Letterforms and their various stylings possess just as much meaning as the words that they help form. They elicit varying moods while simultaneously setting the tone. Even though every letter in this collection, both ‘D’ and ‘V’, are written in a different style, one still immediately recognizes the familiar shape through association. One may even say that calligraphy is the art of type. Not only do letterforms allow us to communicate, but they also serve as creative outlets. Even though each letterform has its own distinct structure, designing them in various shapes, sizes, dimensions, and stylings can dramatically alter the message one wishes to convey.
First Glyph – ‘D’
The first glyph that I chose is the letter ‘D’, as it is the first letter of my initial. Interestingly, this letter has its roots in the Semitic alphabet, which spans back to the second millennium B.C. This letter is comprised of two unique strokes: a bar – the horizontal stroke in characters such as A, H, R, e, and f, and bowl – A curved stroke that creates an enclosed space within a character (the space is then called a counter). The capitalized version of the letter ‘D’ is very distinct from its lowercase ‘d’ counterpart. Most notably, the bowl stroke faces in the opposite direction compared to the capital letter. Pictured below are the sources of inspiration for three of my sketches.
Second Glyph – ‘V’
The second glyph that I chose is the letter ‘V’, as I like its simple symmetry in its most neutral form. This letter has its origins in the Semitic alphabet as well. It is generally comprised of two equidistant strokes that move away from each other from an origin point. It is not a very commonly utilized letter in the English language. There is not a lot of variation between its upper and lower-case forms, except for its height. Below are some pictures that inspired three of my designs. My last sketch in the series is a whimsical interpretation of the letter.
Iterations
For my first iteration of the ‘D’ glyph I decided to keep the design simple and familiar, in order to capture the true essence of the character. I hope to revisit Shapr3D in order to bring to life some of my other ideas. In the meantime, I definitely bit off more than I could chew in terms of my Shapr3D abilities. My end goal is to create a graffiti-style ‘D’ glyph. This iteration allowed me to gain more experience with the software, in order that I may explore different and more unique concepts in my upcoming iterations. I do really minimalistic design because the form of the object is very closely tied to its function. To create this glyph, I merely connected a series of lines and an arc, which I then offset from the edge, and drug 2mm towards the center. Finally, I extruded the 2D shape from the plane.
The second iteration of the ‘D’ glyph that I complete ended up being much more complex, although it does not directly correlate to any of the sketches that are pictured above. I decided to make this design more creative and add ‘wings’ to the top and bottom of the ‘D’. Not only does this make the design more dramatic, but it also resembles a ‘C’, which happens to be my last initial.
For my first iteration of the ‘V’ glyph I decided to use the first sketch in my ‘V’ letterform composite, but with a twist. I began by creating a standard ‘V’ shape by connecting multiple lines. I then offset the edges of the ‘V’ shape and drug them 1.5mm inwards. I then extruded the outside ‘V’ shape 3mm off the plane. Although this design does not leave much room for interpretation, I feel as though the hollow space on the inside of the ‘V’ draws the viewer in. I am hoping to create a few more iteration of the ‘V’ before conducting a final print.
Final Iterations & Prints
I was able to print out both the ‘D’ and ‘V’ letters with only one slight problem. Upon retrieving the second iteration of the letter ‘D’ from the printer, I realized that the three distinct parts that comprise the letter had not been unionized in Shapr3D. This meant that when I printed it out the two ‘wings’ were not grafted to the centerpiece. In order to overcome this challenge, I made the following iteration that is pictured below.
To achieve this shape, I merely used Shapr3D to decreased the extrusion height of the small ‘D’ and drug it backwards into the stem of the larger ‘D’. I then unionized the two shapes together and then exported the .STL file into Tinkercad.
Letterforms have the capability of being presented in countless ways, with variations to style, textures, and dimension. What I find to be the most intriguing characteristic of letterforms is that through all of these variations, the meaning of the letterform remains unchanged because each letterform is recognizable by its individual formations. Because of this fascinating asset, designers are able to manipulate many aspects of a letterform all while keeping its integrity.
First Glyph: “J”
The first glyph I chose was the capital letter “J,” as that is the initial of my first and last name. This letterform has a long stem protruding from the top and a curved semi-circle at the bottom at its base. The letterform “J” also sometimes has a “hat” that sits horizontally atop of the long stem, although this does not appear on all forms of the capital letter “J.” This is an odd component of the letterform as this part is actually optional to have, so it is not necessarily considered a defining characteristic. This specific formation is what produces the full letter, “J.”
Inspiration
3D decorative wooden Alphabet, capital letter J
Sketches
Second Glyph: “e”
The lowercase letterform “e” is a bit more interesting than one may expect upon first glance. It is comprised of a long line that almost completes a circle, but does not ever tough the other end. This circle-like line extends up, to the left, down, to the right, and then up a little again. It also has a short horizontal line that appears in the middle of the letterform which connects the upper-end of the circular formation by extending leftwards to the middle of the circular formation. This letterform differs greatly from its capital counterpart.
E Letter Vector. Capital, Lowercase. Font Marquee Light Sign. Retro Shine Lamp Bulb Alphabet. 3D Electric Glowing Digit. Vintage Gold Illuminated Light. Carnival, Casino Style. Illustration
Sketches
Iterations
Iterations for the glyph, “J”
For my first glyph, the capitol letter “J,” I was excited to pursue my fancy-looking and unique interpretation that I thought of while sketching. Using the spline tool to create my sketch, it was difficult to get all of the points where I wanted them to be exactly, so this part was a little time consuming. Once I created a created a sketch I was happy with, I extended it to become a body. This design had a small, claw-like form as the “hat” of the capitol J, which I decided looked awkward and almost made the J difficult to recognize.
Below are pictures of my first design.
I then decided to extend the hat to be longer, making the hat more recognizable. I really liked the way this looked and it matched more of what I pictured in my head when designing this.
Pictured below is the first iteration I made to my glyph.
I did actually really like this design and almost stopped there, but as I was playing around with it more I found that blending some of the edges made me like the design even better. I think that blending the edges makes the design look more formal and aesthetically pleasing. This extra splash of detail does not take away from the integrity of the design nor the recognizability of the letter J.
Below are images of my second iteration and iframe.
Iterations for the glyph, “e”
My second glyph, the lowercase “e,” I found to be the most difficult design to come up with. Because of this, I wanted to explore multiple designs to brainstorm all of the ways that I can make this print unique. I began with a fairly simple e that had a pointed tail. I actually really didn’t like this design for a few reasons: firstly, it would not be able to stand alone because the bottom of the design is rounded. Secondly, it was just way too simple and I really wanted to push my boundaries with this assignment,
Below are pictures of my first sketch.
I quickly threw out this idea and pursued another, one in which was completely different from the first. I liked the idea of playing with blocks and giving this simple little letter “e” a touch of architectural playfulness. I created my first iteration keeping in mind how blocks can create this sort of odd structure.
Below are pictures of my first iteration.
I liked where this design was going more, however I still felt as though something was missing; this design still seemed to be too simple. I had this idea of blocks building upon one another, almost in a way where if they were actual singular blocks, they would tumble apart. What I decided this design needed was more of a chaotic feel to it, where the form almost just looks like a random array of blocks until you look at it from the front view.
Below is a picture and iframe of my second iteration.
When I test printed my design for the first time, I was met with “spaghetti” from the printer. Upon investigating into this further, I looked to my design to see if anything had gone wrong in the original architecture. Lo and behold, I discovered that my squares in Shapr 3D were not united and in fact could not be united, as Shapr 3D does not allow shaped to connect to each other by one side as my design features. For this reason, I took back to the drawing board once again and created an entirely new model. This time, I created the basic outline of the lowercase letter “e,” raised the face of it to make a body, then drew lines throughout the letterform. With those lines, I created different sized shapes and took those individual faces and manipulated them to create the scattered architectural design I had originally thought of. This design worked phenomenally, and when printed, worked out well. I printed this design with a layer height of 0.3, though, which impacted the integrity of the design.
Below are images of my third iteration and its iframe.
Final Prints
First Glyph: J
Something that I got as feedback for my design during our class time was that the “hat” of the capital J almost resembled an inappropriate figure, so with that new image in mind, I took back to the drawing board and reworked my design. I decided that the left-most half of the hat would work perfectly in terms of the print being understood as a “J” and take away the idea of it resembling something inappropriate. I also changed the shape of the half-hat to make it more fancy-looking, and this new design came to mind. It essentially has the same idea as my second iteration of the design on the bottom, but the top completely changed its aesthetic. I believe that the final design of my uppercase “J” glyph is perfect and resembles exactly the design that I had in mind even when brainstorming ideas at the beginning of this project. This is my final print because it is sleek, attractive, and well-constructed. It is able to stand on its own which completes one task I had for it, and it successfully portrayed the glyph, “J,” to be highly recognizable.
If I had the opportunity, I would enlarge the size, add a small hole in the back of it, and round the bottom to make it into a wall decoration for my room. Because I wanted to have this design stand upright and stay within the size constraints of the assignment, I could not pursue this, but I believe the final print works great for its intended purpose.
Second Glyph: e
After reworking my design in Shapr 3D, I was very pleased with how it turned out. Since I was just test printing it for my iteration, I had the layer height at 0.3 to save time and simply see if it would print correctly. I also did not add the appropriate supports, so I needed to adjust that as well to be suitable for a final submission. In my final print, I set the layer height at 0.15 and Infill density to 20% so that the print would come out as clean as possible. I added a skirt as the support in order to give it the appropriate formation integrity. These were the only changes needed in order to print a successful model of the glyph, “e.” I believe that my final print worked out tremendously; I am very pleased with the structure of the design itself and how it printed. I am very glad that I chose to start the design process over again from scratch after my third iteration came out as spaghetti; this allowed me to think creatively and solve the issue that I was having in the most effective way. Without that redesign, I am certain that I would not have a 3D print that turned out successfully. This is the final print because it is clean, the designs integrity is still intact, and it is a direct reflection of the concept I had originally created.
Overall, I am most proud of the creativity I encapsulated for this glyph. Primarily, I was concerned that I would not be able to think of a way to manipulate the letter “e” into something out of the box, but I believe just that. After researching letterforms as sculptures, I was inspired to make something that would have an interesting architectural aesthetic to it. If I ever had access to machinery that could accommodate this, I would enlarge this design into a much bigger print, so that it could act as an interactive sculpture. In addition, I would print other letters with the same design concept as my design of “e” and spell out a word. I am intrigued with the idea of seeing a structure and it looking random from most angles, but being legible from other angles.
Notice: This iframe for the letterform “e” is the same as the iframe from my third iteration, I simply changed printer settings in order to achieve my final print of this glyph.
Throughout letterform, typography, and graphology, we see letters the same way. We see these letters every single moment throughout our lives and even though they might be constructed in a different way, we still know the meaning behind it. We can see letterforms from 2D, 3D, and even 4D, and it still has the same meaning to us. Each letterform has its own unique structure and shape. Through those characteristics, each letter has its own letterform that is special in its own way.
First Glyph- “d”
The first letter glyph that I have chosen is the lowercase “d”. Both my first and last name starts with the letter “D”, and I think it would be interesting to find and model a way to change the structure of the letter “D” but keep it as its same letterform. The lowercase “d” can be written in many ways, but the most basic would be the initial tall stroke, while combining it with a semi-oval shape to finish the letter. Some people might add a slight arc to the bottom of the stroke of the letter “d” to give it more definition. Although it is a simple letter that can be written in one stroke, I wanted to see what I can do to this letterform. Below are my inspirations as well as my sketches.
Second Glyph- “P”
The next letter that I have chosen is the uppercase “P”. I decided to choose this letterform because as you can see from the lower case “d”, they have a similar structure. The upper case “P” seems like a flipped and mirrored letterform of the lower case “d”. They both contain a long straight stroke, while having a semi-oval shape connecting it together. I wanted to see what type of differences I can make to this letterform compared to the letter “d”. Maybe I can create a model that could be similar to both letterforms to create some sort of connection between those two. Although both of these letterforms are simple, I wanted to see if I can create a model that could either connect the forms together or distinguish the differences between those two letterforms. Below are my inspirations as well as my sketches.
Iterations
First glyph: lower case “d”
These models and iterations were all made in the Shapr3D app on the iPad. I first approached on working the lower case “d”. I started by first sketching the outline of the letter “d” with a height of 15mm, as you can see in the images below. I then went to the 3D view and changed the sketch into a 3D form. The next step I did was to add another work plane on top of the letter “d”. I then sketched the inside hole of the letter “d”. After creating the inside hole, I then lower the sketch through the first model so it may create a hole through the letter. For this letterform I wanted to add some textures to it, to give it more character. I highlighted each edges around the letter and increased their size to give it a more rugged detail. I wanted to make this letterform to have a abstract look with solid edges and make it look more “alive”.
Designing the letterform was both simple and difficult. I had a hard time finding the right dimensions to create this sort of shape. Since I had many sides to the semi-oval in the letter “d”, I wanted to make the sides in the hole of the letter similar but in smaller length. I realized that I only added details to the front face of the letter. I am planning to also add more details to the back side of the letterform. The plan I was aiming for was to make a messy but abstract letterform of the lower case “d”. I plan to make the model larger as well and add more details in the letterform. Since this is my first attempt of the model, I am still researching and possibly might change my plan in creating this letterform.
Second glyph: Upper case “P”
The next model I am creating is the upper case “P”. I first started on the model by sketching a simple model of the letter, with a height of 15mm. I then switched to the 3D view and increased the size of the model to a width of 3mm. I then added another work plane on top of the model so I could create the hole to go through the model to create the upper case “P”. On the second work plane I created the inner hole in the model and then lower the sketch through the first model to create the hole in the middle. Now was the time to add some details and characters to the upper case “P”.
For this letterform I wanted to make it look more smooth than the lower case “d”. I decided that I wanted to curve and bend the upper case “P” to give it more character. I highlighted the edges of the bottom half of the leg of the upper case “P” and changed its direction and angle. That cause the shape of the letter to curve and mold into a bent looking letter “P”. With this detail I feel like it gives it much more of a character as a 3D model and more interesting to the eye. I still haven’t thought about how the final model would look, but I still want to add some sort of more detail to it. Although it looks simple, just molding the shape of it gave it that much more character. I also realized that the shape of the letterform should have more details. Most people who write a lower or upper case “P” has the long stroke poking at the top of the letter. I plan to iterate my shape to resemble more of a upper case “P” letterform.
Overall the first models looked great, but I still want to add more details and shape to the letterform in the future.
This is my final end result of creating a model of the letterform of the lower case “d”. In the end I wanted to make a simplistic but very detailed 3D model of the letterform. I have created this model on Shapr3D, as you can see at the images below. The octagon shape of the letter is slightly angled at 35 degrees to give it a more distinct look when looking from above. I have attached that part with the long stroke of the letter “d” to make it stand upright and hold its form. Overall this concept was challenging, since I had to go through many different iterations to see which ones I will be satisfied with. At the end this model turned out great and it represents well as the letterform of a lower case “d”. I am looking forward to many more projects that I can create and make with 3D printing and modeling. You can download and print my model here on Thingiverse. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4843870
This is the final result of my concept of making a 3D model of the letterform of the upper case “P”. I have kept my iteration from before by twisting the letterform by adding some details to it. However when I first printed it, the letterform wouldn’t stay upright and would tip over. At the end I added a stand/mount below the letterform so it would stand upright, and it did. As you can see there are some rough edges around the letterform, this is because of the support that was printed with the letterform and I had a hard time removing them and smoothing out the letterform. I would most likely print the letterform in a different was towards the future. Overall, this print worked out great and it came out just as I expected. This concept was very fun to do, and I can’t wait to print other types of projects in the future. You can download this model here on Thingiverse
This is an everyday kitchen sink stopper or plug. It is inserted in the drain to prevent water from going down and to help fill the sink. It is an object that I interact with on a daily basis, and I think it could use a little pizzazz.
My design features a hand as the plug’s topper. Since the plug is used to stop up the drain and fill the sink with water, I thought it would be humorous to add a hand at the top that looks as though it is drowning and reaching for help above the water. The design functions similarly to the original, expect when pulling the plug, you are reaching for the “hand” to help pull it out.
Iterations
I used Scandy to take a 3D scan of my friend’s hand for this project. There were some difficulties getting a full scan, but after multiple attempts I got one that worked for me. I put the scan in Tinkercad and added a base to the “plug”. I made sure to take measurements of my current sink plug so that it would fit properly and still serve it’s function. I didn’t find many problems with this print other than the size. However, when I got my hands on this print, another idea came into mind:
A key chain holder.
In my second iteration I flatted the base and added two hole at the top and bottom for screws. I also increased the size of the hand so that it could support the weight of a keychain. Below is my updated Tinkercad file and my final attempt at the print.
Increasing the size of the print (mainly the scan of the hand) allowed for better detail quality and overall finish. I liked the idea of the sink plug, but after hold it in my hands, this idea made more sense to me. The hand reaches out of the wall and acts as the hooks or bowl to support the keychains. Overall I’m very satisfied with my final project and am glad I took it in a different direction.
Conclusion
My second trial ended up being my final print. Considering the finish, I think I couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. There are some rough edges that can be filed down, and one slight crack in the hand. Above you can see what it would look like in use (I did not want to actually screw it into my wall because I live in an apartment complex). The only change I would make would be in the hand size, perhaps make it scale to a life-sized hand. However, I personally enjoy it more at it’s current size and shape.
Most toothbrush holders are very basic looking. They’re either a big cup or a rectangle with a couple holes to separate toothbrushes. They could use more personality that could make it more playful such as incorporating the toothbrush into the design. Even turning the design of the holder into something like a cactus would make it more delightful to look at.
This leads directly into my concept; I wanted to design a toothbrush holder that would have different arms holding the toothbrushes. The inspiration for my design was a cactus I saw online, which inspired me to make two big and tall arms that would be just the right size for a toothbrush to stand up straight. Not only does this look whimsical, but it prevents the heads of toothbrushes from touching each other, making it functional as well. The center cup could either hold a tube of toothpaste or other things like eyebrow razors or normal razors. I also added a funny face to give it more personality.
Iterations
Below is the model I constructed on Tinkercad.
I used shapes for the nose and eyebrows. Holes were used for the arms, cup, mouth, and eyes.
I tried to get my model as close to the concept sketch as I could. I was having a hard time with measurements and I miscalculated the scale of the object by a pretty decent margin. I tried to make a second print of the same model that was significantly larger and sturdier but something went wrong and the entire print was unrecognizable. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get another one done in time.
I think I’m on the right track with this design. Like I stated before, I need to up the scale a good bit so that I can fit toothbrushes in their designated spots. I also need to make the arms connecting the toothbrush holders to the cup thicker and maybe even cylindrical because it doesn’t look so much like a cactus. It doesn’t help that it’s yellow. Otherwise, it’s still accomplishing the goal that a toothbrush holder is supposed to accomplish. I’m able to put the things I use regularly in it but it would be nice if I could put my toothpaste in the center with my toothbrush and maybe my razor in the arms.
Final Print and Reflection
My biggest problem prior to this print was my lack of direction. My previous attempt looked like a robot but was inspired by a cactus and it wasnt pretty. The last one was also tiny. I overcompensated in Tinkercad to the point where I had to scale the whole model down in Cura just to print it.
Thanks to feedback, I decided to make its teeth look more prominent and have the body and arms be squared off. It was a pretty decent struggle for me to make a toothbrush holder that looked like a robot. I didn’t want it to be too boring but I didn’t want it to be too detailed because the point is for it to be whimsical. I increased the size of it by a lot. Instead of the center hole being only for the toothpaste, I made it so that it would fit multiple things. If I didn’t live in a house with four other people, I would probably use this to hold my stuff; it’s pretty convenient.
While trying to think of an object to make more playful while still adding to its functionality, I had a bit of a hard time thinking of something until I started thinking about basic, boring items that one may have around their house. Then the idea struck me to do coasters! Typically coasters tend to be pretty boring and simple, like the coasters pictured above from Wayfair. In order to spice up the design a little bit, I decided to turn the coasters into a different shape and make them fit together seamlessly so they look cool when not in use too.
Pictured above are two of the sketches I came up with for redesigning coasters. When trying to figure out how to make it more whimsical I came up with two different base designs of a sphere and puzzle.
The sphere will turn the coasters on their side like slides and fit together to make a perfect ball with little to no gaps. This will add a slight playful aspect to the design while keeping its functionality. As for the look of the sphere as a whole, I am still debating between turning it into a globe or leaving it as a plain sphere.
As for the puzzle design, the coasters will come together to create an image or phrase that guests can smirk at when reaching for a coaster or play with to finish the puzzle. This will add that slight playfulness act that maintains the functionality of the object.
Iterations:
After reviewing the original drawings of my designs, I decided that I would make the puzzle my final self-expression print. While examining the design and the dimensions of a typical coaster, I soon realized that if I were to make every coaster a piece of a puzzle, as I had originally planned, it would be too big to be a functional puzzle. Instead, I decided to make each individual coaster a puzzle of its own. Not only did this help add more of a playful touch to the object, but it made it an overall better product.
To make the design come to life, I ended up using a mixture of the apps Shapr3D and TinkerCad. I found both of these apps useful in their own ways. Shapr3D was helpful initially in designing the base of the puzzle, but TinkerCad proved useful later on as I began making additional iterations.
After attempting to print my design the first time and witnessing the disaster pictured above, I quickly learned that I needed to print the design without a raft and change the dimensions. I changed the coaster from six by six inches to four by four inches and I increased the height from one millimeter to two and a half millimeters. This made the puzzle print smoother and sturdier. I also made the decision to switch from the Ultimaker Cura Lulzbot mini to an Ultimaker Cura 3, which seemed to make the printing process flow a lot better as well. While tweaking my design I also decided to add JMU| SMAD to the coaster to make it more like a real puzzle with a design on it.
Pictured above is my final print for right now, while there are still a few adjustments I would like to make the model still came out well. A few things I would change would be making the design of JMU|SMAD more prominent and deeper into the coaster since the JMU section didn’t print and the SMAD portion isn’t that noticeable. I would also make the puzzle pieces more compact by changing the arms of the puzzle pieces to be more of a tear-drop shape instead of a circular shape.
Overall, I would say that this was a project that really challenged me. It taught me a lot about incorporating playfulness into everyday objects and puzzle making, as well as that not everything that seems simple to design will be simple to produce.
Final Print:
After reflecting on feedback from my peers I decided to go with my original idea of making the puzzle pieces into individual coasters, instead of making the coasters into puzzle pieces. To make this switch I ended up having to change the dimensions of each puzzle piece to 19.05 mm tall, 122.6 mm long, and 127 mm wide and then print each piece separately. While this was more time-consuming it ended up creating a more functional and playful final print.
Upon changing the dimensions of the model I ended up making other adjustments that some peers had suggested from my original model to make the final print better. Some of those adjustments included changing the holes and knobs of the puzzle pieces so that they would fit together better and making the letters more prominent in the print by embedding them deeper into the model.
Overall, this final print doesn’t have any problems or other adjustments to be made. All of the pieces fit together pretty well and work as both a functioning puzzle and coasters which is why it is my final print.
When thinking of objects that I could incorporate playfulness into I wanted to find an object that was something I could use often and that was part of my everyday life. While looking around my room I found an old incense burner that I had broke. After finding the burner I realized how it was very simple and plain it was so I decided that it would be a good object to inject a little playfulness into. I found more examples of incense burners and came to the realization that most incense burners are either very simple or solely acts as a decoration. Very rarely do the form/function of the object match its playfulness. The burner as a whole is designed as a tray that holds a burning incense while also catching the ash the comes off the incense stick as it continuously burns. There is usually a small hole or indent in the object for an incense stick to be placed in so that it can stand on its own and a tray that accompanies it to catch the ash that falls out. When I saw the form and shape of the incense burner I knew that this was the specific type of burner that I wanted to incorporate a whimsical aspect to.
After looking at the object for a while I realized that the incense stick reminded me of a long tongue that a snake or lizard usually has. The smoke at the end then reminded me of how dragons usually have smoke coming from their mouths. Because of that I plan on making this object whimsical by making it either into the shape of a snake or a dragon with the incense stick coming from its mouth to represent the tongue of the animal. I plan on making the tray that catches the ash into the body to imitate the shape of a snake/dragon with the tail twirling up at the end as well. Below you can find a sketch of the object.
Iterations
Unfortunately, my 3D print is still not finished and has a couple more hours to go before it is complete, but this is what has printed out so far. From what is currently printed, I am pretty happy with the outcome of the incense holder. The object looks very sturdy and the progress of the incense holder is shaping out nicely.
The process of figuring out the correct changes I needed to make for my self expression was slightly difficult. I had trouble honing in on a specific way to incorporate a whimsical and playful aspect to my self expression. I was stuck between a snake-like incense iteration and a dragon type of incense variation. I eventually figured that the function and whimsical aspect made more sense with the elements of a dragon. After finally committing to the idea of a dragon incense I had to figure out what was the most effective way of shaping the dragon so that the function of the incense stick was placed in a way that made the most sense. After receiving back some feedback I played with certain ways to shape the dragon. At first I wanted to make it so that the dragon incense holder was on its back but it was not sturdy enough on its back.
I then wanted to make it circular so that the head and tail touched but I had trouble creating a design that was circular but also effective enough to hold an incense stick in its mouth so that the stick wasn’t poking out awkwardly. After looking at more dragon incense designs on google, I then saw a reoccurring theme of placing the dragon on a mountain or on some rocks. That then gave me an idea of placing the dragon upright while resting on a valley of mountains. I thought that the mountains would be a perfect way to incorporate a tray that most incense burners have to catch the ash from the burning stick. This is how I came up with the final design below.
Below are my model iterations.
The dragon incense on its back with a lower head that is close to its body.
The dragon incense upright with a head that is raised higher.
Overall, I had trouble with coming up with the correct dimensions for certain elements of the incense holder so that it was shaped correctly and under anticipated the amount of time it would take to 3D print. After facing these challenges I now have a better understanding of how to correctly format my object and will better anticipate printing out the holder in a more timely manner.
This is how the print came out altogether. The print took over 24 hours in total but still wasn’t where I wanted it to be as it was too small and very splotchy when it came to the dragon print.
After seeing the outcome of the dragon incense I decided that it would be more effective to do two separate prints that combine into one whole object. I decided on doing one dragon print and one incense base print.
Final Print & Reflection
The is the final print of my dragon incense holder. The incorporation of a dragon shaped incense holder with a mountain-like tray adds a sense of whimsicalness to a normal incense holder. The stick coming out of the dragon replicates smoke and fire coming out of a dragons mouth.
For the final print I decided that it would be more effectual for the entire piece to be two separate objects. This would lessen the print time and also allow for each print to have the ability to be much larger. The incense holder as a whole came together really nicely. It’s functional and has a nice aspect of playfulness within the design. The shape of the dragon is thick enough that it makes the object sturdy and the mouth is wide enough for an incense stick to fit through but small enough for the stick to not fall out. I made the tray have a small square hole within it so that the separate dragon print would be able to fit into the tray and stand on its own. The one aspect that didn’t come out the way I would have 100% liked is the tray of mountains. In my first test print, the layers of the small mountains came out nicely and there were no holes but the next couple of times I printed the tray there were weird holes that showed up in the middle of the print. So if i were to do another round of prints of the tray I would make the mountain points slightly thicker and keep the layer height at 0.15 so that less mistakes would occur.
Overall, I really like the results of the incense holder. I really enjoyed the dragon concept and liked creating the shape of the dragon on illustrator. I think the blending of the two objects could be more seamless but as a whole I still really enjoy my incense holder and can’t wait to use it.
Recently I have found myself with a growing need for a bag clip as my addiction to jalapeño potato chips has only gotten stronger. Whenever I am at the store purchasing a bag clip never crosses my mind because really it is a boring item. This is why I chose this item for my self expression print. The more I looked at different images of bag clips, I quickly realized how easy it would be to inject playfulness into this typically overlooked household item.
In order to make the prospect of a bag clip more fun I decided I would make it look like an alligator’s head. I would do this by adding an sphere at the top as an eyeball and a few ridges along the top tab. I would also make the top tab slightly longer to help with opening it. The ridges that are already on the inside in the above example are very important to making the clip able to stay on the bag tighter but also add to the vision of an alligator and sort of look like teeth.
Iterations
For my iterations I used Shapr3d in order to make the shape of the bag clip. I thought this would be easier because of the curved shape and it turned out being perfect because of the very specific shapes I needed to sketch for alligator’s mouth.
These are screenshots of my design in Shapr3d. It was very simple to sketch and extrude my object and it was exactly the shape I wanted. I then transferred it into Tinkercad, because I did not realize you could print straight from Shapr3d.
I then needed to resize my object because it was very small. I did not have a good concept of what size I really wanted it so this was just a guess. Now that my first prints came out I have a better idea of what size is most practical.
Unfortunately, when I moved my object into Cura Ultimaker to slice and print it, for some reason it kept appearing with a hole in it when there was no hole in Shapr3d or in Tinkercad. I decided to go ahead and print it anyway in the hopes that it would print with the hole filled but it did not.
Other than having a hole in it I thought the print came out great so I decided to keep everything the same but to figure out how to fill in the hole and reprint. To do this I went in to Tinkercad and put a box where the hole was appearing in the hopes that it would cover it.
By doing this I was able to fill the hole that was appearing on the slicer and continued to print another iteration.
This is my final iteration of my alligator bag clip. I am very pleased with the way it turned out but I think I am going to try downsizing it a bit. I also decided to put teeth on the inside of the two clamps instead of on the top like I drew in my sketch. I did this in order to make it more useful, I felt like the ridges of the teeth may make the clip grip better on a chip bag rather than having a smooth edge trying to hold together a smooth thin bag. Other than sizing it down a bit I do not think there are any other changes I would make to this design.
Final
As I said I would do before, for my final print I downsized the clip a ton. Additionally, I rounded the eye on the alligator to make it look more realistic. I am extremely happy with how this turned out and I hope people make it or remix it!
When deciding on what I wanted to choose for this project, I tried to think of things that I found most boring in my day to day life. The one I find most boring is doing the dishes, more specifically the strainer that sits in the sink. This object has so much room for creativity and playfulness as most of the time, it’s staring right back at you as the dishes are being washed. When thinking of this idea and how to add playfulness I started to think of what the purpose of the object is and how I can twist that concept. The strainer is meant to catch any food that was not disposed of prior to doing the dishes. It catches the food that never made it to our mouths. I decided to play with that idea in my concepts. In addition, I’ve noticed that sometimes people purchase strainers that sit on the side of the sink for various reasons (see image below). It’s the same concept of catching food, but with that one I wanted to continue the human anatomy theme I had going.
For my concepts, I touched on it earlier, I wanted to “humanize” the strainers. It’s a play on the purpose as well as just adds a little fun. For the regular “mainstream” design I chose to alter it into a mouth. This makes it playful, but also keeps the original purpose in tact. In addition, I created concept two with a nose design for the modern unique example. It made sense to follow the purpose of fitting the strainer into the corner of the sink as well as following the humanization factor.
Iterations:
For my iteration process, I did not have as many issues with the strainer design but more so the mouth that is incorporated on top. However, not to overlook the time invested, the strainer design as the base proved to be a little complicated in the sense that Tinkercad is not great with sphere’s or circle’s. I ran into many issues with sizing and proportions. As you can see in the images below, I had a fairly easy first print, however the strainer had incorrect proportions. As a result, the strainer did not fit into the sink seamlessly. I’m not quite sure if this is because of the dimensions I found online, or Tinkercad just being difficult.
Moving forward, I printed a second time adding the mouth decoration that I had initially intended to. When working in Tinkercad, I ran into so many issues trying to implement curvature that I ultimately decided to just make a print with comical looking teeth as the sole feature. I also adjusted the opening in the middle to be perceived as more of a mouth and not a perfect circle. Some issues with the print were the strings that were much more prevalent in the second print as opposed to the first. I had to do a lot more work cleaning the print up the second time, but I’m fairly positive that is because something I added in between to make the second print slimmer. Otherwise, the teeth printed good and actually, I like the strings that occurred in the mouth, so I kept them. Besides the strings being an issue, the strainer now fits into the sink and could actually be sized up a little more.
For the future, I have quite a bit to go in designing a more complete mouth, but I am interested to see if this is plausible in Tinkercad or if I should pivot toward another program. If lips do not work more to my advantage, I feel as though I could add other features that would still give the same playful experience. Unless something changes, I would like to focus on other features of the mouth, rather than add more curvature with lips.
Final Print and Reflection:
My final print went much better than expected thanks to professor H. The changes I made from iterations to the final were a changed base design to fit easier into the sink, a rework of the top to adjust for lips, a lip/mouth design extruding from the top, and finally, alterations to the teeth. Some of these things were minor with the lips design being the main feature I addressed in the final product. I modeled a mouth/lips in Shapr3d. This process was MUCH easier than in Tinkercad. Again, with the guidance of professor H, this went very smooth. After creating that, I went back into Tinkercad to put the top lips piece to the modified base. This also went smoothly as the dimensions were already set. I will list the exact dimensions below. Other than connecting the pieces, I separated the teeth to add a more whimsical effect. As far as printing, I had issues printing right side up so I flipped the design and added a raft and supports to make the final print look much better. Overall, I am very happy with how this project turned out. I furthered my knowledge of 3D printing and got to use shapr3d for the first time.
I initially had some trouble coming up with an idea for what I wanted to use as my original object, until yesterday when I was washing the dishes. I came to the realization that my roommates and I are desperate for a sponge holder in our kitchen. The sponge is always missing when you need it, whether it’s under the dishes or somewhere on the counter. We have a double sink so I decided to add a playful aspect to a sponge holder that would rest in between the double sink.
Above are pictures of the original kind of sponge holder I would like to base my self-expression object off. One of my roommates really likes baby Yoda, so I thought it would be fun to create a sponger holder that had baby Yoda’s face on it. The basic outline of the object would stay the same, but I would add a different shape to the piece that holds the sponge in and add indents to that piece to create an image of baby Yoda’s face.
Iterations
For my original design, I wanted to make the type of dish sponge holder that went over the middle of a two-compartment sink. After reviewing my design and our sink I came to the conclusion that this was not the most practical design for our sink because the two compartments are very small and we need as much space as we can get to wash dishes. I then decided that I would do a sponge holder that the sponge can rest on, on the side of the sink instead. I took the face side of the original idea and used that to model my new idea.
I began by attempting to create a vector in Adobe Illustrator, when importing this into Tinkercad it did not turn out the way I had hoped. I tried printing it anyway and as you can see in the slideshow, something was not working right. I ran into multiple issues trying to print and when I finally got it to print it, the print did not turn out. I came to the conclusion that these issues were due to the fact that I made it with shapes, so I thought I would try making something on Adobe Illustrator using the drawing feature on my iPad. It ended up working very well and I really enjoyed the way it came out in Tinkercad. I added a bottom portion and a circle to outline baby Yoda’s face. I used his eyes, eyebrow, and worry lines to act as a draining portion so that the wet sponge could dry once it was placed on the sponge holder. I was able to print with no problem once I tried out the new vector.
My first print with the new vector came out well, but it came out with a support plate which I did not want. It also came out with bumps on the surface, which I didn’t like the look of. I decided to print one more time and my last print came out perfect! I really am happy with the way it turned out and I know my roommates will love our new sponge holder!
This is my final self-expression creation, I chose to make a Baby Yoda sponge holder for my sink. This design worked really well and turned out better than I had hoped. I was not able to go with my original idea, but I really enjoyed the final piece. I chose this as my final design because I think it works well and looks aesthetically pleasing. It holds a sponge perfectly and could possibly be used as a soap holder as well. The holes are made with the details of the face so that the sponge can dry. After iterations, I didn’t run into much trouble creating the final piece. I smoothed the edges so that the dish would be more round. Overall, I had a lot of fun in this process and am pleased with the final piece.
