3D Digital or Physical Model

CS137 Assignment 7

 

 

1. Dates

Out

Tues, 10/19

Due

Tues 10/26

 

2. Goals

  1. Combine design knowledge gained in previous assignments in an approximation of the 3D space of the Cave.

  2. Refine color choice and icon design in relation to 3D space.

  3. Gain insight into problems of complex layering of data: issues of simultaneous visibility.

  4. See some vorticity, vortex lines, and vortex cores.

  5. Explore digital or non-digital mediums as prototyping tools for VR visualizations.

  6. Explore 3D perception issues that exist in the “real” world.

 

3. Readings

 Styles emphasizing three-dimensional composition. pp. 225-239

            Station Point Options, pp. 116-156

 

4. Assignment

This assignment should be completed in groups. For this assignment the groups will be:

 

Group1: Claudia, Sascha

Group2: Helen, Misha

Group3: Jane, Ming-Ming , Gabe

Group4: Julie, Joseph

Group5: Janet, Edwin

Group6: Laura, Alex

 

You now have the choice of working in digital form, or physical materials. Work on assignments should start immediately; preliminary plans will be reviewed in class on Thursday. If you choose to work in digital form, bring a printout of your initial work on the model or, at the least, a sketch. You should be far enough along to explain how you are thinking about the basic icon set and the spatial arrangement. We will consult together in class on how to solve any technical issues which have arisen, or which might be anticipated. If you are working physically, you should have a detailed sketch of your plan, and samples of any material you are thinking of using. We should be able to suggest other options if necessary. We will have a demo of possible materials and approaches to construction in Thursday’s class.

 

Build a 3D environment in CavePainting or in physical materials (see below), showing a moment of flow narrative, possibly based on the designs completed for the last assignment, but definitely involving a role for the five flow quantities from the last assignment.  In essence, this is the same problem but more completely in 3D.

 

The special nature of this problem is to convey the complexity of the situation, while allowing all variables to be legible. In this case, we are also looking for a certain sense of life: an evocation of the flow of air around the bat and the connection of this phenomenon with rivers, plant growth, and other fluid forces in nature. If you are working in the Cave, experiment with the texture palette, utilizing the meshes and patterns to code data onto your icons and the bat wings, and to allow visual penetration of layers and surfaces within the model.

If you are using sculptural materials, begin by sketching, and by exploring the qualities of available materials. Some good places to look are: the RISD store, the Metcalf store, hardware stores, your own kitchen, garbage, construction sites etc. Your constructions need not be “pretty” but they should be visually coherent and read intuitively. Because this technique involves found materials, some planning is necessary. A good approach is to work back and forth between idea sketch and material assemblage. In other words, you might start with your image (or any of the other designs) from Assignment 6, and imagine what materials would be suitable to realize your design in three dimensions. Then, hunt for the materials. You may not find exactly what you wanted, but maybe you will encounter some interesting things that you hadn’t considered along the away. Go back to sketching, and see if you can reconceive the project in terms of the new materials.   When you are ready, your sketch works with stuff that you have, you can begin to fabricate the design.

 

All the designs, digital or physical, should make use of the qualities of 3D space. In particular this might mean a concerted movement of the forms through space, a sense of enclosure or layering, a strong role for 3D surfaces of objects, including polygonal geometry or vivid, tactile textures. You may also include a role for specific lighting strategies: use flashlights or other fixtures in the physical models. Specific lighting options may not be available in the Cave, but there will be a greater role for physical navigation or penetration of the model.

 

All models should be documented by 2D images. In the Cave, you can save views of your model as JPEGs for print out, arranging the forms in the way you would like them to be seen.

 

If you are documenting your physical model, you can use a camera (digital cameras are available from Fritz or David) or make a drawing. If you draw, make good use of spatial indicators (vanishing point, overlap, color contrast) to project a vivid and useful view of the model. They might involve isometric compression of the space, panoramic extension, or other “distortion” (see Margaret Hagen readings). The drawings do not have to be fully realized in realistic terms, because we have the models to look at in class, but they should be clear enough to show us how you would like us to look at and understand the relationships occurring in your scene.

Use point of view effectively to show the physical relationships between the various elements. Pay special attention to the interplay of graphic factors such as color and shape, with the effects of space. Make adjustments to graphic factors, and to the character of the space (point of view) to increase clarity and legibility.

 

In addition, if you are using CavePainting, use the procedure for handing in explained below.

 

5. Resources

 

5.0 Possible Materials for Physical Models (Partial List)

 

Clay

Paint

Wire

Screening

Fabric

Rubber

Balloons

Sand

Insulating foam

Saran Wrap

Acetate

Plexiglas

Pipe Cleaners

Ribbon

Epoxy Resin

Acrylic gel

Acrylic modeling paste

Glitter

Twigs

Rope

Plaster

Kneaded Eraser

 

5.1 Getting the support code for the assignment (if working in the Cave)

Go to your cs137/ directory and type “cs137handout   7”. This will get the support code into your account in a folder called 'asgn7'. It’s the same you had for assignments 2 and 4, so you should be familiar with these files.

Scan your images and put them into this directory, update the settings file with their names and run (./run  cave) the application to create your squares.

Save your work.

 5.2 Handing in your assignment.

At this point you have a painting saved in your directory (one of the .ff3d files) with your model in it. Edit the 'settings-asgn7.cfg' file again and change the line to load a file to reflect the name of your final cavepainting:


LoadArtwork nameofyourff3dfile.ff3d

Run the program to make sure it loads the file you want before handing in. Finally, to hand in your code type:

cs137handin7   groupname

Where 'groupname' is a name that you assign your group. Go to the kiosk. On the CS137 folder, there should be a button named 'asgn7.groupname'. Press it and make sure it runs on the cave and loads the right painting.

 

6. Questions: Digital Model

  1. How does the 3D spatial configuration of your model help or hinder legibility of data relationships as compared with your previous assignments?

  2. Is there a possible role for layering, selection tools, or transparency in clarifying relationships within the data?  Are there disadvantages to any of these approaches?

  3. Are there aspects of the data that present particular problems in visualization?

  4. Is there a model for VR navigation that is suggested by your model?  How can a user/viewer make the best use of your design in exploring the data?

  Questions: Physical Model

  1. Why did you choose the medium(s) that you did?

  2. What types of flow effects or characteristics does your medium lend itself to conveying?

  3. Did you succeed in conveying a particular quality of the flow?  Which one? Were there flow characteristics that were more resistant to description in this way?

  4. How does the reading of the model change from looking at it directly, to looking at it through each of your 3 drawings? Are there advantages to differing spatial modes in conveying the information contained in the model to a viewer?

  5. Does the technique that you examined with your physical medium have a counterpart in the digital world of VR?  Do you think it would be more or less successful at conveying scientific information than your physical model?

 

7.     Checklist: Digital Model

o     Readings

o     Saved 3 snapshots of the model from different point-of-views that illustrate the spatial relationships in the data.

o     Saved your CavePainting and handed it in.

                                     -     or -

o     Brought your physical model to class.

o     Answered assignment questions and emailed TA

Checklist: Physical Model

o     Readings

o     Selected and obtained physical media appropriate to illustrating various aspects of fluid flow.

o     Created a model that conveys some character of the fluid dynamics that we have been studying.

o     Created 3 drawings in different modes of spatial projection, working directly from your model and potentially enhancing them digitally.

o     Answered assignment questions and emailed TA