Finished model:
Process images:
by Joe Meiser
Finished model:
Process images:
by Joe Meiser
The T-Splines crash course file can be found HERE. You’ll need to download this file to your desktop, extract the contents, then open the Rhino file contained within the folder.
For easy access, here are screenshots of some of the first instructions covered in this crash course:
Notes:
For more information, refer to the T-Splines user manual, or the starter guide.
Images:
Video:
If video fails to load, click here: http://digitalfabrication.blogs.bucknell.edu/t-splines-introductory-exercises/
by Joe Meiser
Project summary:
3D scanning:
Google 3D Warehouse:
MeshMixer:
“Converge: Ghraib Bag” was included in the Museum of Art & Design’s “Out of Hand: Materializing the Post Digital” exhibition. This project consisted of the sculpture shown above and the animation included below.
Hybrid examples — see also: “strange hybrid sculptures” google image search
by Joe Meiser
Makehuman
Basic method:
To avoid the step of adding the custom files, you can simply work with a basic male, female, or baby figure that the professor created. These figures are all saved in Blender format, so you can open them directly in that program. Note that the figures rigged with MHX are easier to pose. Access the basic figures here.
Advanced method (not recommended for students):
This free program can be used to generate a custom human figure that you can then pose in Blender. To use this program in your workflow, a few custom files have to be installed on your computer to allow MakeHuman to export in the correct format and allow Blender to import–the installation of the custom files is outlined on this site: https://thomasmakehuman.wordpress.com/mhx2-documentation/
Once the custom files are installed, do the following to create a custom human figure:
Go to the start bar and launch Makehuman
Use the program to customize a human figure
When finished, click: files > export > and select Blender exchange (mhx) format
Enter a file name and click the export button
Blender
In Rhino
by Joe Meiser
by Joe Meiser
USING MESHMIXER TO CLEANUP THE MODEL
Open Meshmixer and import your model.
Notes about getting started in Meshmixer:
If we push the “W” key on the keyboard to turn wireframe on and we zoom in we can see that the mesh is very dense. The dense mesh will be difficult to work with, so we’ll need to simplify it. To do this, click the “edit” button on the left, then “make solid”
Meshmixer will process your scan and a dialogue box will pop up on the left. Notice that the mesh becomes quite crude. By adjusting the “solid accuracy” and “mesh density” sliders and clicking the “update” button you can make the mesh more (or less) dense. We want to find a happy medium with the complexity of the mesh so that it is dense enough to capture all the details but not so dense that it is difficult to work with.
In this case I felt that a value of 172 for solid accuracy and mesh density was optimal. To complete the make solid process, click the “accept” button.
Note: The make solid function in Meshmixer is very useful for converting bad geometry to a watertight solid. So, for example, later this semester if you download a mesh from the web that you want to work with, but you discover that there are holes or other problems with the mesh, you can use the make solid command to convert the geometry to a useable watertight format.
Next we’ll get rid of the holes in the model and smooth out the rough spots.
Press the “S” key to open the selection panel. Notice that by default we’re using the “unwrap brush”. Adjust the brush size by moving the slider left or right. Use the brush to select a bad portion of the model. Hold shift if you need to deselect.
Press “F” to delete and fill the problem area. If you’re satisfied with the fill you can click the accept key or simply press “S” to make your next selection.
To fill deep pockets you may need to select the “sphere brush” option from the dropdown menu.
If you’re lucky in these deep areas you’ll still be able to fill by simply pressing the “f” key, as shown below.
But if you’re not so lucky you’ll get an error that looks like this. This happens because you aren’t able to grab all of the faces needed to generate good watertight geometry.
If this happens you’ll need to press “delete” to eliminate the selected faces, and then go back in to manually delete what’s left.
By default your selection brush only grabs the fronts of faces. By clicking the “allow back faces” box we can select the hard to reach faces in this cavity. When using this option be careful because it’s easy to accidentally make holes in the other side of your model.
Once all of the inner faces are deleted, select the border of the hole and press “f”
And presto! You have a filled in hole.
This method of selecting faces and pressing “f” can also be used to smooth out rough patches in the geometry, as shown below.
After you’ve finished filling in all of the holes and smoothing out the model, click the “export” button and save the model in OBJ format.
The Ganesha sculpture imported to Meshmixer as shown below:
There weren’t any big holes or rough patches to fix, so I simply needed to close the bottom of the model. I did this by clicking the “edit” button on the left and selecting “make solid”
Finally, I clicked the “export” button and saved the file as an OBJ.
by Joe Meiser
This is an example of a well written Art Report from a previous semester. Keep in mind that in the Art Report below the student was following a slightly different set of instructions–your response will only be about half as long as this example.
Immediate Response
After finding the piece Bondi Beach by Gregor Schneider in the book Art Now on page 424, I was initially reminded of a large dog pound on an otherwise pleasant beach. I became focused on the limited space provided for the individuals inside and immediately was struck by a sense of claustrophobia along with a confusion as to why people would chose to enter the cages. I found it humorous that inside the extremely small spaces were efforts to instill comfort such as an umbrella, air mattress, and trash bag for convenience. The cages are an eye-sore at a beautiful beach, and an inconvenience for those wishing to relax in a calm area; however, people on the sand do not seem to be daunted by the cages. The people inside are content with their position, and those strolling the beach outside the fences do not even look over at the piece. Schneider’s work is a study of human behavior as well as an aesthetically engaging piece.
Objective Description
Gregor Schneider’s Bondi Beach consists of a free-standing connection of metal cages located on a populated public beach. The walls of the cages are twice the height of the average person and are of the standard design used in chain-link fences that are usually used in humane societies. The chain-linked fence allows for those inside to see the ocean as well as those outside to look in on those inside the cages. There are twenty-one cells, each of small dimensions, conveniently equipped with a beach umbrella, air mattress, and trash bag. The installation of these items give those inside a reason to be fully content with their choice of captivation. The number of people inside each cage varies. Some cages are empty, some have one person, and some are overcrowded; however, no one has made the decision to move to the empty cages. Also, there are numerous people freely wandering along the beach outside of the cage.
Technical Decisions
Schneider chose to construct his piece out of common materials which helps to depict a sense of “normality” in his work. Instead of constructing an abstract work, he constructed a common object (a cage) and placed it in an odd environment and altered its purpose. Instead of the cages being located at a local humane society, a knowingly unpleasant area, Schneider placed them at a typically beautiful, free location. Also, he replaced the animals expected to be inside with humans. What is unique about Bondi Beach is that the viewer becomes apart of the work. Whether he or she chooses to enter the cage or remain outside does not matter, either choice the individual makes adds to his piece. The fences are not all that is important, the items inside and the colors selected hold great value as well. The white umbrella attempts to add a mirage of tranquility as the blue air mattress mimics the color of the ocean directly outside of the cage to forge a connection with nature.
The Work in the World
As mentioned earlier, Bondi Beach is a direct reminder of dog cages at humane societies. They work as a confinement for seemingly “useless” things which add nothing substantial to society. Abandoned dogs that are typically in these types of cages are seen as a nuisance until a human, a species of higher rank, selects the dog to aid his or her life through companionship or more simply: entertainment. Schneider’s piece is also a distinct reminder of prisons or jail cells. However, this work deviates from a jail or prison cell in the sense that people willingly enter these cages. At a quick glance, these cages can remind one of internment camps as well; however, this connection fails for the same reason the jail and prison cell connection fails. These people contained in the cages are not confined, they are not restricted, they freely choose to give up their freedom and abandon their ability to wander for the comfort of modern day items.
The Story it Tells
Schneider’s message behind the work is clear: humans have become enslaved by their own creations. He constructed the piece out of previously man-made objects (the fence, umbrella, air mattress, and trash bag.) The man-made fence works as a barrier, the man-made umbrella serves as unnecessary protection, the man-made air mattress becomes luxurious comfort, and the man-made trash bag holds waste from manufactured items. Each of these things symbolizes the ways in which society has over-developed. We produce more than we need, which in turn destroys our natural instincts of survival. We rely on our inventions, even if they rob us of natural beauty, for example the construction of cities and elimination of forests. Even though we may realize we are walking into our own trap, such as the people entering the cages, we cannot deny the comfort that is granted inside.
by Joe Meiser
All artsXpose assignments will be submitted digitally on the class website, but you can choose to either submit a photograph of yourself at the event, OR a detailed textual response to the event.
Click here to see an example of how to post using the FORM option
Click here to see an example of how to post using the PHOTO option
Follow these steps to post artsXpose materials on the class website:
Note that artsxpose guidelines and the grading rubric are included on the syllabus.
by Joe Meiser
For each artsXpose you complete, you may submit either a form OR a photo–it is not necessary to submit both. Included below is an example of how you may submit artsXpose using the FORM option. For the sake of efficiency, you may want to cut-and-paste the text below directly into your post and then appropriately revise the information.
– – –
Title of Event: Bill T. Jones Lecture
Date and time of event: Monday January 30th 7:30 pm
Location of Event: Harvey Powers Theater
Type of Event: Guest Artist Lecture
1.) Provide a brief detail-oriented technical description or summary of the event you attended. (This section should remain journalistic and should not be reflective of your opinion.)
Bill T. Jones gave an hour long lecture with almost a full half hour of questioning afterward. During the lecture he spoke from memory and showed a 15 minutes video of one of his dances that was performed by a number of different dancers. He also showed brief examples of his style of movement throughout the lecture.
2.) Use the section below to write a well-structured paragraph focusing on your personal criticalinsight / response to the event. How did you interpret or react to what was presented to you?
It was clear that Jones was a stage performer. Even in a lecture he had an amazing presence and was very confident. I enjoyed seeing him show bits of his dance moves. He also told a lot of very interesting stories about both his dad and his long time partner. One thing that I found interesting was at the beginning of the lecture he talked a lot about being a part of a counter culture and pushing against society. He described how fruitful it was for him to live in an artist colony that had no concern for material success. However at the end of the lecture he was described some of his current financial realities and the trouble of maintaining a dance company.
3.) What information, ideas, images, etc. most impressed you and why?
I was most impressed by his presence, story telling, and his brief dance moves. They were all very clear but also very unique.
4.) Overall, how would you rate this event (10 being the most worthwhile)?
(10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 )
eight
5.) Justify your rating in the question above:
I think for he was a really articulate speaker and was also entertaining. He also shared some messages that I thought were very memorable, like when he talked about not keeping your judging mind from getting in the way.
by Joe Meiser
For each artsXpose you complete, you may submit either a form OR a photo–it is not necessary to submit both. Included below is an example of how you may submit artsXpose using the PHOTO option. For the sake of efficiency, you may want to cut-and-paste the text below directly into your post and then appropriately revise the information.
Your photograph should depict you at the event with some distinctive features. This will make it obvious that you attended.
– – –
Title of Event: Joe Meiser Artist Lecture
Date & Time of Event: Friday February 3rd 7 pm
Location of Event: Samek Art Gallery
Type of event: Artist lecture and reception
by Joe Meiser