center for design innovation

Last Wednesday our class visited the Center for Design Innovation in Winston-Salem. It is a multi-campus research center within the University of North Carolina system. Their goal is to catalyze economic transformation of the Piedmont Triad region, through design-focused activity based on advanced digital technologies. Carol Strohecker, the director, began our tour with the 3D printers. This was particularly interesting to those of us focusing on product design. Next Nickolay Hristov demonstrated the work he had been doing with digital imaging and research on bats. Information acquired from videos of bats in flight were translated to 3D imaging to learn about flight mechanics.

modeling

A year ago I enrolled in the Interior Architecture program and was exposed to 3D drawing programs for the first time: Sketchup, 3ds Max, AGI and the 3D portion of AutoCad. While learning to use the programs I was not attempting to discern how they worked, just what was needed to manipulate them. Reading these articles did not provide information regarding any specific programs, but a very general understanding of how various programs work. I think that this knowledge will make it easier to navigate these types of programs more easily in the future and gives me the vocabulary to communicate what I am attempting to accomplish. In AutoCad one of my favorite ways to create objects was to add and subtract shapes. Now I know that they are Boolean operations (Spalter, 7.4.3). Simple object representations from 2D, such as polygons, of course I knew. Understanding other terms such as polygonal mesh, polyhedrons and NURBS based models may assist me in finding more efficient ways of modeling (Spalter, 7.4.2).

Kalay discussed the different types of models (wire frame, surface and solid) and the three different approaches (spacial occupancy enumeration model used for medical imaging, the CSG or constructive solid geometry model used in engineering and the B-rep of boundary representation model used in architecture) of 3D imaging developed thus far (Kalay, 8.3). His comparison of the various ways of making a computer visualize complex objects and why different approaches worked for various industries was quite enlightening. For instance, Spalter commented on how unfortunate it is that moving an object in 3D space is difficult with the existing drawing programs which use 2D tools such as a mouse and a 2D screen (Spalter, 7.5.2). But when I have seen my son playing the computer game Homeworld, which has an easy, intuitive way of moving an aircraft in 3D space, I wondered why the same technology could not translate to drawing programs. Now I know that it could be using an entirely different system which would not translate.

There are many ways that 3D modeling is helpful in interior architecture. The most obvious is how perspectives of an object or space can be viewed from any angle with one only one drawing (Spalter, 7.1). Not only does it help the designer while making decisions on his or her design, it is an invaluable tool for communicating with a client. Seeing not just the shape in a 3D view, but seeing the texture of different materials is yet another way that it assists designers.

There are several obstacles which need to be overcome to improve 3D modeling. The lack of standardization which 2D programs already have is problematic (Spalter, 7.3). There is such a bigger challenge with 3D because the added dimension requires the programs to describe the effects of light on surfaces (Spalter, 7.2). Voxel based modeling could improve 3D, but before it can happen personal computers need more memory, faster algorithms and better input and output devices (Spalter, 7.3).

Contemplating the future of 3D imaging is quite exciting. Simply incorporating technology which is already developed, such as fractals, in inexpensive commonly used modeling programs would be incredibly helpful. However, entirely new ways of modeling which require less time to master the software programs would be even better. Robert Zeleznik's Sketch, a program which uses drawing instead of clicking on menus, would be a great model for a new direction. The motivation for his program was not to interrupt the creative process with the struggle to work the program (Spalter, 7.5.2). I am just happy that I am beginning to find more of a comfort level with this new way of designing. Considering how intimidating the whole idea of using a computer for anything more complicated than 2D drafting or word processing was a year ago, it is amazing that I have such a strong desire to focus on mastering computer skills this semester. I want to be an active participant in the future of 3D computer imaging.

"Building 3D Worlds – 3D Geometric Graphics I" from The Computer in The Visual Arts by Anne Spalter, Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 1999, pp 212-253. and
On Geometric Modeling: Excerpt from “Modeling”. Architecture’s New Media by Yehuda Kalay, The MIT Press, 2004, pp 141-147.

history of 3D graphics

Comparison of the two articles "The Pioneers of Digital Art" by R. Lewis and J. Luciana and “Computing in Architectural Design” from Architecture’s New Media by Yehuda Kalay demonstrates the strong contrast between the development of computer tools for the architectural community as compared to many other industries. Particularly when looking at the time line of developments in computer technology, it is quite surprising how slowly CAD systems have changed.

It is particularly ironic that much of the graphics in micro computers happened because of the development of CAD, but just as computer graphics were making giant leaps, CAD started the process of “dumbing down”. The graphics of CAD systems improved, but the potential analytical aspects of it were abandoned. (Kalay, 70, 71)Considering that as long ago as 1983 Worldview, a system for supporting analysis of a building's cost, habitability or potential energy consumption had been developed or KAAD (knowledge-assisted architectural design) could let designers know if certain building codes had been violated, one would imagine that CAD systems now would routinely be calculating and drawing some of the more tedious aspects of a structure, notifying designers when spaces do not follow ADA codes or calculating building materials required for a structure (Kalay, 72, 73).

In “Computing in Architectural Design” Kalay suggests there are two reasons for this. One is the difficulty of constructing comprehensive data bases of all of the required materials and components for architectural designs. The other is the reluctance of the architectural community to relinquish any part of the design process to a computer (Kalay, 74). Of course one should always consider that the potential for profit can be the most effective means to encourage research. Just imagine what AutoCad would be like if there were as many architects and designers willing to purchase the latest version of it as there are young men waiting in line to purchase the latest version of Halo or World of Warcraft.

However, I am sure there are many tools available which I personally have yet to discover. On a daily basis I am enthralled with new tools discovered on software programs which I thought I knew well. Recently I learned about the feature of InDesign which allows multiple persons to be working on a document simultaneously and making updates in real time. After participating in the development of large furniture catalogs being designed by multiple persons in three different cities, I appreciate the enormity of the contribution of that one feature. Because I became a practicing designer when pencils and triangles were the tools, it is easy for me to appreciate just how much just the drafting capabilities have changed design. When making revisions involved actually removing lead from paper, revisions were costly and time consuming. Being able to copy and paste, changing dimensions on all related documents simultaneously and the many other advantages of computer drafting not only increase efficiency but encourage more experimentation and creativity. Another useful aspect of computer graphics is the ability to show three-dimensional representations of a building or product. Many nuances about the design seen in 3-D are not apparent in 2-D drawings.

It would be easy to underestimate the changes possible in the future of computer-aided design. Reading about how research from various sources came together to make radical changes in an industry or everyday life increases my optimism regarding the possibilities. How the combination of Adobe developing a language for describing page layout in 1983, the Apple being released in 1984 and Aldus corporation releasing Pagemaker in 1985 changed the world of printing is an example of how the convergence of technologies can make a dramatic change (Lewis, 104). I am looking forward to seeing what happens.

"The Pioneers of Digital Art" by R. Lewis and J. Luciana, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2002, pp 90-112.
“Computing in Architectural Design” from Architecture’s New Media by Yehuda Kalay, The MIT Press, 2004, pp 63-81.