week 5
This week's assignment was to design and 3D print something that would be difficult to make with subtractive methods. I initially decided to make a replica of a desk trinket that had curvature and an overall spherical shape. I was able to complete the CAD with relative ease, since another one of my modeling assignments used similar techniques, so I decided to try something new.
I recalled seeing an example of 3D printed chain mail earlier in the semester, and have been interested since in making something whose components could move relative to each other while still being one object. I decided to print a bracelet, and followed this tutorial on youtube. Creating the spline (which would later become the shape of an individual chain) was difficult, and I had to start over a few times. The ellipse function is also suprisingly tricky to use! But I also learned how to use the pattern function, which allowed me to create a circle of my chains.
In the future, I'd be interested to see how small I can make each chain. I prefer more delicate looking jewelry to my finised product, but the fillament diameter is a major constraint on my ability to make tiny chains.
I decided to scan another weird desk creature for photogammetry. The results took a long time to process, and there was a lot of noise, but it was pretty cool!
I realized that I had to slow down in order to get more high-fidelity scans, and also that scanning colored objects that have texture yields the most accurate results. I tried again with a stuffed animal.
Finally, I updated my final project page with a new proposal and plan!