Research & Concept

Each letterform in the English alphabet is unique, but also contains the same basic line forms and structures. Many of the letterforms are very similar to each other, such as “P” and “R”, or “O” and “Q”. These forms are only differentiated by a single slanted line placed in the form. However, when letterforms are converted from 2D to 3D images, there is a lot more room for different interpretation of the forms and unique styles to emerge.

First Glyph: “M”

The first letterform I chose was the letter “M”. I chose the letter “M” because it is the first initial in my first name, as well as my dad’s first initial. The letterform “M” is unique to me because it can have very straight, pointed edges at the top of the letter, or the edges could be curved, like arches. The typical form is straight line stems on either side of the “M” that come to a point where they meet at the top. There are many different styles of the capital form of “M” seen in various fonts.

Second Glyph: “R”

The second letterform I choose was the letter “R”. The letterform “R” has a straight stem on the left side with a curved edge on the right with an extended line. “R” has a very similar letterform to the letter “P”, with the addition of a slanted line. I choose the letter “R” to design a 3D print for because it structure and form. I prefer the capital form of the letter R to the lower case form because of the curved upper half and the line that extended from the middle to the base of the glyph.

Iterations

For my M letterform, I wanted to create a curved yet triangular shape for the arches in the capital M. I used two elevated 90 degree 3D triangle forms and had them intersect at one of their 45 degree angle points. I added long rectangular posts on to both outer sides of the triangles to give the form the appearance of the letter M. I used the tools in Shapr3D to blend the edges of the triangle to give them a curved, rounder shape. I also blended one side of the bottom edges of both rectangular posts to add a reverse mirroring effect to the letterform. I exported the file with my letter design from Shapr3D and imported it into Tinkercad.

After receiving feedback from my peers, I went back into Tinkercad and added semi-circular holes to the triangles forming my ‘M’ letterform. These arches in the triangle are meant to give the letterform the illusion that the lowercase form of ‘m’ is inside of the uppercase form of “M”, giving the letterform a multi-purpose.

For my ‘R’ letterform, I wanted the design to appear slightly whimsical. I added a curved loop that extends upward at the end to a rectangular post to create the ‘R’. For the initial design, I used the scribble tool in Tinkercad to formulate my idea into a 3D model. I then attempted to use Shapr3D to re-create the design with the spline tool. The design on Shapr3D did not turn out the way I had envisioned it in my head and the edges were too rigid and not curved enough. I then went back into Tinkercad to smooth the edges of the ‘R’ and give it the original appearance I had hoped for.

Test Prints of ‘M’ and ‘R’ Letterforms

Final Prints

For the final print of my ‘M’ letterform, I went back into Tinkercad and added a rectangular base to the bottom of the triangle arches because in my test print, the bases of the arches were very thin and not proportionate to the rest of the letterform. I also increased the width of the letterform as a whole to increase stability when standing the 3D letterform upright. In my test print, the width was too small and the print was unable to stand properly.

For my final print of my ‘R’ letterform, I removed the space between the body of the ‘R’ and the rectangular post. I also increased the width of the body to make the loop bigger and give the extended leg of the ‘R’ a longer, more curved length. I also added a box-like extension of the loop on the left side of the rectangular post.

Research & Concept

Letterforms:

Letterforms are unique in that they are identifiable by specific features that generally stay the same no matter the design. They can be written, design, or constructed into 2D, 3D, or 4D designs and all still be identifiable as the same letterform due to these characteristics.

First Glyph: “I”

The first glyph that I was assigned was the letter I. The letter consists of one vertical line with two connecting horizontal lines– one at the top and one at the bottom. After analyzing the letter I only had one potential 3D design idea, which was a simple block letter I. I decided to look for some inspiration and ended up finding the three designs below. These three images became the inspirations for my sketches for the first glyph “I”. In my sketches, I ended up using a simple block letter form for most of the I glyphs mixed with fun cutouts.

Inspiration

Second Glyph: “b “

The second glyph that I was assigned was the lowercase letter b. The letter consists of a line with a half circle attached to the right side of the line. I’m pretty familiar with the letter since my last name starts with a b, but I often only really write and look at the uppercase version of b. As I was examining the glyph I realized that there was plenty of potential to redesign the letterform into a 3D shape. After analyzing the letterform, I began to do some research to find inspiration for my potential designs. In my sketches, I ended up using a general bubbly type font base. The majority of my designs for b have soft edges with lots of curves. Though, I did design a few with a more box-like shape to give the design more of an edge.

Inspiration

Sketches

Iterations

First Glyph 3D Model:

3D Designing Process:

For my first model, I decided to alter my original design by changing the cutout. This is because I didn’t like how dull and boring the initial design looked in Shapr3D. So, I began trying other forms of cutouts such as making the i bigger, moving it around, and finally cutting out a capitalized I. After making this adjustment I ended up really liked the way it looked. I feel like it is a lot more sophisticated looking and sleeker.

Second Glyph 3D Model:

3D Designing Process:

As for my second model, I didn’t end up making too many adjustments throughout the process. The main thing I did throughout this process was figuring out spacing and readjusting and making more lines. I did this until I got the swirling effect that I liked the best and thought looked the coolest.

Final Prints

First Glyph 3D Model & Print:

Second Glyph 3D Model & Print:

Pictured above are my final prints for this project. Overall, the printing process for these letters wasn’t too bad. For my first glyph, I only had to print it once after editing the original design and it turned out perfectly. I wasn’t as lucky with my second one though. I ended up having to print the “b” once and then make some slight adjustments. In the end, though they both turned out just the way I had imagined.

Research & Concept

Letterforms are an interesting art-form that simultaneously has strict rules but is still very customizable. Different fonts or styles can impact the way a letter is perceived by a viewer. Certain textures and lines might express a tone like playfulness through bubble letters on a children’s game, or a more antique feeling can be portrayed through script-handwriting letterforms. Working with letterforms is an art because the whole challenge is expressing what you want creatively while still maintaining traditional letter standards.

Glyph 1: Capital A

Capital A is a very symmetrical letter in most instances which makes it a little more constricting because whatever is changed on the left side will most likely have to be mirrored onto the right. I chose this letter because my middle initial is A and coincidentally, my girlfriends name starts with A in case I don’t have money to get her a gift.

Glyph 2: X

X is the most under-represented letter in our alphabet. It is seen in a lot of commercials for products with flashy names that appeal to kids. I chose this one because I love an underdog story. Theres a lot of surface area to X so I feel like I have a good bit of space to work with creatively.

Iterations

A

My first iteration attempt was on the letter A. I looked at the sketch in the bottom right and I thought of ring toss and I’ve been meaning to play ring toss recently, so why not center it around my middle initial? I think I made a pretty fun whimsical decision with this. I need to print this one out to see how big I should make the ring; I’m not a professional ring tosser. I tried Shapr3D for this one but my hands are so shaky it made it hard.

X

My second iteration was the letter X. My sketches for this one were pretty uninspired so I looked at the one in the bottom right, played around with it and tried to translate it into 3D. They almost look like puzzle pieces being put together. I think I did an alright job but I’m going to try drawing something new in Shapr3D because I feel pretty limited with Tinkercad and I think this letter has potential.

Final Prints

I had a very rough time dealing with my final prints. I tried to print my ring toss A twice before but they ended up turning into spaghetti right near the end. I think I just got unlucky because on my third print it came out beautifully. The only thing I changed from the initial design was increasing the size of the triangle hole in the center.

My X print came out wonderfully and I love the design of it. I thought it was a weak entry at first but I really like the way it looks and it was very satisfying to rip the supports off and be left with such clean lines.

Research & Concept

Letterforms are a very important part of culture. No matter how many different shapes and sizes a letterform can come in, it is still distinguishable by the human eye as to what letter it is. Letterforms can be made in 2d, 3d, or 4d and still have the same meaning to a person.

My first letterform that I chose as “f” I chose this letter because it is the initial of my middle name and I thought it would be a fun letterform to work with. At first it was very hard to find inspiration and I did not know exactly what I should be sketching. Once I finally got started I was on a roll and felt very good about my ideas.

These were some of the photos I drew inspiration from to create my sketches. All of them are very fun and interesting to me and I think I am going to have a hard time choosing a final idea.

I am happy with my sketches although it was hard for me to get across exactly what I meant in these sketches I am hoping that one of them comes to life the way I wanted it.

The second letterform I chose was “b” because it is the first letter of my last name. These ideas did not come as easy to me. It was hard for me to see all that could be done with its shape unlike the “f”. I am not particularly happy yet with any of them but hopefully I can come up with something using what I have planned already. Below is some of the inspiration I used.

Here are my sketches and as I said before I am not very fond of any of them yet but hopefully over the next few days or when I am designing on Shapr3d I will come up with something better than what I have. So far, this has been a little more difficult than I thought I would be but hopefully I will be satisfied with my final products.

Iterations

For my first iteration I modeled the letter “B” This one did not turn out exactly how I planned but I think I like it better this way. I did not originally plan to have a hole in the middle of it but in order to shape the curves on the “B” and extrude the faces I could not figure out a better way to do this.

I actually ended up enjoying the contrast of the hole in the center makes to the extrusions in the upper and lower parts of the “B”. I am definitely open to critiques on this one and still want to figure out how to make it the way I originally planned and see if I like it better.

My second iteration was for the letter “f”. This one was a lot harder than expected but I think it turned out decent.

I had to sketch the f and extrude it then I chamfered all the sides until it was completely round. Then I had to take it into tinkercad and add parabloids to make the spikes around it. The spikes are not exactly how I would like them and I am not sure if the “f” is shaped correctly, there may have been an easier or more efficient way to make it so I am going to keep working on it.

Overall, I am super happy with how my iterations are looking so far!

Final Prints

Unfortunately one of my iteration for “B” that I turned in as my final print I do not have a photo of. I do have a photo of another iteration of “B” that is not as good due to the infill density being off but it is not horrible.

I ended up adding a small block to the bottom in order to help the letterform stand up but I did not take into account the weight from the extruding centers of the “B” so it was uneven and very hard to get to stand straight. My final letterform of this that I turned in was the same exact thing but the infill density was lower so the print came out much better.

For my letterform “f” It actually printed very well on my first try but I tried to make it stand on the spikes but my first try did not work. I then printed it out again and added a fourth spike to the bottom but unfortunately it was too short so I then needed to sand down the other spikes to make it even. This helped a little bit and now it can stand up but only when it is placed perfectly. There were a ton of supports and rafts that needed to be removed from this print but it was worth all of the struggle of clipping them off.

Overall, I am very proud of how my letterforms turned out. Making them completely on Shapr3D was definitely a challenge but they turned out almost perfect. Had I had an easier time getting back and forth from printing and doing it in time I definitely could have made these letterforms perfect.

Research and Concept

Letter forms can be represented in numerous styles, textures and sizes while still holding its value. The recognizable formation of the letters allows the viewer to still view the meaning of the letter form no matter how much you morph it. Whether it be 2D or 3D the letter form will remain readable.

First Glyph “S”

The first letter form I have been assigned is S. This letter is easily distinguished by its too curves that look almost like a circle was cut in half, separated and flipped opposite ways. This letter for is often seen shaped by everyday objects such as a rope and creatures like a snake. These curves allow for a lot of room to play with form and be creative with it.

Inspiration

Sketches

Second Glyph “r”

The second letter form I was assigned is “r”. This letter is identified by its streak with an end hook at the top. This letter form is similar to a “P” but only contains half the oval connected to the streak. This letter forms distinct resemblance to a hook sparked my mind when exploring different ways to morph its form.

Inspiration

Sketches

Iterations

‘S’ model

When creating my ‘S’ model design I knew I wanted to give it a 3D look while also giving off the look of a lifted fold. The model still has a lot of work that needs to go into it to give off this effect but I think I’m heading in the right direction. In addition, I want to add some more features to the front face of the ‘S’ to make it pop. I enjoyed working on this model and I’m excited to work on the results I’m looking for.

‘r’ Model

I’m pretty proud with how my ‘r’ model turned out. One thing I think I need to work on with this model is making the ‘r’ in the rose more clear when viewing the rose. Instead of adding a whole stem as I drew up in my concepts I decided to put two petals at the bottom of the rose and I think it helps to viewer to instantly acknowledge what the design is. I really enjoyed making this model and I’m looking forward to making some adjustments and doing a test print.

Final Prints

Final S Reflection

When creating my final ‘S’ I attempted to add more of a curve to the model to stray away for the ‘Z’ shape and I somewhat got the results I was looking for. I tried to create a new model and print it but my printer was shut off so I was sadly never able to get a second variation. I think the design of this model is really cool and I think it turned out great but I wish I was able to get my second variation printed as well.

Final ‘r’ Reflection

After completing my final print for the Rose ‘r’ I was very proud of the results I had. I’m happy with how the ‘r’ in the rose came out and how clear it is that the model resembles a rose. Before beginning this model I was a bit nervous about how it may turn out and these are the results I was looking for when I thought up the design in my head. Overall, I’m very satisfied with how this print turned out.

Letterforms are made through by putting together various shapes in specific ways to create a certain configuration. Each letterform has a specific configuration and regardless of the style or font used to show the configuration, you can identify which letterform it is. You can express the letterform in any set of dimensions and it will still communicate the same meaning.

First Glyph (W)

The first glyph I chose was the first letter of my last name, “W”. I find this letterform interesting because it is essentially a letter created out of doubling another letter, both visually and within it’s name. It is formed through taking two “V” shapes and connecting them together to create the “W” shape. It can also be written by doubling the letter “U”, just like it’s name.

Second Glyph (a)

For my second glyph I chose a letter that comes up in my name twice, the letter “a”. For my specific letterform I chose the lowercase style. I chose this leterform because I think it’s interesting all of the different ways it can be written. You can create this letterform by creating a hook and adding a circle to the bottom of the hook or you can add a circle to a simple line. I have also seen when it is written that you can draw a simple circle and just continue that circle until it has a tail, which turns it in the letter “a”.

Iterations

For my first letter, I decided to go with the block design that I drew out for my concept. I create each block individually and then stacked them on top of each other one by one to create the look of a lower case “a”.

When testing out different forms of the lowercase letter “a”, I was really set on stick with the block idea that I had come up with originally. The first letterform printed with supports on every side. At the time I did not realize that you could take these off, so I tried again using a different version of the letterform that I created in Tinkercad. I thought the bigger cubes would help with the sturdiness of the print. I still ran into issues with the print made of bigger cubes.

For my second letter, upper case “W”, I decided to try out two designs. One was the design with the stacked rectangles. I really like how this design turned out. I think it’s cool that when you first look it may be somewhat confusing, but when you place it right, it resembles a “W”. For my second design, I used the draw feature in Tinkercad in order to create a whimsical “W”. I’m also really pleased with this design as well, I think it would be a playful way to create a simple letter.

For my uppercase “W”, the first print I made came out exactly the way I wanted it to. I was realy happy with how this print turned out and had no difficulty in printing it. I assume that this is due to the simplicity of the form of the print.

Final Print

I was really happy with the final result of this project. I was able to learn so much through printing these two pieces. I did not run into any issues with the “W” letterform and I was so ecstatic about how it turned out, it was exactly what I had imagined. For my lowercase “a” I ran into quite a few issues. But, through printing this letterform a learned a lot about supports. I had not even needed to use supports before, so when I saw them I was initially confused. Eventually, I discussed with Professor Hooker and learned that what was on my first print was the supports and that you can take them off! To get my final print, I laid the print on its side in Cura and put supports on the bottom that was touching the surface of the printer. After printing, I took off the supports and the final product turned out exactly how I wanted it! I think overall, I was able to learn more about printing in the process of creating these.