7. Computational Couture¶
Research & Ideation¶
"The presentation of Julia Korner's work was a great introduction to the possibilities that additive printing technology offers to the world of fashion. She highlighted the possibility of reaching shapes and constructions that are difficult and more laborious to achieve with traditional techniques used in fashion."
I emphasize the analysis that must be performed for the construction of the parts, especially the accessories, in some cases it is necessary to consider the assembly part from the design stage. 3D printing technology allows to reach quite intricate shapes and patterns, organic or geometric, achieved thanks to design software. The possibility of achieving printed textures for the different pieces that make up a garment, or complex morphologies is a great added value for the fashion industry, as well as being able to produce on demand, without having to resort to long and complex productions.
References & Inspiration¶
The fablab ESAN, the node where I do the practical part of the course, has developed previous explorations with these applications, which I could observe and rescue interesting insights, as well as have collaborated with the designer Fec Escajadillo who makes 3D printed jewelry."
- It was quite useful to review the pattern book or infill that already come predefined with the printers, as well as to see how they behave with different types of filament. Seeing it in physical form helped to give me an idea of how my experimentation could look like. The printed samples also had three-dimensional volume details and lace-like patterns that were didactic examples when choosing which one to work with.
- In the case of the work of Fec, Peruvian designer, whom I know personally and with whom I was able to collaborate on some occasions, I highlight how she uses 3D modeling for jewelry design, which when printed with SLA technology, allow to reach fine organic details that transmit the energy and vibe of the brand. The finish afterwards is something quite remarkable as well. I leave here the link to their website so you can learn more about her work.
Tools¶
Process and workflow¶
After reviewing the references and samples of previous works, as well as what was seen in class, I made the following summary of a general classification according to the different applications that can be performed:
* Printing on fabric (flat or three-dimensional)
* Filament fabric
* Fabric with infill
* Sublimated filament fabric
* Three-dimensional structures
I started testing based on the previously described classification. Although, because of my background in fashion design, I understand the behavior of fabrics and the construction of garments, this exploration was necessary to understand how the filament reacts.
Jorge Valero, the fablab instructor, explained how the 3d printing machines works in the fablab as well as the various slicer programs available.
Preparation of designs¶
I started designing some patterns in Illustrator, given the ease I have with the program and to speed up the design of these organic shapes. Once ready, I exported it in SVG format to open it in Rhinoceros.
Already in Rhino, I performed a simple extrusion and evaluated the size detail, so that it can enter the print bed without problem. This operation can also be performed in other 3D modeling programs, since extrusion is one of the basic commands. If you do not have access to Rhino, this can be done without problems, in an open source software such as Tinkercad for example. This 1 was the result.
Taking advantage of the different possibilities offered by Rhino, I encouraged myself with some tutorials, first the one by Brigitte Kock @variableseams, I found it a good general introduction to Grasshopper for the application in fashion. Also, I found Eugenio Bettucchi's tutorial to build a Voronoid pattern; it was quite useful and I got an interesting result 2 .
Preparation of print files¶
The exported file can be in OBJ or STL format mainly, which is opened in the slicer corresponding to the printer. In my case, I would work with the GUIDER II printer, so it was necessary to prepare the print file in the Flashprint slicer.
Given the different applications that could be performed, I list the main parameters that we have configured to test the parts, being 1, 2, 3 and 4 those that are maintained in the various applications that were performed.
* 1) Filament type
* 2) Printing quality
* 3) Layer quantity
* 4) Base option deactivated
* 5) Top and bottom layer
* 6) Pattern and fill density
* 7) Layer pause
Filament pattern¶
For this application, this is a rather general configuration that also applies to three-dimensional figures depending on the design. For this case we set parameters 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Regarding the design, consider that the pieces or parts of the figure must be joined together, so that they do not remain in small pieces after printing. In preview cut you can see how the printing will look like and the time the piece will take. This fact surprised me since I did not believe that such small pieces would take such a long time.
Printing with fabric¶
In the case of including some fabric during printing, the parameter to be configured is the layer pause (7). Since the samples were worked with 4 layers in total, it was considered to place the pause in the second one, as shown in the image.
Important note, since this technique is performed similar to a sandwich, the best fabrics for this application are those with an open weave: mesh, lace, tulle, organza are good choices. Also, this option allows you to print a design with separate pieces, since the fabric will act as a support for all these pieces.
When the printer makes the pause, we must place the fabric on the already printed layer, stretched and as taut as possible, for this we use tape, but also we could use hooks and magnets. After placing the fabric well, we proceed to continue with the printing.
Use of infill¶
Another interesting configuration is related to the use of the slicer's default infill pattern to complement the design of the parts. In this case, the parameter to highlight is the (5) upper and lower layer and (6) fill pattern and density, here we configure the piece so that the infill can be displayed, which we can vary in density and design. It is a very interesting option that gives a distinctive result to the printed pieces.
It is a very interesting option that gives a distinctive result to the printed pieces. Depending on the type of filament and pattern chosen, the printing time can vary considerably. In this case for example we are working with TPU and a pattern called ''3D filler''.
Filament with sublimated paper¶
In this case it was decided to try with sublimated paper. This reference was described above in Linette Manuel's work. In theory, the heat of the printing bed allows the color of the paper to be transferred to the filament. For the test, we worked with transparent TPU filament.
I chose my own illustration and printed it on sublimated paper. The paper had to be fixed on the print bed so that it could be printed on. For this, tape works quite well.
The parameters are the same as in the first case, and since what is required is to capture the image of the paper, the design to work with this ideally should have the bottom layer solid, or with a fairly dense infill. It is important to highlight that we can make combinations in the applications, and complement with another technique, for example in a test I included a pause in the printing to place fabric. After printing, we peel off the paper with the print and remove the paper. In some cases it remained stuck, but with water the paper is easily removed from the filament. The result is quite colorful and offers several possibilities.
Three-dimensional structures¶
It is a variation of the application with fabric, only that instead of printing flat patterns, we can consider varying the heights and shapes, which can give us striking and unique results, where 3D printing is a great ally to achieve this type of designs. In this case the general parameters are maintained, and we have to evaluate the filling issue, depending on the figure. For this application I made some lozenges in different sizes, considering a flat base and opted not to place filler, so as not to increase the weight to the piece. I also included the respective pause in the second layer to be able to place the fabric, so the pieces are well fastened. The pieces turned out to be jingling and of a good size. In fact we can make different variations with more complex patterns. Grasshopper is a great ally in this application, precisely because of the possibility of varying patterns and heights.
Results¶
Based on the above classification that I used to guide me, I obtained the following results, in some cases combining 2 or 3 applications. The time is short and the applications are endless.
