Week 1: Computer-aided design
Background
For this project, we were asked to model a possible final project for this class, including images, videos, and a description of our process.
Materials
Process
Before I touched any CAD programs, I iterated through a series of sketches until I landed on the following design: 5 infinity mirrors, spaced out randomly on a ceiling, with servo motors attached to change the angle of the mirrors as a person moves below them.
To model this, I started off by creating circles that the sizing of the acrylic rings and both one and two-way mirrors would be based off of. After the geometry was completed, I tried rendering the model in Keyshot but had trouble figuring out how to snap the geometry to a ceiling in a given environment. Frustrated, I returned to Fusion 360 and created a cube with one face cut out to mimic the effects of rendering in a room.
After a few failed attempts of overexposing the model in the Fusion360 software and applying inappropriate appearances to the geometry, I landed on a render I feel decently good about, which is pictured below.
I learned a lot during this process, but I still have open questions surrounding how to render emissive materials (like LEDS), how to animate interaction (the mirrors moving around), and how to make your render look less like an asylum straight out of the 1940's.
If you'd like to recreate this project and try your hand at rendering my project better than I did, you can download my STL file here.
