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Digital Analogue
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Our task for this assignment was to create a 3D model of 2 or 3 shapes intersecting on Rhino and then transfer them out to make a physical prototype.
I played around with some shapes and came up with the following.
I didn't give it much thought and picked the one on the right in the first image.
I did as the brief instructed to scale the object up to 300mm^2 and followed up by unwrapping the model into a net so that a printout could be made and cut out. In addition, adding tabs to the net is vital to allow each piece to be held together.
So far, I thought I was doing alright; I was only intimidated by Rhino since I was new to the application.
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Iteration 1
I had trouble getting the printout to be in A3 size, so I printed it out on A4 first. I used regular printing paper to model and get the gist of the shape and how the tabs would work.
The tabs seemed to work fine initially since I first glued the cuboid together, followed by the cylinders.
That was my first mistake, as I had trouble sticking the cylinders at intersecting points and had to cut the tabs away and stick them with tape instead. So, it didn't manage to help me figure out what could be improved with my tabs.
Iteration 1 Final
Findings
I should evaluate which parts I want to glue together first as that affects how it comes together.
Iteration 2
I kept the same scale for this iteration as the previous one. However, the material for this prototype is thicker and harder to manipulate which will be similar to the final.
I found that curved surfaces were much harder to replicate because of the material's thickness and potentially due to the size of my tabs. My tabs for the cylinder to connect to the cuboid were originally longer, but it caused the shape to bend a certain way rather than forming a circular shape.
I found that curved surfaces were much harder to replicate because of the material's thickness and potentially due to the size of my tabs. My tabs for the cylinder to connect to the cuboid were originally longer, but it caused the shape to bend a certain way rather than forming a circular shape.
In addition, after scoring the tabs for the oval, the ends would be torn and sticking out so changed the size of the tabs on a whim as it worked better for me to learn that way.
I also realized my object differed from the one I made in Rhino. The cylinders are flipped the other way around.
Iteration 2 Final
Findings
Making the tabs smaller and not connecting on each end seemed to work well, but there was a flaw in that you could see the gaps when gluing them together.
I have to correct my net on Rhino to replicate the same object.
Iteration 3
At this stage, I finally had it printed in A3 and changed the printout on Rhino so the correct shapes would be stuck together.
At this point, I was set on my cuboid shape, seeing how it had no significant issues.
I stopped following the tabs I initially made and adjusted them spontaneously as I saw fit. I tried to avoid having gaps between tabs for the oval shape but it ultimately had the same issue as the previous iteration.
The cylinders also tend to bend at a certain angle when the tab is scored.
Besides that, I used hot glue instead of transparent all-purpose adhesive cause it just held better, especially for cylinders, but I had to be quick and precise because this iteration showed my faults with the lack of precision and agility.
Iteration 3 Final
Findings
I believe I shouldn't score the cylinder tab so it wouldn't bend and it would still serve the same purpose.
The gaps between tabs for the oval shape are unavoidable; therefore, I should make the gaps smaller.
The printout is still scaled down as I fit the net into the paper rather than the other way around.
Final
For the final, I set it to the exact scale without any changes.
Final object
Reflection
I'm still not satisfied with my final shape but time was limited. My progress felt rather stagnant like there wasn't any actual improvement. Another learning lesson from this assignment would be documenting as I go instead of doing all of it at the last minute. I do think I documented whatever was necessary in bullet points but I generally forgot to take photos, which was my detriment.
I would probably try to tackle this again in my own spare time. Despite being a long, tedious process, I quite enjoyed it.
