Virtual Environments Module 4

The Spider Web

lantern is inspired by natural pattern of a spider web

choon sien wong

640103 Semester 1, 2013 Group 7

choonw@student.unimelb.edu.au

virtual environments

The Spider Web

IDEATION

inspiration

virtual environments

IDEATION

inspiration

Tape Project

Alibaba Headquarters Searching for a pattern as my lantern design is not an easy task. Research and inspiration was required to search for a suitable pattern for a lantern that I will be proud of. I decided to search for pattern found in nature because we live together with nature and it is a gift given to us by God. I came across the spider web pattern and wondered, how does a spider manage to construct a structure that is so light and thin but yet able to withstand both the spider and its prey’s heavy weight.

My research took me to some amazing architectural buildings and sculpture that uses bio-mimicry and uses the spider web pattern as their design.

The Alibaba Company headquarters uses the spider web concept because it promotes connectivity, clarity and communication. The designers hopes that it creates a positive environment to encourage informal and creative meetings throughout the complex.

Another precedent study I took inspiration from was the Tape Project done by Numen/For Use which uses bio-mimicry as explained by Phillip Ball to copy and capture the choreography of the spider weaving its web just using sticky tape. The final product was astonishing as it look just like a real spider web that has large space for us to enter and able to withstand heavy loads.

virtual environments

IDEATION

spiral orb web

natural process

tangle web

Spider web is a structure or device that is created by a spider out of silk extruded from its spinnerets. The purpose a spider web is built is for capturing prey.

I started to analyse the spider web form. Although it may seem like a complex structure, but it only involve several formula or recipe to produce the final out come.

Spider webs comes in many types of design, each is designed by different type of spiders, however the process is still similar to one another.

Based on the pattern image that i have chose, I converted the image to black and white and hand drawn the image out onto a piece of paper.

funnel web

tubular web

sheet web

Image converted from colour, to Black and White and is sketched using pencil.

Using the knowledge I gather from the Analytical Drawing article by Poling, a pattern can be written out into 3 images, which is Balance, Symmetry and Movement.

According to Aranda Lasch, patterns are formed due to “alogorithm� which means a series of steps or rules. In this case, he introduced the term recipe. A recipe is derived from the pattern using his principle of pattern formation

Balance

Symmetry

Movement

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IDEATION

development

The next given task was to make a 3D form of the base pattern that we had chosen earlier. The process was fairly simple for my base pattern. Using just 2 thin strips of paper, one is shaped into a triangle and the other is folded into zigzag shape and is placed into the void space of the first paper model. This process is repeated until the whole base pattern is extruded. The step-by-step process image is shown as above.

Bending, folding, and movement was used to design the extruded 3D spider web.

Next, we were then to use a specific moment/s from the earlier task and repeat the transformation process. This task will produce an outcome that is free from the base pattern. I chose 2 moments, one is scaling and the other one is transformation.

The image below shows the process that I have undertaken to complete the task. I chose the triangle structure from the 3D form and using the moments to create a circle of triangles. The triangles are arranged to be on top of one another. I had to cut a line to create an entry for the paper to slip through or else it will be difficult for it to stick. The triangles are transformed at about 36-40 degree angle. It takes about 10 triangles to complete the structure. The reason why I chose the specific angle is because I took into consideration of my calculation on the zigzag pattern paper angles that I had in done in the previous task.

virtual environments

IDEATION model 1

model 2

clay modeling The next task, we were to build a sample model of our lantern using clay. By using the extrution of the base design as a guide, flatten clay is used with different scale and stacked on top of another to form a structure. After modeling the clay, an extension is modeled and attached to the bottom of the largest base.

The extension is used to cling on the arm of the user.

This clay model uses the base design to form a cube structure. The cubic structure is build with different scale and is attached to a round or spherical base.

A repetitive pattern is of cube is used on each side of the face. The model is repeated with several different scales at random.

model 4

model 3

Another model, where the structure with a large base spirals upwards to form a pointed top.

This model will be the basis volumetric structure for the transformation of the base design.

I prefered this clay model to the others as I want to portray the spider web’s timeline on to my lantern.

I like how I would be able to make the spider web spiral from the tip with small scale and ends up becoming a bigger scale.

Using the cone shape model clay layout, a much more improvised model was formed. This model mimics the roof of the Chrysler building in New York City.

Instead of using a squared base, a triangle base is used.

This follows the pattern found in the spider web. The design uses flat sheets of clay and stacked inwards and upwards until it reaches a pointed top.

The flat sheets of clay uses different scale, from big to small as it rises upwards. The model is held on a hand and is pointed upwards.

virtual environments

IDEATION

reflection

Week 1

The lecture started off with a big question mark on our faces, “how do we see our world?” The main character in Matrix, Neo sees the world in digital codes and numbers, but how do we view our world in daily life? Virtual environment is a subject that encourages us to view the world in different perspective and in different ways. Virtual is used as a representation of information. Pattern is the very basis of virtual information, for example, the spatial pattern, natural pattern and abstract pattern. Pattern can also be used as a recipe or rule of forming virtual information. The example of growing tree branches was a given example during the lecture. The tree branch grows in a simple rule, grow a little and divide, grow a little and divide and so on until it becomes a complex structure of a full grown tree. This rule makes the tree a representation through the growing of branches. Another example is the flight part over the Heathrow Airport. Lines scatter in the sky to produce a pattern that is a representation of the flight the plane is under taking above the sky.

In the Analytical Drawing by Kandisky’s Teaching at the Bauhaus by Poling, Clark (1987), analytical drawing discuss the relationship among the structural objects and nature. It involves simplification of the structure, emphasizing the tension forces, and translation. The drawings are basically an analysis on the balance, symmetry and movement of the structural object.

Simplification of the structure is through the geometric forms of the object. This step was used to recognise the structural geometry of the design I had chosen. Bolding of lines and the distance apart between two lines is used to show movement and balance. Through analytical drawing, a still-life drawing transforms into a more spatial image.

In the Tooling reading by Aranda/Lasch, we were introduced to the term ‘algorithm’ which simply means a series of steps or rules. The introduction of the reading starts off with the unique patterns of the snowflakes. An algorithm, the rule of six is used by Wilson Bentley to describe the fact that all snowflakes are six-sided and that no two are alike. To further understand the basic steps in each algorithm, a recipe is vital. It provides simple step-by-step process of forming a shape or pattern.

Week 2

A spider web is a unique structure made of silk and is one of the strongest fibre. The formation of this structure can be used to re-create the pattern with basic rules. A centre point is determined and a Y-shaped line is formed. Multiple lines are then used to connect from the centres to the frame. Triangle shapes are then fitted into the gap between the lines. From the centre to the outer edge, the triangle gets scaled up. Some of the pattern formed can be seen as if mirroring transformation had occurred.

This can be deduced that spider web pattern has specific moment of transformation, i.e. symmetry, scaling, mirror and repetition.

The article by Philip Ball describe that some pattern formation are self-organised (dunes and sand pattern) and some patterns formed due to biological evolutionary that takes into account of physical forces and chemical processes (living organism, i.e. zebra and clown fish pattern on the body). Spider web is a self-organised pattern, where the spider is its own architect and engineer.

virtual environments

Design

DESIGN

inspiration

virtual environments

DESIGN Since I like how the model 3 from clay modeling process, I had improved the model and gave it a better touch.

digitisation Perspective View

Top View

Front View

Right View

I then used Rhino to make the contours and produce a set of orthographic images.

It took me awhile to master the Rhino program. I took the time to leanr through the tutorials that was uploaded in the LMS.

Panelling with 2D Pattern

virtual environments

DESIGN

paneling

In this module, we were given the task of creating a 3D panel for our lantern. Since I had initially found the basic common geometric shape of the spider web pattern back in the Ideation process, I had decided to stick with the shape.

I continued to develop the triangle shape using Rhino program, creating pyramid with different heights. After creating the panel, I had the CNC machine in the Fab Lab in Building 757 to cut out the panel I designed in Rhino.

The cutting lines in the panel is actually a guideline to show the triangles present within the pyramid panel. I chose this cutting instead of a big fat triangle cutting because in my opinion, the large triangle cutting will make my lantern lose its purpose as the LED lights can be seen from outside.

I used the LED light to see the light effect each of the panels that I have made. I really like the panel with a shorter height.

I believe this will make my lantern less spikes and not to be too outstanding in the public, just like how a spider web is able to camouflage itself in thin air. Moreover, I like the sharp bright light effect on the wall that is created by the short pyramid.

I then improvised a little and experimented using black paper this time for the panel. Using the same panel that I had created, I combined two of them together just like the image below to created a new panel. Instead of a pyramid, I have made a hexagon shaped panel.

virtual environments

DESIGN

design development

This time I install the panel onto the 3D model that I have created in Rhino based on the clay model that I have mould.

The hexagon pyramid panel did not sit well on the 3D model as shown in the picture on the right. There were large gaps between each panel and only the tips of both the east and west of the hexagon panel are touching one another compared to the 4 sided pyramid panel. I find it difficult to use Rhino to make each panel joint together properly without any large gaps.

6-sided pyramid - Hexagon The 4 sided pyramid sits well onto the 3D model and not creating any gaps between one another. However, this is not the only reason why I chose the 4 sided pyramid panel.

I went back to module 1 (ideation), where I had previously made a base pattern using a transformation that I chose. I really like how the triangles work with one another.

4-sided pyramid Since the Rhino work was a little messy and most of the panels weren’t matching up, I had to do it manually. I also discovered that some of the panels are curving due to the contours of the 3D model. I used pt_triangulate surface to make the curves straight. I then manually match the sides of the panel to one another to remove the gaps in between.

4 sided-pyramid remodeled

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DESIGN

reflection

Week 2 One of Heatherwick project, the Seed Cathedral, is a building designed for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai had 66,000 seeds implanted into a fibre optic glass rod that illuminates the entire building. He focused mainly the natural sunlight to provide light through into the building. The question he had before starting the project was how to bring light to expose the seeds, giving details and make it seem precious. The film “Jurassic Park” gave him an inspiration, especially the DNA that is trapped inside the amber that could bring enormous information. So, using this idea, the seeds were filled into the ends of the fibre optic rod. The square building had 66,000 holes drilled through which allows light to penetrate the entire site and optical fibre glass with seeds inside it is inserted into each hole. This presents the opportunity for the viewers to have a closer look on these seeds with the help of the light illuminating through the rod. Each rod brings light to the centre of the building.

His building design was actually base on an advertisement on a hair dough toy, where it imitates the projection of the hairs made by the toy.

In the Scheurer and Stehling’s article “Lost in Parameter Space?”, they discussed on the comparison between an abstraction and reduction. Abstraction is the removal of the complexity of a design details to a level where it can be simplified and describe without difficulties. For example, in Module 1, I removed several patterns and lines found in the spider web to find a common geometric shape. As for reduction, it is about rewriting/resurface the information and transporting it without distorting the content. In my design, I used the common shape of the spider web to form an extrusion and a 3D model consisting of transformation of triangles. This allows information to be contain within the context.

virtual environments

FABRICATION

t a

c i r b

Fa

n io

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FABRICATION

prototype

I decided to unroll the panels vertically. I colour coded each vertical panel. There were 10 sections to be cut by the CNC machine.

However, problem arises as some of the panels do not unroll properly and I had to seperately unroll them into pieces as shown in the image on the right. This made the task of glue-ing it together much more difficult. Moreover, I realised that I had made a mistake, where I rescaled my unrolled panel instead of the 3D model in Rhino. This made some of the panels to be off the scale and some parts were out of proportion.

The centre image on the right shows the 2 vertical strip panel does not joint together adjacently. In the end, I decided to use what I had learned from the mistake I made making this prototype and went straight to designing my final lantern.

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FABRICATION

fabrication

This time I redo manually the triangulate surface, matching the mismatched points of the triangle.

Instead of unrolling it vertically, I unrolled it horizontally. There were 10 sections of the model to be unrolled.

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FABRICATION

assembling process

There are 10 sections of horizontal strips. I attached each strip one by one. The panels were glued together using UHU Glue.

After each horizontal panels were attached, the model were then assembled layer by layer from the 1st level (highest) to the 4th level (middle) and then from the 5th level (middle) to the 10th level (lowest).

I did this to ensure that I had enough space for my hand later to install the lighting circuits into the lantern.

It took me around 8 hours to finish assembling the entire model.

Next I assembled the circuit for my lantern. I purchased 5 LED strips initially to light up my lantern. During the later stage I added another 3 more strips because I find that my lantern wasn’t shining bright enough to my liking. Another reason I added another 3 LED strips is because the 5 strips were facing one side of the lantern and I wanted the other extras to face the opposite side to make the lights shine more even throughout the lantern.

I used solder to attach the wires to the LED strips and uses 9V battery as the power supply. I initially had a switch installed to the circuit but I realise the battery heats up really fast and drains the power even when the switch is off-ed. I think that the resistance of the circuit was to much to handle and thus decided to remove the switch.

I used an aluminum wire and stick at the back of the LED strip so that it provided more rigidity and stability for it to stand up straight.

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FABRICATION

Improvising and problem solving

During the later stage of assembling I decided to remove the last strip, the smalles strip with the ‘0’ label. I did this because I find that it might make my lantern to be over the 1 metre range in height and also that I might not have a gap needed for the switch to be installed into the lantern.

Initially, I thought that my lantern would be smaller and that I can just hold it in my palm like a simple fire torch but it was a lot larger than I had expected due to my scaling in Rhino work. However, I find that the lantern was much better being larger and I decide to hold my lanter with both my arms in a posture just like carrying a baby.

Moreover, there where a part of the 1st level and the 2nd level of the lantern that doesn’t seem to match one another adjacently as shown in the image on the right. I had thought that I attached some part wrongly but it doesn’t seem to be the problem. I decided to just let it be as it does not seem to obvious unless someone gave a close inspection.

I also realise that I should have made a dotted tabs as some of the triangles still tends to curve due to the tension created by the joints of the panel.

I maintained the isocurves line on the panels in Rhino instead of removing it because I feel that my lantern should not just be an object that provides lighting but it also provides a feel of touching a spider web to an observer.

The opportunity to use the CNC helps creating my lantern much quicker if compared to doing it manually with hand. However, not every session that I had with the cutter was successful. It took me after 2 unsuccessful trip to the fab lab before I had a successful prototype. One of the reason was I did not attach the magenta colour on the rectangle box in Rhino.

The step forward from design to fabrication was really large step forward.

Although it was not the first time I used a designing software, as I had some experience with Adobe Photoshop but handling Rhino to create a 3D model was something new to me. Designing using Rhino was a tough challenge for me. Fabrication process was very exciting as I am able to actually feel and see the manual process of making my lantern. During design, I had to use my imagination to have a feel on how my lantern was to be but on the contrary, in fabrication, I can see how the lantern will be like when I apply the change in my design in Rhino throuch the cutter.

virtual environments

FABRICATION

lighting effect

The image on the left is when I used only 5 LED strips and the bottom images is when I installed additional 3 more LED strips to make it brighther. These images shows how the lighting effect is made by the lantern.

The difference in lighting effect is really huge in my opinion. The lighting effect when there were just 5 LED strips was rather dim as the LED’s were facing just one side of the lantern. When I added another 3 more LED strips to the other side where the lights are not facing, the lantern became much more brighter and the effect was much more outstanding.

virtual environments

FABRICATION

reflection

Week 10 A few decades ago, many models and buildings were hand drawn before being constructed. Fast forward to this modern era, digital design has become the norm and hand drawings are now the stone age period. Before I had entered university, I took art lessons and I was taught to use water colour. It was all very basic designing, drawing the object or scene and then adding colours to it to make it nice and artistic. Design then uses a lot of our creativity, drawing and then erasing any mistakes right on the spot.

Digital design makes life much easier as well as harder. Easier in the sense that there are many accessible with just one program at the point of our finger. Harder in the sense that it takes time to master and learn the command and nature of the program. I can never look at design the same way as I had few years back. Design now has taken a leap to the next level.

It makes designing much more exciting as it give us flexibility to create our models compared to when doing it by hand drawn.

Week 11 To be honest. I never really thought of including a degree of risk into my work when designing my lantern except the fact where I had to handle the soldering process with care. I should have taken into consideration of the risk especially when my lantern had turned out to be larger than what I had imagined. But then, there were also several risk that I did have undertaken, for example the amount of times the CNC cutter destroys my paper during the fabrication process.

virtual environments