Proceedings of the URECA@NTU 2010-11
Space Constellations: Digital Fabrication Farhana Ja’afar School of Art, Design and Media
Asst Prof Ina Conradi Chavez Asst Prof Peer M. Sathikh School of Art, Design and Media
Abstract - How can one translate animation or computer rendered digital painting into physical space? A focus of this project was on examining new potentials for ornamentation using digital fabrication methods. Based on recently completed short experimental animated movie, the aim was to generate physical output mimicking animated dynamics and moving images. Out of existing renders and based on available means of physical production, introductory methodologies were delivered to translate abstract shapes from an animated sequence into simple building blocks for 2D and 3D print.
translating visuals into a 3D print/product. This involves the use of 3D software such as Autodesk Maya 2 and Rhinoceros3 Created 3d digital model is then printed out into a 3d physical product. The aim of the research project is to experiment with compositing and material. Compositing is done through editing existing renders into A0 size dimension print. Variable surface materials are being tested such as paper, inkjet silk and to poster paper. The second part of the exploration is test the translation of existing NextLimit RealFlow file into a 3d prototype for the art installation set up.
The research looked into how the image combined with digital and traditional painted and drawn mediums affects the significance of the surface structure and space. In part, explored were commercial and custom coated substrates and an assortment of special surfaces, such as metal, plastic films and laminates in a digital printmaking approach as well as large scale rendering, image editing and interactive digital pre-visualizations for art space installations. This was a collaborative project where aim was to use tools common to animation, graphic design and product design.
3 LITERATURE REVIEW / BACKGROUND The existence of Digital Fabrication marks a new beginning for the design and construction industry. Digital Fabrication is a technique that translates digital models to prints, a 3d output. This ensures more accuracy during the tests, enabling designers to produce the model that is seen on screen. Machines such as rapid prototyping and laser cutter are some of the examples that are available for 3D printing. Rapid Prototyping produces models by printing the digital models through thin resin layers horizontally. The layers and then printed one after another, stacking on top of the previous layers which would result the 3d model to be formed. Unlike Rapid Prototyping, Laser cutting works differently. It does not print the model instead it uses the material input by the designer (whether be it metal, wood or acrylic) to be “sculpt” or “cut” the model. Laser cutting is a technology that uses the power of laser to burn the material. This material than melts and vaporises away, leaving behind the desired design on screen.
Keywords – nature, motion, 3D spaces, fluid in motion, momentary, fluid art, water sculpture, rapid prototyping.
1 INTRODUCTION Space Constellations: Digital Fabrication is an exploration of 3D space, pictorial image and digital prototype through art of animation. It evolved around the theme of a short animated film titled “Emotion Study”. The animated short is a series of abstract NextLimit Realflow 1 compositions based on painterly representation of five distinct emotions -- Gloom, Rage, Fear, Loneliness, Lust. This digital animation is translated to an experimental print through various processes, and methods in which will be describe further in details on later part of the paper.
These methods deem to save more time and production cost where designers are able to move to a larger room of exploration. Digital Fabrication goes beyond the traditional type of printing, allowing more complex and abstract designs to be propose and produce. Hence, tapping into the artist creativity to produce something out of the norm, an abstract art that are used in installation. [12]
2 AIMS / OBJECTIVES This research paper explores two parts of the study. The initial part is translating emotion depicting image into a 2D print. This is done through compositing images extracted from the animated short, while the second, is
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Autodesk® Maya® 3d computer graphic software is an integrated 3D modelling, animation, visual effects, and rendering solution. usa.autodesk.com 3
Rhinoceros® or shortly know for Rhino is a commercial 3D modelling software based on nurbs that is commonly used for industrial design, architecture and product design. Rhino.3d.com
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NextLimit® RealFlow® is a unique fluids and body dynamics software package for creation of flawlessly realistic simulations. realflow.com
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