Sustainable Future - week 2 day 2

Over the weekend, I created my box net on Adobe Illustrator. I learnt how to make a box net through looking at video tutorials on YouTube. 

 

Today, I just had to add images, barcode and texts to my box net. My beach hut model still hasn’t gotten printed, due to some issues with the machine. Since, I couldn’t take any photos of my actual model, I had to use the rendered images to put into my box net. Levi suggested using Adobe Photoshop to put an image of our model into a jar. I am not familiar with Photoshop, so I was not confident in trying his suggestion out. Instead I gave myself an alternative option, where I used Photoshop to put a glitter image I found on the internet over one of my rendered images of my beach hut. I decreased the opacity of the glitter image, to make the background image clearer. It is like a zoomed in version of my snow globe, just that you can’t see the jar. I felt really proud of myself of doing something on Photoshop without any help, applying the knowledge I have learnt before. 

 

 I might at a later stage, when I am more confident and more use to using Photoshop to Photoshop the jar into the image.

UPDATE

During the Christmas holiday, I decided to photoshop my model into a jar. I thought I did well to have actually done what I had said to do. However, there are improvements that could be made such as decreasing the opacity of the glitter. I could not really see the details of my beach hut like the stairs and the rectangular blocks, due to the glitter layer. Also, I could have done better at erasing the background of my model. There are still quite a bit of white parts in the outline of my model. I purposely left the white background inside the frame. If I erase that section, the background of the jar is dark, so you won’t b able to see clearly the interior of the beach hut. However, by doing this it makes the whole image look less realistic. 

Sustainable Future - week 2 day 1

Today, I did not think I did much work compare to the other days. I have already finished creating my model, so I was seeing if there are any adjustments I could do to it. 

At the end, we had to convert our file to STL to print our designs. However, I had problems with converting my file as when I convert my Solidworks file to STL, there would be 26 files that pops up. I tried a few times and it still had the same outcome. I tried transferring my file to a different USB and changed computers, but there were still 26 STL files as of the one file that everybody has in return of converting the file. Thankfully, a friend tried helping me out, and tried again saving the file as a STL file, went into options and tick the box that says save all assembly in one file to give me just one STL file. 

Levi taught me how to render my design, which was something I did not know about. I stayed back after the lesson finish to render my design at different view, giving it a more polish appearance. I was really impressed with the rendered images, it looks stylish and professional. I did not know about having to render my model, so I stayed back after the lesson finished rendering my model from different angles, from bird’s eye view, to the front, to the side etc... Today, I should have asked what I should do next, since I did not have much to do as I was finished with my model. I spent most of the day sitting around and not doing much, when where I should of use the time to render my model that I ended up staying late after lesson to finish. 

 

 

Sustainable Future week 1 day 3

I carried on completing my model through assembling all the components together. Thankfully, the worries I had before about not getting the measurements right, that did not happen. Everything was placed the way I wanted and are all in the right size. I realized I made quite a few changes and added a few new things to my beach hut. There is quite a bit of a difference between my model and my design. The most notable change would be the triangular stands that support the beach hut, which are now rectangular blocks. I played around with the rectangular blocks by placing them from one side of the hut to the top. I placed them at different angles and overlapping each other. The blocks at the side of the beach hut are submerging inside the hut, which I thought can be used like a storage system. 

I created a base for my beach hut. This idea was inspired from my friend when she created a base for her design. I thought this was a good idea, since my beach hut is short, if I added a base it would lift up my hut. Therefore when I get my model printed and put inside the jar, the hut would be in the middle of the jar. If I had no base and just the beach hut alone, it would be right at the bottom of the jar. 

Sustainable Future - week 1 day 2

I had to start all over again on Solidworks, since the measurements for the model I created yesterday is bigger than my jar. Today, I did not bring in my jar, but what I did instead was I drew around the lid of my jar into my sketchbook. I thought it would be easier to measure from the outline I drew of the lid, instead of bringing in the actual jar. 

I found using Solidworks extremely difficult. It can be fascinating with what you can do with the tools, but it can be really tiring. This weariness could be coming from the fact that I was sitting in front of the computer all day long. I had quite a few problems with making my model, as I don’t know how to create certain parts, such as the triangular stands. Levi told me to create the different parts of my model separately, instead of making the whole thing in one file. He showed me after I have made all the components, I can use the assembly tool to assemble all the parts together. I personally thought at first this method is really good, as I can concentrate at one thing at a time and assemble them at the end. However, the disadvantage of this method is that my measurements have to be accurate. I found myself getting worried if when I assemble all the parts together, certain parts are bigger or small than the other parts. I was also afraid if when the model is printed out, parts of it are much bigger or smaller, due to mistakes with the measurements. To avoid making mistakes, I always write down all the measurements in my sketchbook. 

I noticed from my peers that they go onto to YouTube to search for video tutorials for Solidworks. I decided to do the same, since I cannot just always sit there being stuck and doing nothing but to wait for Levi to come and help me. 

By the end of the day I had completed all the components for my beach hut, which I will be ready to assemble them all in the next lesson. I thought my time management was good, the fact that I finished managed making all the individual parts. 

 

 

 

Sustainable Future - week 1 day 1

I picked to do the Sustainable future project, as I get the chance to learn and experience using the Solidworks software and do 3D printing. I want to learn and familiarize myself with using Solidworks, so I can use it again for future projects. 

The session started with Levi demonstrating the different tools on Solidworks. From my previous experiences using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, I always had problems with following the steps. Therefore, whilst Levi was talking, I was taking down notes in my sketchbook. I found this method to be really useful for myself. Levi instructed us to do what he just showed us on our computers. I began to forget the steps, so I went back to the notes to guide me through. I thought I did well the fact that I have done what I was told without spending a huge amount of time. I also played and experimented around with the tools. 

Next, we had to do a variety of studies in our sketchbook. I got stuck as to what I should draw, so I went back to the first page in my sketchbook, with the 50 written spaces from the first day of the 3DD pathway. Since the first day, I have continued writing down different spaces on the first page, building up a larger range of functional spaces for me to choose from to explore. 

After lunch, I picked a design (beach hut) that I liked and began recreating my model through Solidworks. I chose this design, because it was simple. I did not want to do something over complicated, since that I am not familiar with Solidworks. Also, the design has a lot of big windows, so I can deal with both the exterior of the hut and the interior.

In my drawing of the beach hut, the sides were curved, which is something that I have not been taught about. I asked for help, and Levi said that it can only curved at the corners but not the whole side. I decided to just curve the corners, meaning the appearance of my model will slightly alter from my original design. 

I found difficulty with the measurements, as I currently do not have a jar, I do not know how big or small my model should be. For the next lesson, my target is to have a jar. I need to know the measurements of the jar, so I would know what size to make my model. The worst case scenario is to have the 3D printed model too big to fit inside the jar.