Digital Fabrication: Printing Reality

Links to interesting articles:
New Scientist: Desktop Fabricator May Kick-Start Home Revolution

Links to interesting websites:
MOMA: Home Delivery
FACIT: We Print Houses
Generator.x: Art From Code
Columbia: Digital Fabrication
Digital Fabrication


Case Study:

Project Ideas:

Early Explorations into the Bottle Competition

We worked with some preliminary sketches to develop a bottle design for the "Designed 4 Life" pillbox competition.

Bottle Case Study: Sigg

Bottle Case Study: Aquafina

Bottle Concept

Motive: Our motive is to create a water bottle that conceals the pills required for the treatment of HIV, internally. The bottle's appearance would be typical of a most commercially produced disposable water bottles but would contain a central pill chamber.

Method: We wish to explore the use of parametrics to obtain a basic bottle form that can be easily customized to the particular needs of the user. The medium we will be using is Revit. We have used various video tutorials to help expand our understanding of Revit's 3D modeling capabilities. One such resource is "VTC Computer Software Training." We intend to use the "Revolve" tool to created an editable family within the software.

Expected Outcome: Our expected outcome is, as aforementioned, an editable bottle that can be easily customized. We also intend to expand our knowledge of Revit's ability to create a three-dimensional editable object and convey this knowledge to our piers.

Bottle outline prior to "Revolve"


Bottle outline after "Revolve"


Bottle axon after "Revolve"

Timeline:
02.18.2009 - Early Design Sketches (2hrs billable)
02.19.2009 - Revit Explorations (4hrs non-billable)
02.20.2009 - Working Out Details and Problems Discovered in Early Explorations ( 6hrs non-billable)
02.22.2009 - Work to Create Final Model (4hrs billable)
02.23.2009 - Render Final Model and Begin Assembling Project Boards (3hrs billable)
02.24.2009 - Finalize Project Boards and Prepare for Printing (1hr billable)
02.25.2009 - Send to Printer

Bibliography:
"Designed 4 Life"
"Non-Object Bottle Design"
"Revit"
"Sigg Water Bottles"
"VTC Computer Software Training."

3D Modeling Software

I have spent quite a bit of time researching different 3D modeling programs that I have not yet had an opportunity to use. Although I have prior experience with AutoCAD, Maya, FormZ, Bonzai, and Revit, I have not had the chance to use several programs that interest me. One such program is SketchUp. It is very common and fairly basic, yet I have not had a chance to work with it. I also have an interest in learning how to model in Rhino. I am still looking for one more piece of software... perhaps Catia... but we will see.

Robert Lang: Idea + Square = Origami

Robert Lang offers interesting insight into the limits of paper and the extents of digital technology in developing forms. Here is a link to an interview of his on Ted.com.

What's Left to Invent?

We have completed our video and are really pleased with the results...especially the guest appearance of one of our very own, Murali Paranandi. This research has forced me to consider, not only what has been invented, but what is yet to be invented. Woody Norris is quoted as saying "Almost nothing has been invented yet." This is a difficult thing to wrap our heads around yet also a really exciting prospect. It is quite in contrast to the former US Patent Officer, Charles Duell, who is proportedly quoted as saying "everything has been invented."