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Learning To Learn-3D Workshop Skills

Amy Carter
May 8, 2018
8 min read

During the first half of my first year I will be participating in a number of 3D Workshop Skills Sessions as part of the Learning To Learn module. Over the next few weeks I will be learning a variety of 3D workshop skills, such as, laser cutting, fractal modelling, maquette making, and how to use the different tools and equipment within the workshop. The first session began by giving me an overview of the general healthy and safety rules to follow when in the workshop which was then followed by more detailed health and safety rules specific to certain pieces of machinery that must followed to ensure proper use of the equipment and no injuries. The general healthy and safety instructions and the most important was to also wear gloves and goggles; never leave a machine on when unattended; if you are not using a machine stayed within the marked areas; make sure that hair, jewellery, and loose clothing are either made secure or moved out the way so that is doesn't get caught in the machines. Once the health and safety introduction was over and I was given an overview on how to operate the different machines and tools I then proceed to have a go at using a few of the tools and machines which personally I found them very easy to use and get to grips with as a lot of the tools and machinery, such as the hammers, drills, sanders, band saw, saw bench etc. I had used prior to this workshop introduction at college, high school and at home.

Oct 3, 2016

In my second workshop session the focus of the session was quick ways to show designs and ideas through 3D modelling. This was done by looking into how to make maquette's. A maquette is usually a small, quick, rough sketch model used by artist and designers to show the simple shapes, patterns, scales and look of their designs; however maquette's can vary in both size and detail. To explore how to make maquette's I was given the task of going around the New Adelphi building and photographing different shapes and structures that I came across that I would be able to make quick yet effective maquette's of using a variety of different materials. Using a variety of materials allowed me to experiment maquette making further as I was able to see what materials were the quickest and easiest to use, what materials were easiest to form a variety of shapes out of, and which ones were sturdiest and gave the best final outcome. In my opinion, the easiest material to use was paper as it was the easiest to cut, bend and stick together, however it is flimsy and doesn't have any structure. Therefore, the best material I found to use for maquette making is cardboard, as although it does take longer to get it in the shape/structures desired it is a sturdier material and gives a better, cleaner finish. Here are some photographs of the maquette's I made during this session:

From this session I have taken an understanding of a new skill that is an effective and different way to demonstrate my ideas and designs quickly in a simple and effective manner. I think this skill will come in handy when doing future projects if I want to be able to quickly show my lectures my designs and ideas when they are still in the early stages instead of only showing flat drawings.

Oct 10, 2016

In my third workshop session the focus was still on how to create quick 3D models but by using a different technique called Fractal Modelling. Fractal Modelling is a model that contains fractals which are never-ending patterns, sometimes complex, and this pattern/shape is then repeated over and over but on different scales and possibly out of different materials. To experiment with fractal modelling I was given a variety of materials, glue and a scalpel. To create my fractal model I decided to use two different materials and cut triangular shapes out of the them, and then curve the triangles and arrange them in a pattern for my fractal model. Here are some photographs of my model:

While learning to do fractal modelling was interesting and has given me a new skill and another way demonstrate my ideas and designs I don't believe it will be the most useful skill or one that I would use that often because the general basis is that a fractal model is a model of repeating shapes and/or patterns, which for the majority of my design wouldn't work as they usually aren't that simple. However, it could still be a technique which could be useful in the very early stages of designing as it allows me to experiment with different shapes and structures and how these merge and flow together. After this session and my last session I think combining the skills I learnt from maquette making and fractal modelling will become helpful throughout my studies and in general when designing as a method for me to view my initial ideas in a 3D form instead of only in a 2D form. This would be particularly useful as I would then be able to see my ideas in a 3D form which would show me their physically appearance and I believe this would help me improve my designs as well as improve myself as a Designer.

Oct 17, 2016

During my fourth workshop session I started leaning how to use the more complex 3D modelling machines with the main focus being put on the laser cutting machine as through thus session I quickly learnt that this particular machine will become the most helpful for designing and making 3D models that are to-scale. The first piece of information I learnt about using the laser cutting machine was the healthy and safety instructions. These included:

Never look directly at the laser
Never put your hand in the machine when the laser is on
Wait a few minutes after the laser cutting is complete before lifting the lid as their may still be so harmful fumes in the machine
Keep a close eye laser cutting once cutting incase the material sets on fire
Always make sure one the technicians is close by

After the healthy and safety introduction I then learnt about the different material that can used in a laser cutting e.g. wood, plastic, paper, perspects etc. and the different types of detailing a laser cutting machine can do; such as, cutting, etching, scoring etc. Once I had learnt all these basic skills I proceeded to have a go at cutting out some basic shapes on the laser cutting machine from a variety of materials with the help of the technician so that I could see how it worked.

So far this session has proven to be the most interesting and enjoyable as it has been the most technical and also the most challenging so far which increased my interest even more as I enjoy learning new skills that are challenging because then I can improve. From this session I understand the health and safety of laser cutting, what the machine does, and the quality of models I can make using it; however, I still have a lot more to learn about how to create my designs in a 2D format as separate components so that they can be laser cut and so that they fit together so I can make high quality models through this technique. I also want to learn how to use and set up the laser cutting by myself without the use of the technicians so that I will be able to use the machine independently and at all times.

Oct 24, 2016

After these 3D workshop skills sessions I have continued practicing these skills both independently and within my University projects. The skill that has proven to be most useful though has been the laser cutting as I have had two projects that required me to hand in a model and to do this I decided to use the laser cutting machine as I believed it would allow me to create a better quality model that was to-scale and also detailed. As well as getting a good quality final product I was also able to grow my confidence in this particular skill, which has enabled me to create to-scale laser cut models for two of my previous projects; Design and Materials and 3D Design Principles. The 3D models I created using the laser cutting machine can be seen within the photographs underneath. The first model which was created for my 3D Design Principles module is a obstacle course/installation. The brief for this module was to create an interactive installation that would have either a positive or negative effects on people. Therefore, for my design I focused on the idea of fears and excitement. Both of these are feelings that could come from participating on my interactive installation as it involves heights, the dark, the fear of falling etc. All of these aspects will either make people feel uneasy and/or scared, or will make people feel excitement and/or an adrenaline rush. The model shows an obstacle course suspended high above the ground with four boxes suspended mid-air. Once the participants climb up the net they will be the first box which is completely dark on the inside (fear of the dark), then they would climb up into the second box which is completely made of glass; this was designed like this for the fear factor but also with the idea in mind of being able to see amazing views of the city (fear of heights/falling), after this they would drop down into the third box which has a glass bottom (fear of falling), and then finally to get to the last box the participants would have to climb across a ladder to get the last box (fear of heights/falling) were after all the fear factor they would created by box with a cosy, soft, fluffy interior that would include a fireman's pole for them to be able to escape the obstacle course.

The second model which I created for my Design and Materials module is an interactive seating area/shelter/lookout point. The brief for this module was to design and create an outdoor shelter/seating area/lookout point constructed out of eco-friendly materials and to be made a modular design. The design had to focus around bringing people closer to nature and the wildlife. Therefore, I focused around the idea of creating an area that provided shelter and a place to sit while keeping it very open plan so that their are no barriers or obstacles between the people and the wildlife. I have done this in order to bring them closer together and to inspire interaction between the two. The main design feature of my shelter/seating area/lookout point is the triangular roof the is made of glass and corten steel as both of these are eco-friendly materials and well as easily recyclable. To bring my design even closer to nature I design the bottom half of the triangular roof to be constructed from corten steel but moulded like a flower bed so that grass and small flowers could be grown on the bottom half of the roof which makes the structure less intrusive to the surrounding area. Its also designed with the intent for people to climb up this section of the roof so that they may sit and take in the views from a different perspective. Final, the glass section of the roof was incorporated with the intent of people being able to look upwards and see all of the surroundings views including those above whilst being able to sit and relax under shelter.