The School of Visual Arts at NIU recently acquired a 3D printer, which creates basic prototypes of digital models.  There are a number of different technologies that achieve this; our machine uses a special powder that is applied one very thin layer at a time.  A printer head moves across the powder, dispensing a glue binder in a cross-section of the model.  This way, the 3D structure is gradually built out of slices of bound powder.

Last semester, I designed this figure for an animation course.  After posing it against a wall for support, we exported the model as an STL file and sent it to the printer.  About 4-5 hours later, the print was complete and ready for excavation.  I’m really happy with how this turned out, it’s a kick to see something that once existed only in a computer turned into a real, tangible form.

Created with 3dsmax, sound coming soon.

Click for big version.

I looked up one of my old 3d projects from an independent study from 2003 and decided to touch it up. This was a prototype for a standalone DVD copier/media player, where an original and blank would be inserted in the trays and it would create a duplicate. A product similar to this was released about a year later, and now it’s all pretty laughably obsolete.

Still, there was some good detail work here (especially the CD drives), so I started restoring it and put some new textures on it. I can’t remember if none of the corners are filleted intentionally, or if Inventor 6 would crash if you created too much geometry. Either way, this whole project could use some fresh case design and re-purposing (Blu-Ray Copier?).

After reading about the Vertical Farm Project, I became interested in trying to design a building with some type of environmental benefit for my final ARTD490 project. I came up with a scalable tunnel/road-covering for rural roads, powered by solar cells, and intended to provide several benefits:

• Off-grid highway lighting for remote/rural areas, increasing wildlife visibility
• Supplemental electricity for connected areas
• Insulation, reducing icing in winter and cooling roadway during summer

The arch design is essentially in compliance with AASHTO Standards for US interstate bridges and passageways, with a clearance over 18 feet and an inside width of 40 feet. Each section is 10 feet long.

Variations on the design include a longer version with lined troughs on each side so topsoil can be packed into the outer supports, increasing its insulation properties and reducing its visibility in naturally pristine areas. Another variation envisions each section connected to another by mag-lev rails, allowing solar energy to be expended deploying a flexible, weatherproof “curtain” between arches in the case of severe storms or emergencies.

With the exception of the solar cells, construction materials are low cost but durable enough for prolonged service. More concept renders below:

Front/Side Perspective View
Additional “Night” View
Draft of Daylight Composite

Here’s a pattern study, working from an original design.  This is my first render that makes use of the MentalRay rendering engine and its extended material library.

It’s been a long time since I worked with 3D, and my early attempts were always marked by an amateurish aesthetic and lack of design consideration. For my first independent study project, I focused on created a high-resolution, visually rich typographic piece.

Created in 3dsmax, polished in Photoshop.