DSDN104 - Project 1 - Week 3 - Rendering Tutorial

First attempt at rendering with lighting, unfortunately the server crashed before my render finished.

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Week 3 - Development

I have ran into a few problems during my creation of 3DS models that has lead me back to the drawing board by creating a new STL master file from Solid Works. The original STL file was giving me a poly count of over 2,000,000 with only ten iterations in 3DS causing the computer to operate slower with each new iteration. Also i wanted to start with a simpler form so i could build it up towards a complex form.

Revised STL file from SolidWorks. I will develop this in 3DS max as my first iteration.

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Itterations Development

First 11 renders from my new narrative concept.

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Concept Devalopment

For my 81 iterations I want to express a definitive narrative, the process of "degeneration". During further research of my noun "virus" i feel i have developed an appropriate expression that involves how a virus operates in real life, including the degenerative part of its life cycle. An effective virus enters its host as a complex form, capable of immobilising the immune system of the foreign body and attacking different targets within. The virus then adapts, grows and finally multiplies to feed of its host then at its most paramount point of evolution the host fights back, creating antibodies that mirror the virus, latching on and blocking the virus's attacks like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The virus is then unable to reproduce or grow and "degenerates" and "disintegrates". Using this concept i would like my form to grow in 3DSMAX to a paramount, complex form half way through my iterations then "degenerate" and "disintegrate" to a final form that is simpler than the form i started with. This contrasts my initial idea of taking a complex form and simplifying it through the progression of my iterations. 

A virus "degenerating" after contact with white blood cells (anti-bodies).

    

DSDN12 - Project 1 - Development - Sound Experiments

I have begun my investigation into how our brain deals with sound in ways that dictate the information on what we need (What we hear) and what we dont need. The cocktail effect is a particular phenomenon that manifested my interest in this concept. The cocktail effect is the phenomenon that occurs when we are listening and absorbing information of one conversation in a room full of separate conversations at the same volume. Although, physically all the sound waves of these conversations are reaching our eardrums, or brain filters them out, so we here them as background noise, almost subconsciously quieter than the conversation that has our attention. 

Another phenomenon that has begun to interest me is binaural beats. These are sound artifacts that induce a physical response and can improve brain function. Also when played in constant repetition they have the ability to subconsciously remove themselves from your auditory senses enabling you to concentrate on listening to something else. To experiment with this phenomenon i wrote the first half of this blog post with this binaural beat playing. I was able to compose and type the first paragraph in under 2 minutes. For this current paragraph i have been listing to this, a synthesizer producing randomly pitched notes. I have watched the five minute video twice and only got this far through the paragraph. What you can begin to conclude is that the ability to concentrate can be changed by what the auditory sense is engaging in.

DSDN141 - Project 1 - Further Materials Testing

Boiled mandarin peel, leaf and onion.

My first three experiments were largely unsuccessful. I was testing the effects of a leaf when boiled using a mandarin and onion as a measure. The effects of hot water on the leaf, in contrast to when boiled where very minimal. The leaf lost some structural integrity but no color or consistency. 

Heated and liquified sugar.

The results of sugar when introduced to heat produced some interesting results. The sugar liquified and then hardened to create a solid that was extremely solid. I then proceded to pour the sugar on ice so that when the ice melted and the sugar hardened a structural form was created out of the sugar.  

DSDN104 - Project1 - First Render Concept Iterations

First trail iterations with my final SolidWorks export

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Final Solid Works Export

Final export from solid works as my basis for 3DS Max

I have changed a few features for my final export. Most of the angular edges have been filleted to provide harmoney with the fluid forms. I have also added a few cuttings out of the main extrusions to exentuate the angular form further.

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Generated Final Precedence Sketch and Key Definitions

Sketch I have created as my final precedence before I create my final solidworks file.

First attempt at replicating my precedence in Solidworks.

The above sketch is a final abstracted form I have created from my precedence images. The idea behind the sketch is to show a complex form made of two contrasting fluid and angular forms replicating the complexity of a cell. This way I can degenerate" and "disintegrate" this complex form in the same way a "virus" or disease would when attacking cells or cell structures. I intend to show this process through my 81 iterations to end up with a final form that has been stripped of any features of the original. 

Key Word Definitions:

Degeneration: The process in which a complex or intelligent design or being undergoes a drastic change that prevents it from completing its intended function, stripping it back to its minimum or destroying it completely. The antonym of growth. 

Disintegration: Destroying something to the point where it becomes removed from its intended physical state.

Virus: An ultra microscopic, metabolically inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts, mainly bacteria, plants, and animals.

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Final Precedence Images

Final reels of precedence images. Large scale cell degeneration (Left) and small scale cell degradation (Right).

I have taken inspiration from large scale cell degeneration and have considered the structure of this process to create a final sketch that I will use as my final precedence.  Also by considering my three key words, "Degeneration", "Disintegration" and "Virus" I will create a final precedence sketch that considers the process in which a virus degenerates and disintegrates cells. Extenuating the process of a complex for such as a cell being striped down to simple, impractical and dysfunctional forms.

DSDN112 - Project 1 - Research - Sound

The idea of how we interact with sound on a subconscious level is beginning to interest me, and we investigated this with sound and object association. I also like the idea of absence of sound. Below is a video about the worlds quietest room. It is used to conduct part of medical examinations astronauts need to go through before going into space. Like this room, there is no sound in space. Spending long amounts of time in a soundless environments can cause immense strains on your mental health, and people have recorded hearing voices or other tricks of the mind in a soundless environment. 

DSDN112 - Project 1 - Studio 2 - Fun Vs Function

Guitar Tuner and Bubble Gum

I have chosen a juxtaposition of objects that stimulate various senses for a purely functional or aesthetic purposes. The Guitar tuner is deigned to stimulate your visual senses in a practical way. Its black on white text and responsive LEDs mean it is easy for the user to visually find the pitch they are looking for. The guitar tuner is also very tactile due to its rubber buttons. These are nicely spaced as to hit the button the user intends to hit and give a quick response when pushed. The guitar tuner also involves the auditory sense with a clear and loud tone that lets the user reference what note they need to find. The guitar tuner is a hard object to have fun with, however it is very engaging to three out of the five sensors making it extremely functional.

In contrast it would be hard to find a practical use for bubblegum short of a substitute for Blue-tak, though it is a far from useless item. The bubblegum heavily engages all five sensors, and is highly consumed product. 

DSDN112 - Project One - Studio 1 - Five Sensory Items

Finding five items that engage more than just our sight started out as a challenge to me, but the more I thought about how my 5 senors interact with everyday objects, the faster i found myself saturated with applicable designs. For me it was in looking past pure aesthetics of an item that i found items with well considered ergonomics and ease of function engaged several sensors.   

 Bubblegum

Surprisingly, I found this simple item stimulated the most sensors when interacted with. Initially, its looks with the bright colors entrances the eyes. The semiotics of its shape and color instantly associate the products with thoughts of candy, then as the gum is unwrapped the scent gratifies those initial feelings. The texture and flavor serve its function as a food product however the secondary function of the consumer blowing bubbles also engages the ears. I prime example of a product that engages all five sensors. 

 Rubber Coffee Mug

The way the ergonomics of the mouth piece mould to the lips simulate the touch sensors. Its look and feel are integrated seamlessly to create an experience of drinking the coffee, not just keeping it warm.

 Authentic Iphone Earplugs

Without wanting to seem cliche, there is more to this item then i just being something i have i my pocket. I believe apple have created a fashion and design icon through the way these earplugs interact with your sensors. Firstly the modernist design and marble white simplicity is reminiscent of the Parthenon. Easily recognizable when worn, it would be hard to find a person in the western would that doesn't subconsciously think "Apple" when they see these. Obviously these serve the primary function of engaging the ears, but the way they have been designed to feel against your ears has been well considered.

Midi Keyboard

The black on white keys are an instant visual aid to to associating this with its function of being and instrument. The way it creates sound obviously engages the ears and the years of its existence has crafted the generic design of the keys to become ergonomic and efficient.  

Mandarin

Nature has subversively crafted a fruit that engages our sight, touch, smell and taste.  

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Studio 2 - Intro to 3DS Max

My second render attempt.

With 3DS max i was able to create two renders. The above is the more complex of the two. I believe it begins to explain the idea of degenration. It is a complex solid form with a richyly complex interior. The way the exterior is begins to separate could express the beginings of a degeneration within the complex form.

            First basic render attempt.

DSDN104 - Project 1 - Studio 1 - Precedence

 Contact photo reel  showing different cancer cells in division.

I have have used the precedence word of "degeneration" to investigate a variety of forms i believe can be derived from this. Degeneration, or devolution is a direct juxtaposition of growth. Through this realisation i was able to come up with two associated words, "disease" and "disintegration". I then wanted to investigate the process behind degeneration. The way complex and intelligent form become deconstructed to become simple as well as useless forms. An example of "degeneration" in nature is how cancer cells multiply and eventually breakdown the form they inhabit, rendering its function useless. These images will be my precedence for my model and will give me a starting structure to degenerate. 

DSDN141 - Studio 1 - Material Selection And Manipulation

Through manipulating different materials today i found two particular types that caught my attention. Polymer plastics was the first and through the introduction of heat it is a material that molds itself to its surroundings then through the cooling process is able to retain most of, if not all of its key structural integrity. The was it set was also aesthetically pleasing to the eye, however there wasn't much more i could do to this material without breaking it and it has no memory like acrylic so is unable to return to its initial form. The unexpected highlight of these experiments was how foliage off trees react when introduced to extreme heats from the heat gun. The surfaces began to pop and crackle then burn. The interesting thing about this was that it exposed the many layers the leaf was made up of. I feel further investigation through boiling and drying could reveal a way to take advantage leaf's skeleton like structure although it is unforeseen how integral to its structure moisture is when removed from it. I would also like to further investigate the structure and forms that can be created with sugar. It is a compound that is easily shifted from solid to liquid through the introduction of heat and seeing other students workings with it as a surface material has gained my interest.  

DSDN104 - Project One - Studio 1 - Adjective, Verb, Noun

The above sketch is derived from my final choice of my precedence word "Degeneration". The verb "Disintegration" and "Virus" were derived from my precedent word and i feel the three appropriately relate to one another. The final sketch i developed shows the abstract form and movement relating to the change seen in the process of disintegration. I have taken a complex form and shown it disintegrating into a simple more pure forms. Another way i looked at this was the way in which the immune system fights off a virus. Taking its initial complex structure and breaking it down into a more healthy pure structure.  

Another idea i worked with was the way a streamlined object such as a wasp would move through the air, swooping and diving, actions it has evolved to perfect. I have uploaded these sketches also as i believe i developed some interesting forms. 

Test Post - DSDN141 - Experimenting With Materials

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Test Post - DSDN104 - Digital creation

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