DSDN104 EXP1: MAKING & MODIFYING DUE Thursday November 25th 2010 at 07:00am 40% of Course Grade Introduction “Can a computer with its undo and save functions ever demand sufficient concentration on our part to enable serious expressive works to come forth?”1 Traditionally design development and iterative design processes were time consuming involving hand labour. Now computers allow fast iterative design processes where ideas can be worked, reworked and refined to achieve a desired goal.
Design challenge Your challenge is to create 81 iterations of your model that express your chosen precedent or theme using Solidworks and 3DSMax. Design development is about producing, editing and then re-producing within a set of parameters. The parameters are usually predefined but may be expected to evolve somewhat upon reflecting on each development cycle. Your task is to create, analyse, refine, and repeat.
Procedure Visit http://www.firstyeardesign.com/index.php?/courses/dsdn104 at the start of each class and read the updated studio session plan. For this project you will be generating virtual models in Solidworks, and then using 3DSMax to modify and multiply them into a range of different but similar “versions.” One of the models will then be chosen to explore light, texture and materiality. 1. Find a precedent design and select 3 descriptive words to guide your design process. 2. Using Photoshop, modify an image and use it as a template to create a sketch drawing in Solidworks. 3. Use those sections to create an object from Solidworks features. 4. Take your object into 3DSMax and use soft selection, non-uniform scale and free deformation lattices to create 81 versions of your Solidworks model. Each model should be noticeably different but similar – part of a family. 1
McCullough, M Abstracting Craft p212
5. Choose one of the 81 versions to texture; this should be the most interesting version and the version that best captures the essence of the 3 words chosen earlier. 6. Document the whole process on your blog, the whole time considering the presentation of the project on Thursday November 25th 2010. REMEMBER to back up your work at the start and end of each studio session.
Software • Solidworks 2009 • Adobe Photoshop CS3 • Autodesk 3DS Max / Design 2010
Submission Requirements One blog containing at least: • Images of design precedent (minimum 2). • Development images (minimum 8). • One image showing all 81 models. • One image of your final model/iteration rendered with materials and textures.
Assessment Criteria 1. Evidence of research into design precedents. 2. Effective transformation from concept to final design. 3. Ability to utilize computing technology to create 3D form. 4. Effective use of a blog as a presentation medium. 5. Quality and craft in drawings, images, presentations, computer models and renders.
Zach Challies