Blowing Up Car Airbags Anyone?

A while back in class we spoke about the intricate folding that goes into the packing of an automotive airbag. Much like origami and the packing of a parachute for both skydiving and drag racing a large amount of fabric is packed into the smallest of compartments. Now how does one go analyzing the inside of an un-blown airbag? Easy answer silly, Blow that thing up!

While I was cleaning my studio, (not done, this place is a mess!) I came across the airbag out of a 1995 S-10 parts truck that I had. Ill bring it into class tomorrow hopeful of future class shenanigans, I mean research.

And since Halloween's aroung the corner now here's a link to fellow Canadian Dave's Farm on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlBBLpyRyuk&feature=related

Interesting use of fileting and blending tools in Rhino - Vimeo Link

I used something I learned in this tutorial to play with the edges of my sculptural form. For some reason I have been interested in finding out how to do things in rhino by watching tutorials that are somewhat way out of my league. As I have been lacking in this class on the actual fabrication (which is my strong suit) I have been making up for in making a concerted effort to see this project through in reality which consequently meens more modeling time than making time. Hopefully I can make some more headway this week and get out a small scale model of something close to what the final form will look like, constructed with cardboard and zipties.


http://www.vimeo.com/20602062

Off Topic: Awesome Kinetic Sculptor

http://www.vimeo.com/3001833

This link is a bit off topic but I came across it as I was lost in Vimeo Rhino Tutorials and thought I should share.

Reuben Margolin, a Bay Area visionary and longtime maker, creates totally singular techno-kinetic wave sculptures. Using everything from wood to cardboard to found and salvaged objects, Reuben’s artwork is diverse, with sculptures ranging from tiny to looming, motorized to hand-cranked. Focusing on natural elements like a discrete water droplet or a powerful ocean eddy, his work is elegant and hypnotic.


Margolin, utilizes some serious engineering and mathematical skills to create very rudimentary mechanical systems that when realized imitate natural movement in a very awe-inspiring and visual way like no other I have seen.

Troubles in Paneling: Modeling a one-off sculpture in Rhino and the burden of the use value of para-metrics

The sketch to the right is a quick 3/4 view of an aluminum panel sculpture that I have been wanting to create for a while now that consists of a large number of aluminum panels that are all flat and connect at all their edges. The product, a three dimensional mass of precarious, perforated and highly polished aluminum panels occupy space in a spatially heavy though architecturally light and airy manner. Each panel is CNC routed in 1/8 aluminum and each hole is dimple died to make these repetitious, almost drain-like voids where accent LED lighting can peer through. The finished product is this highly polished, structurally sound object that becomes the visual mash-up of  Watts towers meets Sears tower meets the leaning tower of Pisa meets custom automotive culture.

This project spurred my interest in this course as its wonky form is a material enigma to create physically allowing all the panels to fit together correctly to be TIG welded. What I have come to realize in the past three weeks working on modeling this in rhino is that what are typically praised for being time saving tools in Parametric modelling  (and in rhino specifically Paneling tools) create major logistical problems for what I am attempting to do as an artist. The result is a large number of hours playing with different configurations of point arrays and grids to allow for the manual manipulations that I am seeking. Once the grids are manipulated, I attempt to panel from the grids to make the four sides of the object, accepting ad embracing the limitations and resistance of the software as it impacts the physical outcome of the finished product. But, the panels, chosen to create flat surfaces output as the instantaneous snapshot visually equal to a deck of cards falling to the ground (as seen in the screen shot second from the right)

Being stubborn by nature and true to my sketch, I am forcing the panels to all roughly be some odd form of rectangle rather than the easy answer to the problem which would be to switch to triangles. There is something about the horizontal vs vertical components that point visually towards urban, man-made life such as buildings or apartments and more generally the idea of compartments (living, working, storage compartments) that interests me in this piece. In playing around and watching numerous Tutorials on YouTube ad Vimeo (higher quality) I decided to copy the sides to start to visualize a somewhat 4 sided form. I was having trouble with patching the uneven sides with flat panels and came across the blend surfaces command, which I employed here.

Even though it is a new concept for the work (to have molded corners) I am intrigued by it as it opens up to other material possibilities rather than sticking with the rigidity of the aluminum, though I am still partial to it. I am really hoping that tomorrow In class I can nail down a few objective and get some quality feedback on form and possible modelling tips. I hope to get input on:

1) meshing the side with flat panels

2) moving control points and panels to manipulate further this shape

3) can i now create a grid from this object and panel in 3d?

4) flattening panels to meet prior expectations of artists sketches

The Lone Artist's Version of the "Bend" Assignment

This week's assignment entitled "Fold" did not necessarily spark my artistic interest. Considering I am taking this course to force myself to learn Rhino, I decided to render one of my upcoming works in rhino to enable myself to plot the pieces that will eventually be cut on the CNC table out of aluminum. No one in town (Tampa, FL) has the capabilities to bend 2"x6"x3/16" aluminum tubing "the hard way" (on edge). Using a smashed view of the rhino file i can have the individual pieces for the bend cut to be then welded together.  Last week I struggled to tie the paper "bend" assignment into what my current practice entails. That being said, the immediate use-value of rendering the this project virtually enlivened the monotony of stumbling through the program and fell in line with the bend project more fluidly (and literally). Here is a few screen shots of the work.... it is essentially a fabricated aluminum road barrier bent over backwards in an uncomfortably impossible pose to be chrome plated and polished with etched caution stripes.

Finally got my copy of Rhinoceros 4.0

Well, I finally got my copy of Rhinoceros 4.0 installed and running as it is a main component for my interest in taking the class. My name is Taylor Pilote and I am a 3rd year MFA student at the University of South Florida. I am a sculptor and my formal training background is in metal. I am enthusiastic about learning Rhino as an output program to run the 5 axis large scale CNC router that is eventually going to be installed here at USF as a joint grant from the collaboration of USF's school of Architecture, Fine Arts and Engineering. Digital fabrication opens up the possibility to expand my body of work exponentially while cutting down material expenses due to waste. Having very little programming or computer based design background will prove to be a very tough challenge as the expectation is to learn the program yourself. I imagine I will struggle with the technical aspects of this class but my strong point will remain my ability to physically make objects. I am excited to see what comes of this opportunity as I fill my out of department credits toward my degree requirements.

Cheers,

T