean theme. While the soft edges of the candle contrasted with the angular building, I felt it looked completely out of place.

Test Location

     I chose instead to place my candle indoors as though it were a regular candle. I took a few images and decided to use my desk. I moved the candle I already had in place and took a few close up shots.      

     Because I split every portion of the mesh according to the design, I applied multiple materials to create the piece. I used colored asphalt, mold-tech, and cloth materials scaled to a very small size for the fish scales. I used wood materials for the ship. The turtle's texture is made from a mold-tech. I gave all of the fish and dolphins eyes by finding fish eyes online and applying them as a color map. Then I changed the settings to UV Mapping and scaled and shifted the material until an eye was centered. I used a similar technique with the dolphins, only I used images of actual dolphins for the material. The ocean is made of a blue glass that is double-sided to add shine. The sky is a cloudy glass material; I found that the cloudy option interacted well with the sea to give it a slightly blue tint.   

Item in context

     I rendered out several passes for the context image. I added to the shots with the brush to give the desired effect. I added several layers that all add a bit more color to the candle. One layer gives slightly purple highlights to the candle. Another provides the definite shine from the light on the left side. I used an orange color on another layer to add more to the candle part itself. 

Render One

Render Two