2. Digital bodies¶
Assignment¶
Learning out comes¶
- Research skills: the participant has acquired knowledge through references and Concept development
- Design skills: the participants has acquired knowledge on 3D scanning and modelling, mesh repair or manipulation
- Fabrication skills: the participant is capable of executing from file to production workflow, from slicer to laser cutting
- Process skills: Anyone can go through the workflow, understand it and reproduce it
- Final outcome: The assignment is assembled and either complete or tested
- Originality: Has the design been thought through and elaborated
Student Checklist¶
- Include some inspiration: research on artists or projects that work with the human body
- Document the use of 3D scanner and software to acquire a 3D model
- Document the process of repairing and/or manipulating a 3D mesh and slicing it
- Document the process of file preparation for laser cutting
- Learn how to laser cut, document the workflow including the machine settings, material type and thickness
- Upload your 3D file (STL/OBJ) and your 2D files (DXF/PDF)
- Build and/or assemble a mannequin or body parts
- Create a stop motion or step-by-step assemblying process and upload one picture (HIGH RES) of your mannequin (extra credit)
Research & Inspiration¶
I was inspired by several artist in SIAF2024 (Sapporo International Art Festival 2024):(https://2024.siaf.jp/en/index.html).
Especially, I loved following three artists works as expressing motion by slicing point of view.
GOTO Akinori
MIYATA Sayaka
CHOE U-Ram
GOTO Akinori's work "toki-WALK #01"
Getting inspiration especially from GOTO Akinori, I had an idea to make a sculpture expressing human motion.
My focus being as the development of "seat that follows the driver's motion", I decided to measure my body shape from hip to back at driving like posture. Inspiration; make a sculpture showing human spine function at driving
Measure both left cornering and right cornering body shape to create a sculpture showing the human spine function at cornering with a glace.
Following conditions are to be measured;
- initial seating condition
- left cornering condition
- right cornering condition
Kinetic Seat follows the driver's motion
3D model acquiring¶
In acquiring my body shape, I investigated two types of 3D scanning methods. One is "LiDAR Scanning" and the other is "photogrammetry".
Polycam LiDAR 3D Scanner(iOS)¶
polycam:(https://poly.cam/tools/3d-lidar-scanner)
LiDAR 3D model¶
LiDAR lights patters against the object and measure the shape of object by sensing the deformation from each lighting patterns. Lighting pattern is changes rapidly and measured by video function of smart phone to analyze the shape at the same time.
Above picture shows the technology progress from i-Phone 12Pro on the left and current i-phone 15Pro on the right shooting much less lights.
Driving position 3D measurement by LiDAR
It was very quick to 3D scan and automatically erase the surrounding parts. However, some details are not clear.
photogrammetry 3D model¶
It took some time to take more than 40 pictures around the object. The measurement image seems very clear already at the first trial. I decided to go for photogrammetry due to its quality.
left cornering driving posture taken by photogrammetry
right cornering driving posture take by photogrammetry
instal Meshmixer
Photogrametry file import into Meshmixer
mesh cleaning¶
mesh cleaning in Meshmixer¶
cleaning area selected by brush
cleaning done by brush
Import model into Blender
model size calibration by adding box with indicating the models actual length * width * height
mesh cleaning in Blender¶
wireframe mode makes area selection easier
area erasing in Blender
cleaning dent
Merge by Distance makes surface dramatically smooth
vertex selection area can be changed by mouth roller
Compile model from triangle to square mesh¶
Since, Blender prefers square mesh surface, compile model data from triangle mesh to quad mesh.
Save model file into Wavefront obj.file
get "instant-meshes" into Blender
Re-mesh model as Quads surface
decimate mesh
decimate mesh
Slicing the Model¶
Slice model in Blender
in order to prepare sliced data for laser cutting, open "inkscape"
select file to import in "inkscape"
set document properties
size down the model for target cutting size in Blender
Too many similar shape without correct position indication by Blender, this slicing way must be difficult, time consuming, and will not be precise model
1 
Thanks to Kae's advice, I tried slicing in vertical direction.
Each pieces became bigger and promising the actual body shape much better than lateral slicing. I decided to to proceed with this vertical slicing this time.
Squeezed in totally 3 carton board by arranging the position of each piece
Laser cutting¶
preparation for Laser cut¶
the laser cutting system in Skylab Workshop
preparation for fire; fire blanket and fire extinguisher
if fire occurs, cover with the fire blanket to block oxygen
check the fire extinguisher condition
check fire extinguisher inner pressure in green position, and pulling pin structure
pulling the pin off
aim toward the fire and hold the grip
check laser cutter water cooling system
check water cooling condition
laser cutter water cooling system
check by toughing the system and feel the vibration of the pump if water cooling system is working
switch on the exhaust fan buy tapping the red switch (not pushing but tapping)
confirm the emergency system cut off switch
prepare carton board size 310mm * 500mm
export data to laser cutter
"capture workspace" to capture the internal condition of laser cutting bed
pdf data import to laser cutter by "vector" selection
select cutting page from the data file
cutting area adjustment by watching the captured condition of laser cutter
be sure to lock the ratio of width and height
confirm keep ratio button is on
set laser cutting condition
test cut with the material
test cut with the material
Laser cutting the model¶
found some letters were burned
this burning should be solved by laser cut setting change
set number drawing as different color in data document, and set laser cutting speed quicker and only one time cut
This is the final successful setting for this time laser cutting
video size compression before uploading¶
10MB file at a time is allowed to push GitLab, and 100MB file size is allowed for one student's whole work
Model Assembly¶
This is my assembly process: Video>>
total video size is 9.2MB which is still too big -> I should make smaller video from next time
MakeHuman operation in Blender¶
Polycam to Blender Tutorial¶
- exporting data from Polycam to Blender
Try later¶
model slicing by Fusion¶
Fusion 360 & slicer(trial package); a free Fusion360 plan for personal use. The function is limited a little, but enough for trial
https://www.autodesk.com/in/products/fusion-360/personal
Lectures¶
Tips from Anastasia's lecture¶
Tips from Laura Civetti's lecture¶
I will add
Laura's work¶
AI design tools¶
-
midjourney quick-start Discord is used to write prompt for Midjourney
- midjourney
- Prome AI
- Meshy AI
- Stability
Anastasia is using this. It is a little difficult at the initial setting she said. - Runway
This AI gives walking animation of the model you made.
3D modeling by Rhino/Grasshopper¶
- Grasshopper installed in Rhino for parametric design
- utilize parametric design function especially at most important body parts;neck, shoulder, and initial chest
- detail mesh making above mentioned parts
- "mesh plus" to set the shortest pass towards the direction
- everything always related to the mesh and vector
- human body belongs to Rhino, covering mesh belongs to Grasshopper
- Blender, Houdini are also good free software
Digital Body lecture by Mina in Skylab workshop¶
- What is "body" for you? function? protection? mind & soul?
- i-Phone can be a 3D scanner
- Blender is a mesh boundary based CAD
- Always ventilate the Laser Cutter for two reasons
- without ventilation case health problem
- not to damage the lens due to the smoke reflection
- Do test cuts before actual cutting, and check the color of the cutting section edge as yellow or not. If other color like blue or green. The material must be causing something unusual.
- You must stay always next to the laser cutter while laser cutting to be able to stop if fire occurs.
Research & Ideation¶
Facing the theme "Digital Bodies" as one of my biggest motivation to learn Fabricademy, I watched following video which was suggested by Rico.
Tissue a tool for Computational Design in Blender - Alessandro Zomparelli
Learning about Blender's strong points;
- very strong at making Mesh modeling
- Vertex Group
- Tissue
- Dual Mesh
- Bunch of Modifier
- Tessellate
other attractive functional example of Blender¶
* Image reference
Sound Waves from George Gally (Radarboy) on Vimeo.
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