DIGITAL ANALOG - Luca Lin
Brief:
Create a 3D model of a virtual object in Rhino then reproduce it as a physical card model.
IDEATION:
Below were my ideations for my shape, all made in Rhino 7. The shapes were primarily comprised of different combinations of rectangular prisms, cylinders and cones.
I decided to stick with my first idea due to simplicity.
ITERATIONS
Iteration 1:
Below are my first iteration using the cutouts from Rhino. I had barely any idea of what I was doing or what I could do and I was unaware of the concept of 'tabs' beforehand.
The iteration looks scraggly and messy with gaps on the top so I figured that I needed to do something about that.
Process:
Below are images documenting my progression. The first image was just the file printed from Rhino. The second image was what I printed out before I knew what to do exactly - I had not scaled nor fitted the shape to ready it for cutting.
The third image just shows the individual cutouts.
Iteration 2:
Here, I had connected some of the shapes together rather than cut them out individually and reassemble everything. It definitely created a much smoother look with no holes at all.
It does not look as rough as iteration 1 which was great.
Process:
The image below just shows the cutout shapes but this time, some are connected.
Iteration 3:
I was informed that one of the iterations (as well as the final model) needed to be made out of 'prototype card' rather than just paper so here's my experimentation with that.
Additionally, I tried using tabs and glue and tried to limit the use of tape for a more seamless and smoother look.
At the end however, the glue just refused to stick so I was forced to apply some tape before it fell apart.
Process: Here are the cutouts with the tabs. I had to place them on the prototype card and trace them on the second image.
Iteration 4:
This was honestly my attempt at a final model but the quality was so poor that I couldn't bear to make it that.
Here I tried to resize the shape to fit 'snugly' in a 300mm by 300mm box unlike the other iterations which were smaller for the sake of efficiency.
However, this meant that I could not connect the shapes as they wouldn't fit on the A3 print out paper so I had to resort to just tabs and glue.
Process:
I mucked up the first attempt because on the shape, there is a thinner and a thicker side and I accidentally swapped the two so I had to reprint it.
Only using glue, it was much more difficult to manage as it would sometimes just come apart and it would crease when I would try to press it to stick.
I also had to draw on the tabs by myself on paper as I didn't know that you had to draw it on Rhino beforehand which may have contributed to the more raggedy look.
Also, I later discovered it was way too big.
FINAL MODEL
Below is my final model, rescaled to fit within the 300mm by 300mm box and therefore I was able to connect some of the shapes together for greater efficiency and aesthetic as seen below.
This model, compared to the previous attempt connects much better and barely has any gaps and holes.
CONCLUSION: INSIGHTS and LEARNINGS
The process overall was not difficult nor complicated and everything was quite
easy to pick up and learn - but it was quite hard to do well.
It would have helped to not rush things and instead, take the time to create a quality product instead of speeding through it and messing up smaller details
Additionally, studying the brief, schema and frequently asking the instructors or other friends for help may have also been beneficial.
