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6. Computational Couture

References & Inspiration

It’s already week 6! I am including some visual inspiration as well as projects that utilize parametric/algorithmic design.

inspo

  1. Living Organism: Responsive Origami Sculptures by Annette Couwenberg
  2. Harmonia axyridis (Multicolored Asian lady beetle), filet crochet by me
  3. Exoskin from MIT Media Lab’s Tangible Media Group
  4. Soap Dishes for Tamburins by jewelry designer SeHee Um
  5. Lego Lace by Kamila Katarzyna Mazur
  6. bivalve, Cyclochlamys irregularis Dijkstra & B. Marshall, 2008

BioLogic | Living structures and Swarm bodies

A.A. Murakami | A Thousand Layers of Stomach

Fabricademy Participants

Fabricademy Participants

Assignment & Tools

Parametric desig and modelling is a process where models are created by generating the algorithmic systems that render them. You can 3D model an object in Rhino, but changing each dimension by hand is time consuming and results may not be how you want. Parametric design software, like Grasshopper, easily generates patterns, shapes, and objects which respond to changes in their parameters (number, radius, extrusion height, shape, etc.) proportionally and quickly. Objects are visualized in the Rhino design space but not actually rendered until the grasshopper output is baked into Rhino.

Parametric design is often used by architects, product, and fashion designers to quickly visualize many different outputs of a design. It can generate dynamic geometric facades in architechture. Iris van Herpen's complex symmetries are parametric. The complex grip patterns on sneaker soles are another good example.

I find Parametric Camp on YouTube to be very helpful in breaking down the vocabulary and functions to learn basic parametric modelling.

Assignment
  • Document the concept, sketches, references also to artistic or scientific articles on 3D printing and parametric modeling
  • Design a parametric model using Grasshopper3D or Blender (or alternative parametric software) and upload the 3Ddesign file + required parametric files
  • Learn how to use a 3D printer and document the step-by-step process and settings
  • Document the workflow for exporting your file and preparing the machine, Gcode and settings to be 3D printed
  • Print your file and document the outcomes
  • Upload your stl file
  • Submit some of your swatches to the analog material library of your lab. Size 20cm x 20cm approx (extra credit)
Tools

Research & Ideation

Asli introduced us to Grasshopper, a plug-in for Rhino that creates systems for parametric design rendered in Rhino. Having Asli’s expertise with Rhino and Grasshopper helped me branch off from YouTube tutorials to achieve the results I wanted.

I’m someone who wants to understand the math, how, and why the components of a Grasshopper code are working. As a beginner, this can be frustrating, but I kept an open mind. In the future with more time, I think watching and following along with this series of videos from Parametric Camp↗ would be helpful!

As far as deciding what and how I wanted to print, I had some reservations. 3D printing, while additive, is a plastic medium, additionally requiring synthetic fabric for good adhesion. In the 3D printing hobbyist and professional community, I see PLA (polylactic acid) marketed as a more sustainable alternative because it is technically a bioplastic, but I feel that it's been greenwashed. This linked article↗ provides some insight into the debate around PLA.

My goal this week was to design a 3D print embellished textile that required minimal plastic, while still showcasing its computational/parametric origin.

Process & Workflow

I followed June Lee’s tutorial to make a field of attractor points based on a filet crochet piece I designed. This was the starting point for my 3D-printed textile swatch.

At the end of the tutorial, I had this:

June Lee tut

The only difference is that I used the points I placed in Rhino myself instead of Populate Geometry to create a point cloud.

  1. In Rhino, use the Point command to place points. Select them all.
  2. In Grasshopper, place a Point component. Right-click and choose Set Multiple points.
  3. Connect this component to the Closest Point component in place of PopGeo

Making changes to my design with Grasshopper

I wanted the cells closer to my set of points to be bigger and the ones further from the points to be smaller. I also wanted the circles to be 3D spheres. I also then had to cut the spheres in half so they could be flat and printed onto a textile swatch.

grasshopper code

  1. Use a Number Slider to set the size of each cell so that the spheres don’t overlap.
  2. Use Divide to define the maximum radius for the circle, and Number slider to set the minimum radius of the circle. I connected these inputs to Domain to generate a set of values between 6 and 2 (radius of 3 radius of 1).
  3. Connect Bounds to the distance (D) output of the CP to generate a list of distances of each cell to the closest point in the point cloud.
  4. Connect Bounds and Domain to ReMap distance from CP values to the grid.
  5. Plug XY plane and the ReMap values into a Sphere component to generate a grid of spheres with varying sizes based on distance to a point in the point cloud.
  6. Create a Planar Surface on the Z axis and Extrude it. This creates an object to slice the spheres in half with.
  7. Connect the Spheres and Planar Surface to a Solid Difference component to perform a boolean operation that subtracts the part of the spheres in contact with the extruded planar surface.
  8. Bake this!
  9. Make sure the baked object is the correct scale you want it at using Scale commands in Rhino
  10. Save Rhino (.3dm) and Grasshopper (.gh) files. Export your 3D file as .stl for slicing.

Prusa Slicer

Download and open Prusa Slicer. In the initial setup, you can add the printers you have access to in your FabLab or makerspace. Import your .stl file, and it will populate on the print plate to give you an idea of scale. Change the settings and slice your file to see how long it will take. I made mine 76% of the original scale, so it would only take 1.25 hours.

prusa1

I added a pause in the G-code after the first layer. This pauses the print to allow you to add the fabric.

prusa2

My Print Settings

Machine: Prusa CORE One Skirt/Brim: None Speed: 0.20mm Filament: Generic PLA Infill: 15%

3D Printing

I used the Prusa CORE One FDM printer to make my swatch. Every 3D printer is different, but basic steps include loading filament, cleaning and placing the print plate, selecting the correct file, and allowing calibration before printing.

prusa diagram

prusa details

In the end, I had subtle and monochromatic swatch that changed color when exposed to UV light.

prints1

prints2

I have a .stl file available on SketchFAB and a Grasshopper code1 linked below.

Harmonia axyridis | Attractor Point Parametric by maddieolsenn on Sketchfab

Fabrication files

  1. File: Harmonia axyridis ↩