CSC 2521 Interactive Modeling and Fabrication: Design of Everyday Things Modeling Assignment

 

...your goal is to produce a functional object that embodies good design.

Pick any form you want, any functionality, mix and match if you wish. ...you could for example model espressoman, the self-caffeinating mythical offspring of a jilted barista and an arabica coffeebean.

Seriously though, try and incorporate aspects of existing physical objects into your design, and try and design something with functional parts. For instance you might design a smartphone/tablet case that can double up as stand, or a hang-on coffee mug accesory that can hold cookies, or the Vitruvian cutlery holder on the course webpage.

You can use any modeling, texturing, animation software including scanning physical pieces, downloading models etc. ...once you have modeled your object, manifest it digitally by laser cutting, 3D printing and combining with other physical components like screws, rivets, small motors or even rubberbands.

This assignment is to make you familiar with existing modeling workflows and tools and give you an appreciation of both how easy and hard modeling can be. Here are some links to existing model repositories, some software, papers and manufacturing to give you ideas and help you on your way...

Ideation

http://www.sketch-a-day.com/

Models

http://www.creativecrash.com/
http://www.3dcafe.com/
http://shapes.aimatshape.net/viewmodels.php
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/

Software

http://www.flatfab.com

http://meshmixer.com/

http://www.sketchup.com/

http://www.blender.org/

http://www-ui.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~takeo/research/fibermesh/

Maya in the lab (http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-maya/overview)

Papers

http://www.faculty.idc.ac.il/arik/site/3Sweep.asp

http://vecg.cs.ucl.ac.uk/Projects/SmartGeometry/concept_sketch/conceptSketch_sigg13.html

http://vis.berkeley.edu/papers/funcmod/

Presentation

http://www.shapeways.com/

http://keyshot.com/

https://www.anubis3d.com/

 

Try and be as creative and artistic as you can. Your final output should be a physical artifact but can be accompanied with digital movies, renderings or 3D objects.

 

Deadline: The assignment is due in class October 20, where we will share our results with the class. 

 

This is the first time students are being asked to create physical artifacts, but here are a few digital designs made by students in the past...