Catherine Demetriou
Student no: 641497 Semester 1/2013 -Virtual Environments
Group 8
Module 1: Recap
As stated in Module One, the spiraled amonite has been chosen for my natural pattern and my inspiration for my lamp this semester. My fascination with with this natural pattern was the “never-ending” effect that the shell gave in the center of its structure and this was something that I wanted to emphasize through my lamp. To do this, I decided to focus on the wall chambers of the shell where I noticed that its curved walls gradually decreased in size from the edges to create a cone-like figure. This concept also greatl correlated with my second analtical drawing “movement”. It was this that prompted me to begin desinging my model using a very simplistic cone shape. This, however, was not enough to satisfy the organic shape that I longed for in my model so I decided to curve the surface of the model whilst aiming to maintain that cone-like figure on the interior.
Module 2: Recap
Problems faced with Module 2 design After looking closely on my module two design I came to the realisation that the surfaces on the plannels were not in fact joining. After going to the tech session, I was informed that this was due to the way in which I made my base polsurface and although it unrolled perfectly in the virtual world, it would be physicall impossible to make in the real world. During this alteration of my model, I began further examine Le Courbusier’s Notre Damne and began to take not of the different scales he used in creating the windows of the builldings and the was in which this created varing lighting effects. I somehow wanted to incorporate this into the making of m own model.
Solution: Re-design of Model
BEFORE This was my base polsurface before having been re-made. It was believed that its sharp surfaces on the bottom and in the cone-like center was making it difficult for the pannels to join neatly and succintly.
AFTER After using the trace and revolve commands I was able to, with the help of the tech sessions, create this second model. The edges of this polsurfaces are far more rounded than that of the previous model. Despite the curved edges, it still maintains a strong relationship with my second analytical drawing movement where by the scale of the shells wall chambers create a cone-like figure.
Re-desinging panels
Above are figures showing two pannelised polsurfaces, one being from the older base surface (left) and the other being from the newer base surface (right). Using both the 3D mesh command and pt Triangulate surfaces, the second figure was far more succesful in terms of creating pannels that actuall joined rather than being misplaced. Further more, the new model enabled me to not only experiment with the scale of the squares as the followed down the curve but also (and once again) excentuated my concept of movement whereby the gradually decreasing scale of the scares represented its wall chambers.
Labelling for Unrolling
Before unrolling my final model, I decided that it would best to label each section so I knew the order of each section when ready for nesting. I did this by creating 20 layers each that had its own vibrant colour so I knew the position of each peice. Instead of doing these layers in a horizontal manner, I decided it would be easier and quicker to physicall make if I did them in a verticle manner. Above is an exploded version of my model that shows how I seperated my model in order to unroll.
Unrolling for fabrication After unrolling my entire surface, I nested the peices in the order of the model itself. During the fabrication process of my model, this order was ver useful. Using the rotate and move command, I aimed to use as little paper as possible when nesting the entire model. Surprisingly, my first printing only took around 3 peices of ivory paper.
Unfolding for fabrication
It was after printing my the unrolled surface of my model that I came across numerous problems. Most of these problems, I found, were primarily due to a plethora of silly mistakes made by myself. The first of these problems was that I made all the tabs that connected to the pannel cut lines instead of score lines. This meant that when my model printed, none of the tabs were connected which made it impossible to join each section together to create the prototype.
Utensils used to Prototype
Fabrication of Prototpes
In order to resolve this problem relating to the tabs I thought that a clear stick tape would come into great use. Before popping the printings out, I put sticky tape on the back of the page (where the tabs were cut) to hold it all together. Despite being time consuming, this was succesful in holding together each peice of the cut outs and it enabled me to begin creating my first prototype. More problems, however, began to surface in this making of this prototype.
Prototpe 1 Problem 1: GLUE Having used a water based glue such as PVA was the most crucial mistake when putting together this prototype. Not only did the PVA take a very long time to dry but it also weakened the thickness of the carboard making it very easy for the paper to tear and simply fall apart. In doing this, it also distracted from the round and curvy shape of my lantern. Problem 2: SCORE LINES INSTEAD OF DASH LINES In assigning the cut and score lines to the parts of my unfolded model, I did not realise that some of the lines would need to be dash lines instead of score lines due to the inverted mannerism of the pannel. As a consequence, the fold of each panel were untidy and this seemed to further distort the shape that I desired from my model.
Prototype 2
After my first prototype I decided it was best to leave the PVA glue and replace it with Tarzans grip instead. This made a miraculous difference to both the state of the paper and the way it effected the actual forming shape of my model.
Nevertheless, more problems seems to arise after realising that I had forgotten to draw tabs on numerous sections of my unfolded peices.
Back to Rhino
I then decided that it would be best to go back to rhino and thoroughly check and alter my unfolded peices. I did this by replacing the cut line that were set around the tabs to score lines and also changing the lines that would be inverted into dashed lines. I then decided to label and number them to make it easier when putting the model together in real life.
Prototype 3
After doing this, I then sent the job to the laser cutter to be printed. Unfortunately, the first it was printed, the laser cutter cut through ever peice of unfolded sections, making it impossible to put together. However, after being re-printed I decided I would test the product making m final protope. With the combination of the quick dring tarzan glue, the connected tabs and the dashed lines, my product was looking much neater and stronger than that of the last two.
Fabrication of Final Model
Final Model
After building a circut of lights made from the LEDs I put them gently into the center of my model.Unlike my model, where the panles conveyed a distinct and structural pattern, I found that its own lighting effect had no pattern and infact scattered itself around the room rather than remaining in one area. Furthermore, I found that the light not only emphasised the idea of movement in my lattern but also symmetry as it hilighted the repeated and symmetrical figure of the square pannels.