A4: 3d Object Prototype, HCDE 498
Background
For this assignment, we are suppose to demonstrate our skills and ability to create 3D models. We learned how to use the Rhino software to create 3D objects. We were then given a goal of creating a 3D object and printing it in the 3D printer. We were given the option to create a chess piece, a space needle, smart phone, and more, however the professor said we can pretty much make any 3D object we wanted. I chose to do my own 3D object instead of the ones listed above.
Design
I first started brainstorming what to create, I play videogames a lot and the Zelda series is one of my favorites, this is why I ended up deciding to create a Hylian Shield from the Zelda game. Since it’s an object that already existed, all I had to do was create it in Rhino. I did this by looking for hylian shield images and using illustrator to help me create the lines/shapes of the object, and then I imported it into Rhino.
Once I imported it into Rhino, I used the 3D tools such as Extrusion, Revolution, and Boolean to turn the drawing of the shield into a 3D object.
Once the 3D object is completed in Rhino, I wanted to test it out in the 3D printer without taking too much resource or time, so I created a mini version of the object and printed it. It was about 4-mm length and 2mm thick and it took about 40 minutes to print.
Once I knew that the model worked fine with the 3D printer, I printed a much bigger version that took about 5 hours to print.
Reflection
Overall, this assignment taught me a lot about 3D object modeling and how to use 3D printers. This was my first time using a 3D printer and I immediately fell in love with it! I wanted to create a lot more objects and 3D print them. I’ve been showing them to all my friends and we have all been pretty excited.
I think one of the only challenges I faced was that it’s sometimes hard to see if the 3D object will look right since you are limited in angles in Rhino. A frustration that I somewhat dealt with was the waiting time for the 3D printer, since there’s only 5 printers and about 40–50 students there’s a lot of waiting going on because each print can really vary but it’s usually around 1 hour or more per print.
I really enjoyed the process of creating a 3D model object and 3D printing them. It’s probably my favorite assignment so far. It’s really satisfying to create an 3D object model in your computer and immediately see it made in a physical object in a matter of a few hours!
