Rickie Jones ATCM 3355: Surface Population and Serial Slicing

Surface Population

Crown Render 1

 Concept:

Crown Reference Image 

Hanging Chain Reference image 

For my design I wanted to make a kings crown by using the surface population technique. My design was inspired by the pointed tops of the crown from the reference image, the pattern indents and the idea that the crown can hang from a chain. Rather than worn.

Process:

Crown ghosted and make 2D

For my process, first I started off by making a torus and modifying the control points. I lifted 4 edges up in a rough idea of what a crown would look like. I made 2 points higher than the other to make it more interesting. After I used another torus as the population object and project that onto the crown torus. Next I added 3 segments and manipulated the spacing of the top crown circles. Lastly I added a base and used surface population on it to make the engraved look. 

Materials:

Crown render 2

3D Printed side view

3D printed 3/4

I printed the castle out of black filament and did not paint it. I used a chain necklace I had to hold the crown. For my rendering I used gold colored metal, black metal for the base and silver/gold for the side design. 

Serial Slicing 

Pyramid render 1

Concept:

Temple Refence Image

Destroyed Temple Reference Image

For my second design, the serial slicing, I wanted to make something that would go with the theme of the crown. Ultimately I decided to make a temple. After starting the temple I realized that it would look like a pyramid by using the serial slicing technique on the model.

Process:

Pyramid ghosted and make 2D

Firstly, I started off by making the basic pyramid with the truncated triangle. Next I made a doorway through both sides. From there I added the details of a destroyed or old temple/pyramid by removing chunks of the model. I mainly used Boolean difference and a variety of shapes. Lastly I used to serial slicing grasshopper tool to add the pyramid look.

Materials:

Pyramid render 2

For my castle I used a sand texture and turned the transparency down to 20. Then I picked a sand color for the temple. 

Hunter Smitherman: Week 4 Serial Slicing

 Concept:

    When thinking of the concept for this project, I thought about what would look interesting but also provide a challenge for me. After some initial ideas, I decided that I wanted to create a seashell. Seashells are very fascinating to me and have always been in my life from a young age. My family and I would always visit the beach in Galveston when I was younger and seashells always bring back those memories. I wanted to add more to this project than just a seashell and I wanted to use the memories I have from when I was younger. The seashells imprint on the base of the project is meaningful in how our fond memories can imprint onto us. I also wanted to add a stylistic element to the project by adding the "wave" when looking from the top down onto this project.

Technique:

    To start modeling my design, I used AutoDesk Maya to create a polygon model to work from. I imported my orthographic drawings into the image planes to create a visual reference when modeling. I used a Cylinder to start out and added edge loops with the Insert Edge Loop tool in order to create some divets like a real seashell. Also, I used the Multi-Cut tool to create a spiral from the tip of the shell to the opening of the shell. Then added holding edges around the spiral and scaled the spiral smaller to make the divet. Next, I began to sculpt the opening of the shell by moving certain edge loops and using the scaling tool to create the desired shape. Once the basic part of my shell was modeled I started to add details and fixed any weird edges. By selecting various faces on the model, I was able to extrude them and create small spikes. Finally, I smoothed my model with a Mesh>Smooth and I was ready to export my model as a .OBJ and import it into Rhino 6.

    When importing into Rhino 6, checking that my units were set to inches was very important. I began importing and scaled my model to the desired length. Then, converted the polygon model into NURBS. Since I wanted to create an inverse image of my seashell in the base of my design, I created a solid rectangle and used the Boolean Subtract tool to create an imprint. In my desired concept I also wanted to split the model in half and add a curve to resemble a wave. I used the Plane command to create a planar surface and then added a bend to both sides to create a small S curve. To split both models, I used the Boolean Split command and separated the models by an inch. After creating the imprint and splitting both models, they were ready for serial slicing, I used the Contour command to slice both the seashell and the inverse base on the same plane. Before moving each curve to the layout I needed to use the ExtrudeCrv command to create a realistic serial sliced model. Then, I moved each curve into my 24x48 inch reference area and numbered them for later identification. My laser cutting layout was now ready for me to take it and my materials into the Machine Shop to get cut.

Materials:

    When rendering in KeyShot, I chose a wood texture because I wanted the outside of the project to still resemble wood. I also added a metal material to the rods I inserted in Rhino 6. When adding lighting, I added a light that would give the project depth when rendering and wouldn't overexpose parts of the project. The backgrounds I chose were a simple white and a kitchen-type background.

    After getting my project cut, it was time for post-processing and assembly. I sanded each piece of the base to clean the char marks left by the laser cutter. I assembled the project with Loctite Professional. The project also needed the supports to hold the seashell pieces in the air. These holes were drilled in and the rods were inserted to suspend the seashell. Next, I glued the rods so they would be sturdy and I finally sprayed the whole project with a clear lacquer.

Xochitl Juarez: Week 4 Project 2: Serial Sliced Sculpture of Original Design

Concept

    The concept for my design originated when I tried to find an object that had 'slices' as a part of its structure. That caused me to look into the guiro, an instrument that can either be a hollow, gourd-like shape or shaped like animals, such as a frog. In order to create an original concept, I decided to strip the inspiration to its base structure: varying arches that can be hit to produce a sound. As I also wanted to experiment with how the serial slices were attached, I decided to divide each arch into sections that would have some spacing in between. This created a rib-like appearance, later influencing the color and design choices for the final sculpture. When looking for inspiration when post-processing, I looked into how guiros were adorned and looked at how they seemed similar to the designs on alebrijes. As such, I chose a bright color palette that would include some patterns.

Techniques

    To create the model, I used Maya as I am much more familiar with the software. I started by first using the polygon torus command to create a ring that would act as a base for my arches. I selected the bottom half of the faces and deleted them, using the fill hole command to seal and establish the arch I needed. Next, I duplicated the arch six times, parenting them to each other to them move each an equal distance. I then used the polygon cylinder command to create a cylindrical base that would hold the arches into place. Once the base shape was made, I took the model to Rhino.

    Once in Rhino, I selected the arches and used the make hole command to create holes for the arches to insert into. The same method was used when creating the holes for the dowels to go into the base of the project. Due to the ease of the process, the stick was made by having a long cylinder that would be used as the base. Next, a sphere was added  to the top while two slightly thicker cylinders were used as the handle. Holes were cut into them using the make hole command. Once the model was complete,  I used the contour command in two manners. The first was to create horizontal slices for the base of the structure, the stick's handle, and the stick's tip. The second was to create the vertical cuts that would be used on the arches. Once the curves for the slices were made, I extruded them using the extrude planar curve command, creating solids for each of the slices. Having no issues with the cuts made by contouring, I took each of the cuts and organized them as either inner or outer cuts to cut them out for the physical project. Each of the pieces was labeled with either numbers or letters, depending on which object the piece corresponded to.

Materials

    I applied a rough maple wood texture as a base for each of the pieces. Next, I added labels to each piece that matched their base color of navy blue, pink, yellow, or orange. Once the base colors were added, I created labels via Adobe Illustrator that would match the patterns on portions of the base, arches, and stick. After placing those labels, I made sure to mark each as paint surfaces and added a bump map of rough maple wood. The lighting base setting used was 'interior' alongside an hdri of a warmly lit room to allow the colors of paint to be softened. The chosen appropriate environment was a music room as that is where it would likely be found. The model was positioned in a way where it can have visible scale compared to other objects with the room.

    For the post-processing, I first sanded each of the pieces so that they were evenly smooth, especially since two kinds of woods were used: sande plywood and birch. Once the sanding was finished, I glued together the base circles, the stick, and the arches with loctite super glue to make painting easier. After partial assembly, the base coats of each acrylic paint color were added. Once the base coats were added, I used posca pens to draw on the stripes on each of the arches, adding the dots with both acrylic paint and poscas as needed on the remainder of the pieces. After the painting was complete, I glued together each of the pieces to their proper places. Lastly, I sealed the paint with a spar urethane finish.

David Rake: Week 10 - Serial Slice

Concept:

For years I've been making helmets. I've wanted to make Thomas' helmet from Daft Punk but never got around to it or had all the skills I needed for it. Over Spring Break I had plans to finally start it and had a plan for how I would go about it. As this project came up I thought it'd be interesting to try this new method (to me) to create the base for the master mold.

Technique:

I created a Sphere as the base and drew out curves to block off the major parts. After blocking off the main extensions of the mask I created the slopes by extruding curves and using booleans to sculpt almost. I got the model as close to picture references as I could then inserted the two cores, one in the front where the absolute bottom is and one at the top of the helmet. The helmet was then sliced into 43 individual pieces.

Materials:
The original helmet is chrome and eventually I would like to get it to that point, The Serial Slice will be Cardboard. The mold will be silicon. Then the cast will be resin or fiberglass depending if I chrome it myself or not.

Final:

I changed the axis the cuts were on from my original choice of front to back and instead chose top to bottom as it contained more details that I wanted.

Kenneth Kornfeld: Who Will You Feed? - Serial Slices

     The next step in the Who Will You Feed? Project is to create a 16 inch version of the relief using Serial slicing with a laser cutter.As a reminder:

    "Who Will You Feed? was inspired by the Cherokee parable known as the Two Wolves (First People). This parable tells a story about a boy and his grandfather who teaches his grandson a concept that their is two wolves that exist in all of us who are in a constant state of battle. One wolf represents everything that is good and selfless while the other wolf represents everything that is evil and selfish. The boy asks his grandfather "How do you know which wolf will win the battle?"  The Grandfather replies "It is the one I choose to feed"(First People). 

     To represent the Two Wolves parable I sculpted a wolf skull onto a bust in Autodesk program Mudbox. The left side the skull is dirty, scratched and scared to represent the bad wolf and the right side is almost untouched to represent the good wolf. After I finished the skull I brought it into the Autodesk program Maya to remove the skull from its original bust because the model had become to dense with polygons. When I was done removing the skull from the but I imported back into a mud box and placed it on top of a new bust. I kept the face of the bust featureless so that it would be more ambiguous and I added a hoodie to add an influence of Little Red Riding Hood and the Grim Reaper. I felt that the Grim Reaper was an appropriate representation of the wolf in Native American culture since the wolf is often represented as judge, jury and executioner. I sculpted wolf ears onto the hoodie so it would look more like a wolf."

you can read about the first half of the project here
Kenneth Kornfeld: Week 1 Who Will You Feed?

     The first step of this process was to create the rhino file for laser cutting. To do this I brought the obj file for the relief into rhino and scaled it up to my desired size. After that I inserted two  1/4 inch rods to the model and used the Contour command to slice up the object into thin slices. When that was done I carefully laid out the slices on a flat plane within a 2' x 4' rectangle that represented the card board that it will be inserted cut from. I also numbered every piece and made sure that all the pieces laid flat within the card board sheet it was assigned too. When I was done I took it to the fab lab to be printed.

In Keyshot I created a rendering of what the serial sliced relief should look like, this rendering is a different from my final concept. I chose a wood rendering because a few people suggest that I make a wood version and leave it as is. The final version will have cardboard or wood with stone and moss elements.

     Next I Laid out all the pieces on a table and made sure every piece was there.

     Then slid two 1/4 inch wooden dowel into the two holes on my first piece that were create when I added the two 1/4 inch rods to my model. Then I applied Loctite Professional Super Glue to my second piece and slid through the dowels until it was pressed cleanly against the first piece.

     I repeated this process until the relief was completely assembled

     After the relief was assembled it was time to get it prepared for the hard shell, to do this I covered the entire model in masking tape except for the sections that I did not want to cover in the shell. When I was done applying the tape I mixed up some aqua resin and applied it the entire taped surface. Once the first coat was dry I went back and mixed up another batch of aqua resin but this time I added some thickener to give it a harder bumpier shell.  Once the shell hardened I brought the relief outside and sanded off the most elevated parts of the surface. This gave it a more stone like feel,

     After I cut off the excess parts of the shell the relief is not ready to be painted.

     The first layer of paint was the most important layer of paint since it will add texture and a better surface to paint on. I mixed a dark grey paint with a sand medium to create a more stone like texture over the entire piece to make it feel more like stone. This layer took the longest because paint had to be thick and could not be thinned out with water. I also had to make sure every spot was thoroughly painted

     After the texture layer was done I then added 7 more layers of paint the first 4 layers were to tint the first layer in the multiple gradients. The fifth layer was added to darken the recesses of the sculpture and the last two layers were to add a sense of wear to the sculpture by highlighting the elevated points of the sculpture. 

     Afterwards I coated the cardboard with XTC - 3D to add more durability to the cardboard, this also gave it a more glossy wood look.

3rd Layer    |       5th Layer    |    7th Layer

      The Next step was to add a little moss using a glue and some foliage for making scenery models. This will give it a more stone like feel and add an additional element to the piece.

      The concept behind this versions of Who Will You Feed?  was to create this artifact that would feel like it could be found by a future civilization a "temple" from our civilization. To do this I wanted to create an contrast between ancient forms of sculpting (stone) and modern sculpting(cardboard).

      Also I wanted to use a contrast of Realism art where you are trying to be precise an accurate as possible and the most recent form of art that I can only describe as "Retro Stylized Art". This from of art I would describe as being a form of art where the piece can  be more refined and precise that what it is, so that you can show the grit of how it is made and use it as a texture. I would describe Pepakura and Pixel Art as part of this latest art genre. I used this contrast to describe the two side of the wolf skull. The "Good" side being the smooth refined half and the "Bad" side being the ridged half.

     I wanted the moss to give the viewer the chance to ask themselves "Which side is really the bad side?" since the moss only grows on the ridged ruff side of the sculpture, if it is so bad why would life choose to grow their. The left side has more flat surface and shade due to the ridges and the right side is smooth and exposed to the son. It own perfection leaves next to no room for the moss to grow.