Stefanie Judd638809

Virtual Environments Semester 1

Week 4Group 5

Module 2: Design

Contour MethodI experimented withthe contour method,to aid in creating mydigital model. Becauseboth sides of my lan-tern are symmetrical I used only half of my clay model to dem-onstrate this method. I initially cutmy model in half to ex-pose the vertical cross section

Secondly I drew a se-ries of lines across the bisected model, and then cut through the whole model to pro-duce the five pieces shown below.

These pieces can be used in Rhino to create my digital model by tracing these shapes and using appropriate methods to combine them to form the lanterns shape.

Digitised Model

Steps to create my digitised model:

1. The first thing I did in creating my lanterns shape was to create a sphere2. I then turned gumball on and used it to elongate and pull the sphere into an oval or egg shape3. Using another oval shape overlapping the original shape at an angle, I was able to use the Boolean difference command to subtract the overlap of the second oval from the first to create figure four.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4

Digitised Model Cont.

Step 5 Step 6 Final Product

Steps Continued:

5. Step five involved pulling up and pushing down parts of the side of the shape until it resembled my clay model.6. To complete the model and create the ‘bump’ in the centre I created the shape shown in the step six capture and once again used boolean difference to create a cutout in the base of the model created in step 5. I then placed the curved ‘bump’ shape back into the centre and my model was complete.

Orthographic Images

Using Paneling Tools

To create the ‘skin’ of my lantern I used paneling tools on Rhino. I created a grid (figure 1) so that I could apply different panels to the outside of my lantern. Initially I used the wave 2D panel shown in figure 2, however it did not line up correctly and there were visible gaps between each triangle.

I then changed the wave to a simple triangle and it formed what can be seen in figure 3.

Figure 1

Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 4

Further Developing My Design

Side View Top View

Main outer section (yellow)

This is the outermost section of the lantern, and will be the most visible. I went into the paneling utili-ties and created these triangular holes in each of the larger triangles. The triangular holes increase in size as they approach the opening at the top of the lantern. These shapes I created are similar to that of my emerging form where I used many triangles and connected them to form a 3D shape with a star opening.

Further Developing My Design

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3

Inner Section (Green)

This inner section is the middle section of the lantern, between the yellow and red part. The Idea is that I will put tabs on the edges of each colour part so that I can connect each part to form three layers so that the light travels through these three layers and creates an interesting shadow.

Further Developing My Design

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3

The Bump in the Middle (Red)

This is the innermost layer. I used the same method as the other sections to create the triangular shapesand cut-outs. This is the first layer the light will shine through, so will direct light through the other layers.

Design Alternatives - Using 3D Paneling

Design 1

Figure 1 shows my emerging form paper model I created. I used my emerging form in the design of my lantern, by extracting the base shape i used to create it, the triangle.

To create this first design I used 3D paneling using a triangular based pyramid. I first created a pan-eling grid, then offset my points, creating the model in figure 2. I then used the command in Rhino ‘offset faces border’ (this cuts the holes seen in figure 3) and experimented with that tool to create varying sizes of holes to in the end, create different lighting effects.

In figure 3 there are three models, this is because my lantern consists of three parts.The inner ‘bump,’ the middle piece, and the outer shell. I plan on connecting these pieces using tabs. A rough idea of what the three pieces would look like together isshown to the right.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Design 2

My second design differed from the first as I used a different 3D paneling base shape. The panels once again incorperate the triangle, However this time there are tiny slits in the middle of the points of the pyr-amids (too small to see on the image) The reason why each group of triangles (highlighted in green) has a slit in it is to create a new light pattern, where light can only escape through the slits, and just illuminate the rest of the lantern rather than flow through. The three parts are once again going to be joint together to create a totally new lighting effect.

Design 3

My third and final design, rather than incorperating triangles, uses rectangular shapes as the base for the 3D paneling. I decided to use this to experiment with another shape and see how the effects differ as well as to see which shape would create a more aesthetically pleasing design. I found with this design it was hard to prevent the panels from overlapping, however I thought the rectangular shapes gave a different perspective on what the lantern could look like.

I chose design 1 as my lantern skin, this is because I think the lighting effects would look more interesting and I would like to experiment with the triangular shapes to create different patterns through layering of paper.

Prototypes - Design 1

Part 1

To create the flatened out version of my panels I first grouped together each row downwards - this can be seen in some of the coloured panels - and use the unravel tool in Rhino. Using the grasshopper tool I was then able to create tabs for my panel to stick together(far right). After creating the tabs, I then changed the colours of the lines accordingto how I wanted them printed, and printed the panel onto ivory card.

The printed and folded panel (shown to the right) is from the outermostlayer of the lantern design - the biggest ‘shell’ part.

Part 2

This is the middle part of my model, it has smaller holes in the skin (the triangle cut-outs) so that when the light shines through this panel and then through the outer panel, different shapes form, in terms of shadows.

Part 3

This is the very middle section of the model, it has the smallest holes to once again allow for variation in the lighting effects. I created the panels in Rhino in the same way as I created the first and second parts.

When gluing the card together I used mini bulldog clips to fasten the tabs together as they dried, I used this method because it is more accurate and efficient than holding in between your fingers.

The Steps So Far

These are the three sec-tions of my model roughly stuck together to give an idea of how to connect them.

Lighting Effects

Various lighting effects can be achieved through layering of paper models of different shapes and sizes. These photographs show the shadows each panel creates individually, as well as when they are all placed together. It is very hard to show the effects created when all the panels are connected as the light source is too large and not shinging from ‘within’ the lantern as there is not enough panels to create even the slightest curve for the light to be placed within.

The shadows genergated are similar to that of my emerging forms shadows as both have the triangular shapes.

Week 4 Lecure and Reading ResponseThis week’s lecture was given by guest speaker Dr. Alex Selenitsch.He talked to us mostly about form, composition and matters. A major theme of the lecture was the idea that 1+1=1, and that two things can come together, just as two things can come apart. I have used various methods or strategies of composition in the creation and growth of my lanterns design. I used the com-position idea of interference patterns.My lantern has three distinct layers which all allow light to pass through creat-ing a new pattern when the light overlaps. ‘Assemblage’ was also used in my design, as there are various triangles of different size joint together to create a circular over all shape.

Thomas Heatherwick is a well-known designer and Architect, using the ideas of special effects in many of his studio’s projects he is able to create designs that interact with their surrounding environments. For example; in Heatherwick’s TED Talks (2011) video we see his famous ‘Rolling Bridge.’ Though the design of the bridge is intriguing to those who see it, it is less the design that people are drawn in by, but rather the movement of the bridge as it changes from a flat ‘normal’ bridge into a ‘work of art.’ It is different and unfamiliar as it is unlike any other bridge that opens up, this one rolls into a polygon/circular shape.

Scheurer & Stehling’s “Lost in Parameter Space” investigates the variation be-tween abstraction, and reduction. Abstraction is lessening the complexity of reality so that it can be defined more simply and easily. On the contrary, re-duction is determining the best way to transport it, whilst at the same time not altering it.

These ideas link to the readings in module one, we can see parallels between the way Kandinsky created more abstract pieces though abstraction, and Poll-ing’s focus on developing individual and separate designs.

Bibliographyhttp://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/B/bigart/images/g_architecture_3.jpghttp://www.vam.ac.uk/users/sites/default/files/heatherwick_studio_lightbox_rolling_ bridge.jpghttp://www.heatherwick.com