2. Digital bodies¶
This week, it’s the Digital Bodies nodes ! It was interesting to question the image of the body, its presentation in society, culture or history.
Research - References¶
After the lecture of the week, I did some research to inspire me and to thinking a body.
Beauty cannon has defined during time and history, depending culture or society. In the 21st, in occidental culture, we can hear more and more critic about standardized and normalized body. The body becomes free.
The body also was an expression way during time and history. Depending cultures, societies, but too health and needs human, the body was modified, transformed, augmented (tattoo, prosthesis, little foot...)
The body identity and its normalized representation are subjects that interest me a lot. I am also interested by the body & performance notions (as I explain that on my first assignment page LINK).
Experimentation & Work of the week¶
Make Human¶
On Make Human software, I created a no gender body in movement to evoke performance notion. I looking for some poses in the community of software to express the physical performance. When I was satisfied of my body, I decided to work on Rhino 3D to experiment the 3D modeling and to transform / to augment this body.
3D Scan¶
I experimented too the 3D scan technique on Skanect with a kinect, but I did not use this practice in my work this week. I found this technique interesting. Maybe I will use this tools in other time for an other work.
Rhinoceros 3D¶
On rhino 3D, I wanted to change a physical member of the body that I did on Make Human and create a prosthesis. I checked Anastasia tutorials and experimented with the other TextileLab students.
Some functions that I used :
This functions can be used in the search bar “command”
- polyline : to create a new line
- selection : to select something I should to click from right to left
- extrude CRV : to extrude a face, a shape… Select the object to be extrude and extrude this object
- cut : to slit, divide
- cap : function to close an object (an object not closed can not be used)
- scale : to grow up
- distance : to measure
- split : to divide
To change the leg by a prosthesis I cut its with the Split function :
- create a line next to the leg
- extrude this line on the space to cut
- activate the split function in "command"
- select the object to be cut > enter
- select the cut object
And then, normally the object must be cut, divided.
When I finished my 3D modelling and I was satisfaite, I exported my files in .obj to import on Slicer software.
Slicer for fusion 360¶
→ Link file of the body
→ Link file of the body
When I imported my files (.obj) on slicer, I enter some information on material that I used (size of laser cut and so the size of materiel to be enter in the laser cut, thickness material).
After, I experimented techniques in "Construction Technique" and I selected one of these to convert my 3D files.
To see well prosthesis of my body I have divided body and prosthesis in two parts. I created two files. The body is in interlocked slices and the prosthesis is in folded panels. For the body the interlocked slices method was difficult because there was many little pieces and details.
Laser cut¶
→ Link file body plans
→ Link file body plans
→ Link file prosthesis plans
With students we went to the Tactilab at Vileurbanne to use the Trotec laser cut and cut our 3D model.
To cut my model on laser cut, I used my Slicer files in .pdf and transformed them on illustrator with the good settings. You can see the plan above in the page.
Cutting file setting
- To create the laser cut file (on Illustrator) :
Select the similar objects / lines - selection couleurs de contours (virifer en RVB) and change the color and line.- To engrave :
Red contour : In rgb - green 255 – red 0 – blue 0
Lines : 0.01mm- To cut :
Red line : In rgb red 255 – green 0 – blue 0
Lines : 0.01 mmMaterial properties
- For the body : Soft Cardboard 25mm
- For the prosthesis : Colored Paper 300g
Setting to cut and engrave : (on Trotec Software)
Choose the good setting (speed + power) to cut the material. I made some tests on sample before to cut my final outcome.
I don't remember the good settings sadly... - Cardboard : Speed X - Power X - Paper : Speed X - Power X
Construction & Final outcome¶
When I had my elements cut, I built my model in a real environment. I tried to understand codes engrave on my patterns.
Example :
- Y - 13 - 2 (with an slices 6 to interlock)
- Z - 6 - 1 (with an slices 13 to interlock)
→ Z is vertical and Y is horizontal → Join the interlock 6 with the 13
That was not easy to understand, but after a long time my model was built. I used flexible cardboard to make by body. I noticed, this material is not the better to use the interlocked slices technique. Slices crash into each other.
I built in parallel the prosthesis in an other material with the folded panels technique.
Then, I join the prosthesis and the body with un little bit glue. It's not the better technique. I would like thinking again this project, improve it, by changing the material with a solid material and by using a join technique more ecological.
Conclusion of the week¶
This week was very intense but also very nice. That was a week that interested me because I want to develop my skills around digital tools.
That was very interesting to see how move from virtual environment to real environment.
Also, I like question the body and performance notions in my works, that why this week it was important for me.
I am happy to have discover all this new possibilities and I would like to use again softwares and techniques saw this week to go far away.
Useful links¶
Video tutorials :