Ong Yeok Ho
603404
Virtual Environments ENVS 10008 2013 Semester 1 Module 3 - Fabrication
Response to Readings & Lectures Architecture in the Digital Age
How I lofted the form of my lantern digitally from my clay model, which is also known s “reverse engineering�
Process from the physical to digital model is the inverse computer aided manufacturing. Point clouds are produced through scanning and then the approximate geometry of the model is produced by the software. For my lantern, the lofting of the form f the lantern is similar to this process, where contour lines are drawn and then lofted to produce the approximate geometry of my clay model. The first process of production of fabrication is the two-dimensional fabrication. CNC cutting is the most common fabrication which is also the type of fabrication we use for our project. The second process is the subtractive fabrication. As mentioned in the lectures and reading, it is the removal of a material to produce the form that is wanted. The third process is the additive fabrication . It is addition of materials to produce a certain model. It is the opposite of subtractive fabrication. A 3D printer is an example of it where it prints out 3D geometry by adding materials. The fourth process is the formative fabrication. It is the manipulation of the materials to produce the desired effects. It would reshape or deform the materials to produce the form. After that, the model can be assembled with digital technology. By using the cutting machine, the time needed for me to make my model has been cut down a lot. The cutting machine is really precise and it acts accordingly to what I want. However, this would mean that I need to be precise in unrolling my surfaces too. Architecture in the Digital Age
Digital Origami University of Technology, Sydney
One aspect of the recent shift in using digital fabrication is folding. Folding is used in planar surfaces to create 3-dimensional surfaces. It also creates rigidity and sense of depth for the structure. Folding has a long history in craft and smaller scale of work but it is the digital tools that helps to enlarge the works to architectural scale. In lecture, we were also shown examples of some projects. In Digital Origami, I think it is interesting how all the folded surfaces produces 3-dimensional structures and they are all tessellated to produce the overall form. It is a combination of folding and tessellation. It has the same concept as my lantern, where each panels are folded to produce 3-dimensional surfaces and then tessellated, hence, producing the overall form of the lantern.
Each of my panels are folded and then glued together, which I think has a similar process to the digital origami
Fabrication of Prototype Testing different types of folded lines
Initially, I thought using dashed lines for the folded parts would be better as it could fold both ways but the effects that turned out was not as I expected, although it is quite interesting.
The dashed lines produce broken lines effect where the light could go through but I thought it is not the effect that I want as I feel that it could not focus on the cracks like I want to initially. Hence, I decide to use continuous score lines instead.
Problems with unrolling and folding the prototype At first, I unrolled long strips together as I thought it would be easier and less time consuming. However, after I unrolled and started making the protoype, I realised that I had confusion as to where each panel should go to and as my score lines are continuous lines, it makes it more difficult to fold the opposite way. I then decided to unroll them in smaller sections instead.
Different colours represents each section that is unrolled. As I also face problem when I need to fold a different directions, I decided to unroll panels that are folded in the same directions in one section. TAnother sections is then unrolled separately and 2 sections will be pasted together. This would solve my problems of folding different directions.
The 2 sections are then glued together.
Fabrication of Prototype Testing different size and directions of tabs
Tabs are adjusted in such a way that its width does not exceed the width of the borders of the panels. This is to avoid the tabs being seen from the from the front surface. Where the length of the tabs are longer than the width of the panels’ borders
Where the length of the tabs are shorter than the borders of the panels.
I also tested with the different effects of lights that will be produced with different directions of the tabs. It is one of the ideas given during last module’s feedback sessions. However, I feel that when the tabs are seen clearly from the outside, it does not really produce the effects that I want to. Besides, the lantern looks neater when the tabs are hidden inside. Therefore, I went on with hiding the tabs inside. The effect that is produced when the tabs are seen from the outside.
The effect that is produced when the tabs are hid at the inside.
I tested with the different ways the panels are glued together. I experimented with the idea of pasting: 1. 2 ends of the tabs together 2. cutting off one end of the tab and gluing the other tab to the panels. I then decided on using option 2 as in option 1, the shadow of the tab can be seen when light is casted on it. Option 1
Option 2
Fabrication of Prototype
Problems with the card cutter There are times when the blade of the card cutter is not sharp enough, hence producing rough works. I then increased the force of the cutting machine and sometimes using my own blade to deepen the fold lines so that the fold will be smoother
Blunt blade produces rough lines.
Smoother lines when the score lines are deeper.
Problems with the glue
I used glue stick to glue the tabs together. It is so much cleaner compared to water glue. However, it does not stick that well sometimes. To solve this problem, I used paper clips to hold the tabs together for some time and removed them when the glue is dried.