Skip to content

7. Computational Couture

This week I worked on rhinoceros and grasshopper to generate parametric designs.

Brief of the week : Disciplines as programming and electronics become highly interconnected, blurring old boundaries and merging different fields of knowledge. Fashion has been already affected by this radical change. Therefore, clothes, shoes and other accessories can now incorporate elements of hardware and software, generating a peculiar mix between fashion and computation that is incredibly fertile and inspiring. Data becomes Beauty, Interaction becomes Emotion. As a result, a new aesthetic is emerging.

In this class I explored computational design methods towards a new reinterpretation of cloths, garments and accessories for fashion design, inspired by a new digital design methodology.

Inspiration

I'm very interested by the different possibilites that allows parametric design. Particulary, the creation of complex surfaces.

Software and tools

Rhinoceros 3D

Rhinoceros (typically abbreviated Rhino or Rhino3D) is a commercial 3D computer graphics and computer-aided design (CAD) application software Rhinoceros geometry is based on the NURBS mathematical model, which focuses on producing mathematically precise representation of curves and freeform surfaces in computer graphics (as opposed to polygon mesh-based applications).

Rhinoceros is used in processes of computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), rapid prototyping, 3D printing and reverse engineering in industries including architecture, industrial design (e.g. automotive design, watercraft design product design (e.g. jewelry design) as well as for multimedia and graphic design.

Grasshopper 3D

Grasshopper is a plug in on Rhinoceros software, to program, to code or controle shape created on rhinoceros, to create an algorythm, generate a parametric design on fabric or not) Grasshopper comminicated with Rhinoceros. When we create a program on grasshopper, rhino translate and show a fictif result. Fictif because rhinoceros software translate informations. To create the 3D shape in real on Rhino, we must to bake the final program on Rhino interface.

Plug in for Grasshopper

Flexhopper / Bifocals / Bowerbird / Chromodoris / Kangaroo / Anemone / Weaverbird / Cocoon / Marching Cubes / Mesh Edit / Mesh+ / Mesh tools / Lunchbox / VR-Edge / Mesh analysis

3D printing process

To the Textile Lab in Lyon, we work with a Zmorph 3D printer and we have PLA / PLA + hamp / TPU materials to print.

  1. On VOXELIZER software, to importe a .obj or .stl file
  2. Manage the file on the software (dimension, quality, durability...)
  3. Then, the software will estimate the time of printing
  4. Exporte the gcode file after to have managed on Voxelizer and add on a SD card to put the file in 3D printing

Note : The file exported of Voxelizer is a code file in X,Y,Z to informate the way of printer.

  • Tutorial introduction 3D printing (Basque Biodesign Center)

Work and experimentation

Basic introduction

In parallel of Eugenio tutorials, I followed a grasshopper french tutorial for begginer.

Some experimentations with the youtube tutorial :

Eugenio tutorials - Some experimentations :

Manipulation of different parameters on Grasshopper.
Create an extrusion, an atractor logic, use an octogonal surface,...

List and data threes

A Data Tree is a hierarchical structure for storing data in nested lists. Data trees are created when a grasshopper component is structured to take in a data set and output multiple sets of data. Grasshopper handles this new data by nesting it in the form of sub-lists. 

Mesh introduction

A mesh is a collection of vertices and polygons that define the shape of an polyhedral object. Meshes in Rhino consist of triangles and quadrilaterals. Rhino creates triangles and quadrilaterals meshes for export into various file formats. If a mesh is generated from a solid, the mesh will be seamless/watertight.

Sample - 3D Final outcome

Ressource to create my final computational pattern :

How to generate a pyramid ?

Files :

Modelisation and parametric design files :

Final outcome - 3D pattern on Rhinoceros

Final outcome - 3D pattern on Grasshopper

Open these two files in same time.

3D file to print :

Final outcome - 3D object in .stl to print

Setting to print :

Open the .stl on Voxlizer software to set the parameters.
I set the durability printing on strong.
Then, I export my file to .Gcode.

To print my pattern, I used PLA (Polylactic acid)

I put my tissu on layer of the 3D machine with adhesive.

Then, I add my .Gcode file in the 3D printing machine and I set the machine paramaters.

Fisrt, I activated to auto-calibration to calibrate the printing head on tissu. Then, I informated the material that I used (PLA) and the heat to hot the PLA and print on the fabric.

Layer : 60°
PLA : 220°

When, the parameters were ready, I activated the 3D printing !

via GIPHY


Last update: 2022-07-28