INTRODUCTION/ PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
This study focuses on the benefits of 3D rendering and animation, with 3ds Max, and modeling, with Rhino, through their application to an interactive wall/screen system. Currently the state of animation covers a range of different areas in the market, and it is not strictly centered on cartoons, “even the most realistic movies call on animations to simulate an ungettable shot or to make a moment just a smidge more perfect” (Brady, 2006). Conceptually the driving factors of this design are based on organic forms, more specifically radiolarian structures. Radiolaria, a marine protozoa, produce sets of intricate skeletal type structures that can be manipulated, stretching and pulling, which is what the design of the wall screen will be based upon. Through the application of animations to this design it will enable a clearer understanding of how the user can interact with the environment that the wall/screen is placed. The creation of an animated environment the user can also understand how the wall/screen is affected by varying conditions which include natural, such as lighting, and human, the different ways the user can be involved with the product. Changing lighting conditions dependent on times of day and year can be applied through the use of 3ds max with light studies, which can show the reflectiveness of materials, manipulation of shadows, and how the environment is altered. Moveable elements can also be shown to represent the different manipulations of the product within the space.
METHOD:
Tools and Techniques
The tools that will be used to create this wall/screen in an environment will be Rhino and 3Ds Max. There has been a significant amount of time invested into the self-learning of Rhino which will be beneficial to the modeling and manipulation of this design. The basis of this manipulation is founded on the fundamental structure of the radiolarian, a honeycomb pattern. Therefore the honeycomb structure will be created in Rhino and then stretched and twisted to create the form on which the design is built upon. After the modeling and manipulation is completed it will then be imported into 3Ds Max where an environment is created which will hold the structure. Materials and lighting can then be applied which will give the wall/screen system an in-site view of an installed finished product through renderings. Walkthrough animations will also be created to show how users can move through and around the system within the space, which can change the dynamics of the space itself.
Limitations and Constraints
There is the assumption that through introducing 3D animation to the design of a wall/screen system it will communicate user interaction, such as what the space will look like as the user walks through the space. But there are some possible constraints in implementation; these can include computing power, time to learn the software, and communicating how the user can interact through animation. In terms of computing power there may be a problem with the size of the file that is being loaded into the program. The larger and more complex the file size, the slower it will run, therefore there is the possibility that once rendering and animation is introduced, the file may be so large or complex it may have difficulty running properly. There is also an issue of time constrains in which to learn the software. In the time allotted, there is not a lot of time to do an in depth study to efficiently learn all of the capabilities of the software. Another issue with time is also the fact that learning the software is self guided, through tutorials found on Lynda.com and books on the subject. There will be a limited availability for help when troubleshooting problems that are encountered through the process. Lastly there are limitations in the software which can possibly keep the user from understanding their interaction with the product.
RESULTS/OUTCOME:
The results of this study will be a wall/screen system shown in different iterations through the alteration of the environment. Through the digital exploration of this system I will be able to understand the impact on the physical product through interactive studies. Animations will allow a walkthrough of an environment where the wall/screen is installed and how it can be affected by natural and human responses. Problems with the system an also be addressed based on how the installation is installed and designed, which will determine whether elements should be moved around or changed based on how I would like to manipulate the environment.
CONCLUSIONS:
Troubleshooting
Issues encountered in the initial design phases resulted in a few setbacks with learning 3Ds max. Importing models from Rhino was one of these issues encountered that caused some difficulty. Files imported into 3Ds Max from Rhino as 3dm files only import a wireframe model into Max, which does not allow the application of materials or rendering. I found that exporting in Rhino was the key to the problem. NURBS meshes must be created before the object is exported from Rhino. Once the creation of NURBS is selected and the polysurfaces to mesh are chosen you have the option to choose the amount of polygons to include in the mesh. Rhino then calculates the meshes and the polygons can be seen on the faces of the object. Then the object can be exported into 3Ds Max and surfaces can be seen for materials to be applied and renderings to appear.
Uses of 3D Media
The benefits of using 3D media to design, render and animate a found in the creation of these radioloria based structures through the manipulation of elements in the programs, the understanding of how these forms will alter the space within they are placed, and different variations that can be developed without the creation of a model.
REFERENCES:
Brady, M. (2006, March). Wired 14.03: How Digital Animation Conquered Hollywood. Wired. Retrieved February 7, 2011, from http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.03/animation.html
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