M2 journal by Lynn Chan

Digital Design - Module 02 Semester 1, 2018 Lynn Chan

887657 Chelle Yang + Studio 2

Week Three

Reading: Kolerevic B. 2003. Architecture in the Digital Age

Kolerevic described three fundamental type of fabrication techniques in the reading. Outline the three techniques and discuss the potential of Computer Numeric Controlled fabrication with parametric modelling. (150 words max)

The three fundamental fabrication techniques outlined by Kolerevic in the readings are: Two-dimensional fabrication, Subtractive fabrication and Additional fabrication. Two-dimensional fabrication employs the use of various cutting technologies across a two-axis motion on sheet materials. The process can be done either with a moving cutting head, moving bed or a combination of the two. The two more common two-dimensional cutting technologies are the laser -cutter and the water-jet. Subtractive fabrication involves the removal of a specified volume of material from solids. It can range from two-axis milling routers, meant to remove two dimensional patterns to up to four or five-axis in order to create volumetric shapes. Additive technology, like the name suggests, involves “incremental forming” via adding material in a layer-by-layer fashion. Some more common forms of additive fabrication are 3D printing, where layers of ceramic powders are glued together to form objects and MJM, where thin layers of wax are melted in thin layers to form a threedimensional solid. There is actually a fourth element briefly mentioned by Kolerevic known as formative fabrication where heat or steam is applied to the material in order to form in into the desired shape through “reshaping” or “deformation”. These techniques open up possibilities in fabrication, making designs previously thought impossible to be fabricated through the use of machines.

Week Three

Surface Creation

Scripting the surfaces was fairly strightforeward after building the script during the workshop. The surfaces were created through changing the values on grasshopper. Hoerver, I later found out that not all of the created surfaces work for the waffle structure so much more care was required when attempting it again.

Week Four Panels & Waffle

The two panels I chose for my pannel surfaces were a pyramid and a slightly larger pyramid with a flat top. naturally the flattened pyramid was much more tedious to build and do to its nature, slighly more messy. Even so, I chose them due to their visual appeal when put together on the waffle structure.

The waffle structure of my model was pretty straightforeward. It worked out quite well, except there was a problem when i laser cut them and had to end up touching up bits by hand. They fit together well and fit my paneling surfaces too.

Week Four

Laser Cutting

When creating the laser cut forms, I actually ran into quite a few problems. Firstly, the panels I chose were slightly too complicated to be unrolled in a series. I then decided to print them out exploded. This was an issue because when i recieved them, I found they were too small to be built. The tabs I printed were also much too small. I then backtracked and chose another set of panels for my surface that allowed me to unroll them in a series. This was much easier to build. I aso flipepd my structure over and etched the edges so I could hide the burn marks and the FabLab staff didnt have to tape down my structure to the board.

Week Five

Scripting the boolean form was quite straightforward when following the instructions in the workshop. However, when exploring different options for the shape and combination of the boolean objects, the scripts in grasshopper started to get quite messy which did end up being an annoying process to sort through. Fig 1. (Top left) is the scropt fot the panelling Grids. Fig 2. ((Top Right) The script for the transformed paneling Grid. Fig 3. (Bottom) Script for the sphere distribution.

Week Five

Isometric

The Isometric I chose was the NW view. It was chosen because it showed the interior of the structure with the least obstructions. It was oriented to lie with the boolened surfaces facing upwards to minimize the support structure as much as possible. The whole of this structure contains a combination of both negative space and positive space. Some areas, mainly where the spheres intersected with each other and the cube created a much thinner, lighter surface than others. The structure was designed to both completely cut through some areas of the cube and almost cut through at others. This is where the notion of permiability and porosity comes into play. The areas where the spheres cut fully through the cube creates a gradient effect in thickness of the structure due to its nature. This gives it avariaty in texture and thickness which can be seen when you raise the 3D structure to the light.

BLACK = Page Size/Trim Line

Week Six Task 01

Lofts

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Key {0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves Grid Points

Paneling Grid & Attractor Point Paneling

{Index Selection}

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

{Attractor Point Location}

{Index Selection}

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

Task 01 Matrix During the whole process, I played around with multiple different options for the matrix. I chose these combinationsbecause I felt they gave me the most interesting results. I felt that the bit that made the most difference to the design was first step: the lofts. The lofts provided the base for the end result so if it did not look interesting initially, the end result will not look aesthetic either.

BLACK = Page Size/Trim Line MAGENTA = insert artwork in this area

Grid Manipulation

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Week Six

Key {0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves Grid Points

Sphere Distribution Sphere Transformation

{Index Selection}

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

{Attractor Point Location}

{Index Selection}

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

Task 02 Matrix The steps for task 2 were slightly more straightforeward, we first played around with the grid manipulation first. This was achieved by moving the attractor points and alternating the regularities in the grid system in grasshopper. Then the sphear distribution and then sphere transformation. I chose to use a sphere shape after trying out other shapes. The interesting results came from moving the attractor points and the proximity on grasshopper.

Task 02

Week Six

Final Isometric Views

M1.1 Exploded Iso. (Top)

M2.2 Boolened Surface. (Right)

Appendix Process

Laser Cutting Complications.

Attempt at building the panels.

One of the main problems I encountered in the making of the 3D model was that

After I collected the cut, I attempted to

my first set of pannels did not unrol properly. I instead decided to unroll them in the exploded form so they were individual pannels to build. I definitely underestimated how small these panels were. Id didnt help that the tabs were at 1mm either. I then had to backtrack and redo them, send it to be cut again in a form that would be easier to build.

build them but it was practically impossible (top). It looked really messy no matter how hard i tried.

Tools used in the building of the model.

Fixed Laser Cut

I used UHU glue, masking tape and tweezers in order to build the model.

In order to fix the laser cut, I chose a different set of panels on the same loft surface that would unroll in a series. Then I added tabs, this time at 5mm instead of 1mm and cleaned up the lines to ensure no overlapping lines.

Appendix

Process

Building process

Second set of panels

The building process was slow and very tedious. In order to minimize gluemarks, lots of care was necessary in building up the structure. The panels were glued together using UHU glue and tweezers to hold them while they dried. Masking tape was used to remove excess glue on the outside in order to minimize glue marks. The edge tabs were cut off.

The second set of pannels were much harder to build as compared to the pyramid ones.The shape itself was more complicated hence why was more difficult. This set of panels were not as clean as the previous set.

Printing M2.2

Photographing the model

After creating the boolened surfaces, it was time to set it up on the MakerBot software to prepare for 3D printing. The structure was oriented as seen above in order to minimize suppor structure and save time. In the end, the whole structure only took 5 hours to print. However, there are some areas that are much thinner than others hence more fragile.

A photostage was set up for the model to be photographed. I used a white background with different lightings in order to create different types of fhadows. I also played around with different backdrops and materials in order to create different effects as seen above.