Author Archives: berranjp

Jonathan’s Story

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Research & Concept

Letters are unique in that they can be designed in so many uniquely different ways while still maintaining the same meaning. While many letters can vary, some can be written with entire elements included or excluded, and our brains are still able to read them as the same letter. For my letter sketches, I experimented with how different parts of the letters interact to create a cohesive glyph.

First letter: G

The first letter that I chose is the uppercase “G”. I thought this letter would be interesting to experiment with due to the different ways that it can be written. The letter always curves around from the top to bottom, and then moves inward to the left. It is unique because it may or may not have a spur protruding downwards from the right side. The angles and shape of the curves may also vary widely.

Inspiration and sketches

  • Rounded G from Google logo
  • More curvature
  • Different spurs on letterform

Second letter: Q/q

For my second letter, I decided to design the letter “Q”. This is a fairly simple letter, as most of the letterform is just a round shape. The uppercase version has a tail that touches or bisects the bowl. The lowercase version, however, rather than having a tail, includes a descender moving deeper below the letter. For my ideas, I tried to focus on different ways that the tail/descender can interact with the rest of the letter.

Inspiration and sketches

  • Different intersections of tail
  • Orientations
  • Lowercase with descender

Iterations

G

For my first letter, G, I decided to model the letter based off of the cube-shaped form that I sketched. I began by drawing out the base shapes that I needed, and then I simply extruded the sketches and arranged them to create the cube letter.

After I imported the model into Tinkercad to generate the preview, I also had the idea of changing the model so that it can be read from 2 angles. However, it isn’t as readable when viewed diagonally, so I’m not sure if I will go with this iteration.

Q

For my next letter, Q, I was originally going to model the flat, blocky version from my sketches. I started to draw the angular outline of the letter, but Shapr3D misinterpreted my stroke and created a curved line. I actually liked the way it looked and thought it looked more interesting, so I continued to model the rest of the letter using curves instead of only straight lines.

Test Prints

To test my prints, I printed both of my G iterations and my Q at low detail. Everything came out as expected.

  • Original cube G
  • Double G

Final Prints

G

After seeing my test prints in the physical world, I thought that my original G model had too much empty space on the left side, and I liked the “double G” design better. There wasn’t anything that I really wanted to change with that model, so for my final I just printed it once again but at normal detail.

I am really happy with the way this letter turned out, and I like the way the depth of the model helps it to be readable from multiple angles in a 3D space.

Q

For my Q, I wanted to make sure that the thickness was the same on each side. I went back into Shapr3D and made some adjustments to a few measurements and curves. I then printed it at normal detail, this time laying flat on the plate instead of standing up with supports.

I found it a bit harder to use depth for this letter in the same way I did with my G, but I am still pleased with the way the curved shape came out. I like how the “macaroni” shape of the tail connects to the curvature of the rest of the letterform, and also creates a flat surface for the shape to stand on without sticking downward.

Thingiverse link

Shapr3D First Models

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Bracket

To begin learning Shapr3D more in-depth, I followed the “Model a Triangle Cap” tutorial within the app. This was very helpful in learning how to use the apple pencil to create sketches and turn them into full three-dimensional models. There were a few times where the software did not work as I was expecting, and I had to restart to get it to recognize my sketch as a closed shape. After trying again, it worked properly and I was able to finish the model.

Stylus and Base

For this model, I followed the “3D Modeling a Stylus & Base on iPad” video tutorial. I was surprised to see that the process of modeling a stylus was more complicated than I had expected, however this was likely due to the fact that I was still getting used to the software. It was very interesting learning how sketches can be revolved around an axis to quickly create a 3D shape. There were again a few places were the software was not working exactly as it was in the tutorial video, but I was able to use workarounds to achieve similar results.

3D Scan

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For this project, I had to create a 3D scan of my head. At first, I attempted to do this using the FaceID camera on my phone and the Scandy app. However, I soon realized that it was difficult to get a clean 360 scan with it. The app did work as intended, but it was not ideal because I could only use the inner FaceID camera, which could only scan a few inches in front of it.

Instead, I used an iPad Pro with a LiDAR scanner to capture the imagery. This was much easier to use, but it did take several tries to get a good scan. The first scanning attempt went very slowly, and the model came out looking very strange. The issue was that the scanner was not calibrated properly and wasn’t capturing a smooth image, and a simple recalibration made it work much better. After recalibrating, the second attempt went much smoother. I had to stand completely still as a classmate moved the iPad around my body to capture a full 360 scan. Overall, the scanning process as a whole was very easy and straightforward once we worked out the kinks.

After transferring the .obj file to my computer, I imported it into Tinkercad. The model imported very well, with only a few floating pieces that I removed using hole shapes. There were no large gaps or abnormalities with the model, which made it simple to print and turned out well. Overall, I really enjoyed the process of 3D scanning and was surprised at how it can now be done so well with only a mobile device.

Jonathan’s Self Expression

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Research & Concept

When I first started brainstorming ideas for playful objects, I initially had some trouble thinking of an object where the playfulness didn’t impede on the function. At one point I was thinking about how, since my Airpods are broken, I have been having to use wired headphones and have been frustrated with the wires getting tangled. I wanted to design an earbud cable wrapper in the shape of a person. However, I could not figure out how to make the human shape work well with the function of the object. After thinking further about what I could do with the general shape of a person, I had the idea of a desktop phone stand. There are many times where I am working on my laptop and like to have my phone nearby for easy access, so this object will definitely come in handy.

To add some playfulness to this object, I thought that the best approach would be to add people that are holding up the phone. As I develop this idea further, I will want to make sure that the measurements are broad enough to fit my phone with and without a case, and I will have to play around with the positioning and amount of people needed to create a stable support. I am also considering raising the stand up and adding a hole to allow me to charge my phone and use headphones while it is in the stand.

Iterations

For the modeling process, I began by taking measurements of my phone to make sure the holder would fit it exactly. I went into Tinkercad and placed shapes to create the holder itself, making sure they corresponded with the measurements that I took before. I then rotated it back slightly, and arranged several more shapes to create the people that hold it up. I made sure to have the people connecting to the holder in multiple places, and I positioned them with the hope that they would be sturdy enough to hold my phone. At one point I was considering adding another person that would interact with the phone from the front or side, but I ultimately decided against it because I wanted to be certain that the phone would still be fully usable while on the stand.

After finishing the model, I began my printing process. Because the model needed to be tested at scale and is fairly large, I printed it using the “fast” preset, with 20% infill. However, about an hour into printing, the model started coming off of the plate, which was interfering with how the filament was being placed. I realized that this was happening because I used the “skirt” adhesion, so there was nothing holding the print down and keeping it stable. I cancelled the print and tried again.

For my second attempt I used the same settings, but this time I used the “raft” adhesion to be sure it would remain 100% stable while printing. Once it finished, I really had to work to get off all of the supports, but I was very pleased with how it turned out. The print is perfectly sized for my phone, and the people seem pretty sturdy and have held up well so far.

Final

For the final iteration of my Stickman Phone Stand, I decided to make a few aesthetic changes. The main change that I made was making the people a bit smaller, in order to make it look like the phone was heavier for them and they were struggling more to keep it up. I also rounded the edges of the stand, since the corners were very sharp in the previous iterations. Finally, I added 2 small supports underneath the bottom of the stand itself to make it more stable when holding the phone.

Overall, I am very happy with how the stand turned out. The entire process of sketching, designing, and refining went well, and I always had clear ideas of what to do next throughout the process. I think that the addition of the smoothed edges do a lot to make the product look more refined, and the smaller size of the stickmen do a great job of making the phone look heavier, while still providing enough support and keeping it stable.

3D SVG

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For my design, I didn’t have any logos that would translate well to a single-color object, so I kept it simple by making a little snowman (since we’ve been getting so much snow recently). I created the design in Illustrator using the shape tool, with the final object being made entirely of various circles and rounded rectangles. I created the body using three large circles, with long rounded rectangles for the arms. Once the body was finished, I arranged several small circles to create the snowman’s face. I then selected the face and head, and used the pathfinder minus-front tool to turn the circles into holes. I repeated these same steps to create the buttons as well.

After adding some finishing touches, I exported the design as an SVG and imported it into Tinkercad at 50% size. Because the SVG file used only positive and negative space, the design imported exactly as intended with no other modifications required.

Jonathan Berrang’s Form|Function

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F|F Research & Concept

Single Joy-Con Grip by 3DBotMaker on Thingiverse

This Thingiverse object is a grip for a Nintendo Switch controller. These controllers are very small and somewhat uncomfortable to use on their own. The grip is designed to increase the size of the controller by giving your hands something bigger to hold onto. It is designed to make it easy to insert and remove the controller, while (hopefully) still holding it tightly in place. There are also holes in the back so that you can push the controller out when you’re done using it.

After some planning, I realized that I wanted to make some changes to the model. While I knew the grip would be helpful on its own, I wanted to take it a step further and make the handles longer, making it shaped more like a traditional controller. Another improvement I was originally planning to make was changing the back side so it would be easier to hold. On the original model, the grip is perfectly rectangular, so I considered making the back curved to give my fingers an easy place to grip.

F|F Iterations

Original Model

Single Joy-Con Grip by 3DBotMaker on Thingiverse

This is the printed base model from Thingiverse, with no modifications added.

Modifications

After seeing how the model looked in the physical world, I started to make some changes in Tinkercad. At first, I planned on extending the handles and making the back side curved. However, after testing the original print, I thought the straight back still felt pretty comfortable, so I just focused on making longer handles. For my first iteration, I simply added some rounded shapes in order to achieve this.

After working on it some more, I wanted to make sure that when printed, the handles would fit to my fingers more naturally, so I decided to replace these handles with custom extrusion shapes. It was a bit hard to integrate my additions smoothly because the original model includes rounded edges, but I tried my best to align it as well as possible.

The base model came with instructions to print with 10% infill and .25mm layer hight, so I used these settings to print both the original model and my remix. The second version ended up, structurally, as I expected, however the “layers” didn’t seem to be as smooth as the original print. The settings were exactly the same, so it may have been because I used a different printer model for the second version. After testing my remix, I found that the extended handles did make the controller more comfortable to hold as I intended, although they could have been even longer to fit my entire hand.

Final Iteration

I then went back into Tinkercad and tried to figure out a way to make the handles match the original model better. The process was very tedious, but ended up accomplishing this by adding hole shapes around the handles, which “carved” the straight edges to be rounded.

  • The handles with sharp edges
  • The hole shape I used to “carve” the edges
  • Aligning the hole shapes
  • Rounded handles
  • Final print
  • With controller

The final model and print ended up working out very well. As I was smoothing out the edges in Tinkercad, I was worried that it would come out blocky, but once I printed it it actually ended up being pretty smooth. Because I didn’t make any changes to the base model, the controller fits perfectly inside the grip. It is snug enough to stay in place while still being easy to insert and remove. The handles are now a good size, and the controller fits comfortably in my hands. Overall, this project was very challenging, but I am very happy with the way the final product turned out.

Jonathan’s First Print

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This past Thursday, I got to do my first 3D print ever. I decided to print the JMU cube model by @mathgrrl because I thought it looked neat, and I wasn’t sure how long or difficult other things from Thingiverse would be. I had never 3D printed anything before, so I was excited to see what the process involved and how the 3D printers worked. I was surprised to see that the printer itself was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, and it was neat seeing how the nozzle added layers so quickly and precisely. The process was very straightforward, and the whole thing printed quickly and without problem. However, my final cube print ended up being way smaller than I intended it to be, and it was a bit rough on the top and bottom (maybe due to its tiny size). It was still very interesting seeing how the process of 3D printing works from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to see what else is possible!

Hi, I’m Jonathan Berrang

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Hello! My name is Jonathan Berrang, and I am a junior SMAD Interactive Design major from Waynesboro, Virginia. I also have a minor in Educational Media.

In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, going on hikes, playing video games, and listening to music. I’m also a member of Phi Sigma Pi, a co-ed honor fraternity here at JMU. I see myself as a creative person, and I always enjoy learning different types of creative software, even if it’s just to mess around with for fun. That’s why I’m excited to take this class; I’m looking forward to learning a skill that I otherwise would probably not have much opportunity to learn.

I chose this image of diverging paths to describe myself because I am still exploring interests to see where different skills could take me in the future.

My creative type is The Visionary.

Thingiverse
Tinkercad