week 05 (week of 19 September)

This week we worked on SketchUp some more. We learned how to add geo-location and layers to the 3d document. I also learned about the extensions which could make spirals. I will have to play with it some more to see which way is best for my shell structure.

I went to the library for some pictures just to get a sense of the building.

I realized I will need to make the shell bigger than the actual building so people looking up can see it.

Materializing Information RR

I think this article on “Materalizing Information” was actually very compelling. It was less idealized than the Minecraft/Makerbot video article and brought about a number of good point about the pros and somewhat cons of digital desktop fabrication.

The writers really went in-depth with their details. I already knew computers were used in manufacturing since the 1960s, but it was nice for them to note it. Unlike the video article, they actually get the price right for Makerbot printers and they certainly are very knowledgable on the subject of 3d printers. Overall, I actually liked the article. It was a very well written piece with lots of well researched info and discription. In addition, the article was not worded so it was over technical. It was straightforward and accessible to anyone who picked it (not unlike 3d printing technologies and maker space groups they were discussing).

One of the most fascinating sections to think about was “Section 2: Results from environmental scan”. I knew there were places which were repositories of digital objects online (as I have wandered through a few of them to satisfy my own curiosity), but the writers go in an interesting direction when they link Google 3D Warehouse to Google Earth and Google Maps. I knew you could digitalize pieces of art or untensils, etc., but the implications of using maps, satellites and photographs to digitalize the world is amazing. It is just mind boggling that, with the right resources we could create an accurate digital world. That is just amazing. Of course the current 3d printers would only be handheld sizes so I don’t know if it could be printed but just a digital representation is still cool.

The other fascinating section was the cons of desktop fabrication. They do bring up a good point about increasing our “throw-away” culture. It is a very distressing idea. It goes back to the whole “the Minecraft/Makerbot video article” about the idea of scarcity. We do not have an eternal supply of anything unlike Minecraft so attention must be paid to that. Add in legal issues and we have a very convoluted area of design. Like I said, very interesting article that I need to pour over again to fully apreciate.

How 3D Printing is Disrupting the Art World RR

This article really finished off the areas of replication technology and it implications to sections of design. With the Minecraft/Makerbot video we talked about resources and in the Materalizing Information we talked about the uses of the printing, but now with this short but sweet article we get to focus on the arts. It really makes for a fuller view of the replication technology.

I actually never thought of 3d printing as being disruptive. That was a word from the first part of the article and it really stuck me. I feel like disruptive is so much more violent of a word to actually show the impact of printing. It just seems like an odd word choice. Are 3d printing that radical? The article talks about the benefits of the tool and everything about it is certainly new age, almost science fiction but they aren’t affecting the arts based on the article. It just seems like they are adding a new feature. It’s just addicting a new means of distribution, so I do not understand the whole beginning portion of the arts being “familiar with disruption”. How is that relevant exactly?

Anyway, I think the examples they used in the article of distortion to be really cool. The whole thing about museums digitalizing their pieces is pretty cool. It’s like a new version of posters or reproductions of paintings and sculptures. And that’s just really cool. Plus it sounds like a good thing for artists to reproduce their work more readily not unlike the printing press or screen printing.

I think the whole fashion bit was very odd. I hadn’t associated this reproduction method with outfits. I thought of more of the line of sculptures or tools, but clothing? That’s just weird. But I guess that is fashion for you. It’s kind of weird.

Will Minecraft and Makerbot Usher in the Post-Scarcity Economy? RR

Reading response to: this video

I thought the ideas put forth by the PBS Idea Channel were interesting. The idea of a post scarcity economy was fascinating to think about and if you added down the whole Minecraft replication technology into the mix it brings about an interesting view on the world. The whole makerbot 3D printing technology really brings ideas like Minecraft into reality. 

I think it is really quite cool to think about how far we have come with replication technology. I mean, like the host of the video said, we can send someone a spoon via a digital file and the recipients can then print it on their 3d printer. And that printer would only cost $2,000…a price that is still high for a college student or at least me personally so I am not going to get one just yet. By the way I just looked up MakerBot on Amazon and I think that price is generalized because I’m seeing a whole range of prices from Makerbot directly: $1500, $1,099, $1199, $2,599 so it might vary and be cheeper than what they were saying it was (or it might have changed since 2012).

But more to the point I think the whole “post scarcity economy” concept was interesting to think about and not just because I love Star Trek. The whole idea might far fetched not unlike the “world peace” concept so it might not happen in its purist, idealist form where we do not have resource scarcity. However, in gradual stages we could probably progress closer to that final stage with the making of Makerbot being more accessible to people who would rather spend said bundle of money on food rather than a strange printer. Overall, I think the concept is interesting. 

week 04 (week of 12 September)

This week we talked about the project 1 proposals. I do not know if people fully understood what I was proposing just by looking at my images. It seems obvious to me but then again I thought of it.

We worked with SketchUp some more. I will try to spend more time on it this weekend.

I took a few pictures of the library and the location of one of the additions to the library.

Building Proposal Idea page

What I'm proposing is a combination new and old achetecture. It would be an addition to the existing Library structure which would draw the eye. The additional structures would be based upon the Thomas Jefferson building at the library of congress but the top portion would have a dome that is almost surrealistic with a design based upon a shell spiral.

week 03 (week of 5 September)

Went to the library to glance at books for ideas to make the project.

Took a bit longer because:

1. I like the library
2. I was looking in the oversized book section which has some wonderful books I could spend hours if not days looking at
3. I cannot help but be nosey. 

In the case of reason 3, I was minding my own business sitting in a row studying some architecture books when two older women walked by looking for a specific numbered book. I tried to keep to myself but without thinking I jumped up and asked if I could help them (a habit I picked up from years as a volunteer librarian at my public library). Upon learning of the number I quickly explained they were looking in the wrong place and would be on the 3rd floor. I just cannot help but be nosey.

Anyway, I found a few books and took a few pictures from other books I might use for my project. Also took a derive (which I will write later about...it'll be written much better than this rambling week review).

Have an idea but will assemble it in the proposal.