Picking our object and theme:
Finding an interesting object was difficult at first. Our group wanted something that was unique and wouldn’t give us too many problems down the road. Initially we thought relatively big with the objects we were into such as a lamp, couch, chair but quickly realized scanning them would be extremely difficult for this project. Luckily, Dom suggested Moustapha, the monkey who was dynamic in its structure but also small so scanning wouldn’t be a problem.
After we picked out our object, we brainstormed themes together during class. We had two favorite ideas. The first was sticking with the Turkish and Moroccan style of the monkey and the second is integrating the natural and artificial. We chose the second because we thought of making artificial furniture with themes of nature.
Scanning:
The first few scans were messy because we were either moving too fast or not having enough overlap between shots. We decided to prop the Moustapha up on a trashcan so we can get the right angles easier but we realized it was just blending into his bottom side. So we got a tall white table as a platform instead and it worked well. By the second scan on, we had a thorough, usable scan which we then distributed for modeling.
Personal Reflections:
PALOMA:
The original concept for my piece was a chair. This proved to be too big to print, so I opted to create a side table. I aimed to utilize the monkey’s form as the base of the side table, with the table top beveled slightly.
I used a cylinder tool to create the top part of the table, scaling and rotating the faces to achieve the exact shaping I wanted. I then decided that the tail of the monkey would look really interesting as the support for the table. I then went about editing a cylindrical shape into the curved tail of the monkey. This part took the longest, as I had to rotate and modify many small sections of the tail to get the curve to achieve a look similar to a monkey’s tail. My print time was 23 hours and happened relatively seamlessly. However, my print was almost filled with supports and it was an incredibly tedious task to remove the supports.
Holistically, I really enjoyed working with blender to modify an existing shape. I feel that it is really fun to experiment with shapes and materiality and the process of seeing that creation to a final print is so illuminating. I definitely learned a lot of ins and outs to Blender, and got better at discerning what parts of a shape would serve me best to focus my modifications on. The most difficult part for me was the printing process and specifically removing the supports because I did not understand how hard that would be and did not accommodate enough time for it. Our team was super collaborative and we all had a good time ideating and creating together.
MAX:
I was assigned the task of making a coffee table. In our group, we came up with a design idea to arrange monkey shapes in a circular pattern as the base of the table. Originally, we wanted a clear tabletop, possibly using an acrylic circle. However, while working on the 3D modeling in Blender, I had trouble making the top of the monkey shapes flat. The original monkey object didn’t have a flat surface on top, and despite my efforts to manipulate the vertices and use sculpting mode in Blender to flatten it, I found it challenging as I experimented with the software. So, I decided to add a thin cylinder on top of the monkeys to cover their uneven tops.
For the base, I initially tried using the array modifier tool, but I had difficulty resizing it correctly for the final print. Instead, I duplicated five monkeys individually and arranged them in a circular pattern to create the base for the table.
The final object had a height of 3 inches. When I tried to slice it for 3D printing, the estimated print time was very long, over a day. To reduce this, I split the object in half using Blender and printed the two halves separately, significantly reducing the print time. The extended print time was also due to the need for support structures, which I addressed by printing the object on its cut side. These adjustments helped reduce the overall print time and successfully produce my desired object.
Overall, I found the entire project process to be informative. I was able to learn the basics of Blender, understand the 3D printing process, and grasp the various mechanics involved in achieving a successful print. In the future, I would have liked to manage my time more effectively because I encountered difficulties at each stage of the process. With better planning, I could have avoided some unnecessary stress. Our team worked well together by effectively communicating, allowing space for each of our ideas, and troubleshooting problems that arose for each of us.
DOM:
I was originally assigned the couch but then after we realized it would be far too large to 3d print and left little room for error or re-prints. I then decided to make a smaller, handheld accessory like a yeti-style, animal inspired cup. I used the Monkey blend as a base obviously, I modeled a torus and rotated it on the Z and Y axis then moved it into the body, I then deleted the mesh protruding from his front so it was just a handle witch I then thinned out and pulled so the mannequin could fit their imaginary fingers through it. Then I added a cylinder, extruded it, put it in position and hollowed it out by deleting its top face, then made a second one and joined the edges to make a straw bend.
This was my first time using blender and was a fun project to get acclimated to. It took a while to get used to the axes as I would often get the y and z axis confused. Polycam was a really interesting tool that I am excited to use more in the future. Overall I feel it went pretty smoothly, our team worked well together, and we all got some useful experience.
MAYA:
After my group decided on creating a furniture and everyday object set for our mannequin, I started looking at inspiration images and searching online for similar nature themes among furniture, specifically lamps.
I created the above collage and thought about the similarities and differences among all of them. I liked them for different reasons. Some were simplistic and modern-looking while others were ornate and vintage-like. As a result, I created an in-between. I combined the simplistic shape of the lamp and lamp stand with the leaves on top of the lamp shade.
I went through a few initial designs on Blender before I ended up with my final product. For instance, I had made the same design but with different scale and extrude inputs, resulting in an experimentation of straight and diagonal lines. I chose to scale the bottom circumference of the lamp for a more curved object to align more with the other curved objects in our furniture set.
The most challenging part of my process were the leaves – implementation and organization. I met with Mr. Alvarez, outside of our class, to ask for guidance. He went to the website https://www.turbosquid.com for a scan of leaves. We downloaded a design, and he explained how to arrange and rotate tools to organize all the leaves on the outside of my lamp shade. This was the most technical aspect of my project, which made it the most time-consuming step for me. I took multiple breaks to clear my mind and try again.
