Project 2 printed successfully!

  After 28 or so valiant attempts, I have finally printed my second project. Whilst the problem with my script was still unknown, It began to print perfectly in halves once I made all the boxes as large as the ones on the outside edge at full scale. It also allowed me to create a unique piece of art which resembles that of an impact point. As the attractor hits the base, the geometric attraction is created to form a crater around the impact point (the dead centre).

After finally printing my second model successfully, I began to clean it up with a dremel. Here are some pictures.

dremel to clean it up

Project 3 waffle script + pictures

Link to project 3 Waffle Script -

http://www.gamefront.com/files/24187688/Daniel_joseph_3332502_asssignment_3_benv2426.zip

First Kind of Successful attempt at 3d printing

This was my 23rd official attempt at 3d printing my second project. Although it printed pretty well, there are many things I was not happy about. Firstly, the supports are ridiculous and will be almost impossible to get rid of.. and secondly, the small cubes peeled away..

Time to rethink my design again..

Waffle Complete!

On Monday I went to the fabrication labs at 1:30pm and began to print my waffle script.

I spent 4 hours attempting to put it together, but it was a complete success.

Here are the pictures.

Another few attempts at 3d printing

As you will see from the images below - I attempted printing my 3d model again twice - each time, it screwed up after about 1 hour and 20-45 minutes. The problem kept arising with the build plate not being sturdy, and so Eliot suggested that perhaps changing the build plate to a thicker one would help. I did this, and thus, it may have fixed it.. (look below to next section of writing)

I have started a new print, and when I left, it had done 20% and looked very promising. I have never had a model get this far whilst printing ( apart from the original prototype I did in a small size.

Lets hope it works..then il have 1/4 done..

Waffle Done!

After more than about 5 hours with chris and myself, we managed to complete the script. We began by jotting down what we thought needed to be done. We said that firstly after creating our geometry, we wanted to create the sections in both the x y and z axis'.  We then learnt that the process would be much harder than we originally thought as we could not assign the planes to the appropriate sections of the model. After another 2-3 hours we both discovered how to do it, and so we realized that we needed to solid difference the two cut planes and then hide the inside


so we continued,  including things such as the changing the thickness of the 'teeth' (the little cutout pieces in which join the waffles together) as well as labeling both in the x and y axis (in which we labelled a and b).

After this, we looked to change the amount of the slices in both the x and y directions.

Here is a picture of the script, as well as the outcome screenshots!

I spent another 4 hours formatting the colours, labels and the overall layout, to ensure that it was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Presentation is everything, after all !


A link to the file will be uploaded at a later date :)

Project 3 - Waffle Scripting

Today I began working on the 3rd project - the waffle script. We essentially have to create a waffling script which is universal for every model - in essence, you can plug in any rhino geometry and it will automatically waffle.

In order to do this, I created my geometry based upon the concept of my first project - the letter D - mirrored and curving in two directions.

Trying to print the Second assignment

After spending a few hours deducing what else (besides machine error) could be causing the multiple stuff ups when printing (each print gets to a different point then just stops) - I decided to go back to the drawing board.

Rather than having 1 large model, ive opted to create 4 smaller models which still, together, reach the required size in length and width. This also allows me to show my attractor point from different spots, ultimately demonstrating how it works.

I also noticed when I ran it on shapeways.com print testor that my original would print with no errors should I pay to get it done. But seeing as this subject hardly warrants spending 750.00 on a model worth 15%, I decided to go for the smaller 4 options. This allows me to have less invidual components, and also allows for a quicker printing time.

Here are a few screenshots of what it will look like:

Problems 3d Printing...

After over 16 attempts thus far to print my model, I have been unsuccessful. Everytime I attempt to print, it begins well, and then when I return in the morning at the opening of the fabrication lab, the model has somehow stopped printing and has either attempted to print the model in the air, or some other issue.

I showed Eliot this issue two weeks ago, in which he informed me to cut my model into quarters. When this still didn't work, we attempted using a base made in rhino/grasshopper instead of using a raft in maker bot. However, this still did not work. The problem definitely is not with the model, because I sample printed a small version of it with no problems at all. 

When Rebekah had a go assisting with the printing process we were still unable to make it work no matter what we did.

I will continue my endeavor to print - Hell, im even considering buying my own 3d printer at this stage - solely for the fact that I will be able to print around the clock, and if im there when the mistake occurs, it may give me better insight into why it keeps happening.

When I printed the model  in the smaller version, it worked fine - So this process of elimination regarding issues leaves me to believe that the machines are not very reliable. This is also based upon the fact that several others are experiencing the same sorts of difficulties. The maker bot is an excellent machine, but when its given public access, I fear that it gets proverbially thrashed - hence the reasons why the 6 machines we have access to keep printing with errors, however the machine that we dont use (the one in the back room) prints perfectly.

It could also be a temperature issue - The machines do not have much covering and so when someone has the extractor on collecting the smoke from the laser cutter, the 3d printers sacrifice temperature losses, meaning the pla cools down too quickly.

I will keep going until I find a solution. I love my attractor point model, and will undoubtedly print it in the end.