Daniel’s Skill Log 1: Pots and CAD

What I learned:

What I learned in this skill logging assignment was about creating organic shapes and objects in CAD. For this specific mini-project, I created organic smooth and rounded pots for the main art piece. In my previous assignments, I created mechanical components which were usually geometric as they were easy, fast, and efficient to make.  With my previous knowledge of navigating Solidworks, I watched Youtube videos on how to use some of the tools that would help me in this assignment.

Some of the specific skills I learned and used were sweeping profiles to create large curved surfaces, creating multiple planes to cut pots at an angle, and splitting pots with planes to allow for artistic touches such as stripes. The use of these skills is evident in all the different pots.

Reference:

Artifacts of what I learned :

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  Using sweep to create curved walls in the shape of the profile

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  Slicing the round pot using planes to add blue lines

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  Slicing the pot using angled planes adding a palette of colors

The Things I made:

The things I made for this assignment were pots of different shapes and sizes. The style I focused on was roundness. Before starting the computer process, sketches were first made. Compared to many mechanical projects I’ve had, this assignment had me focusing on the more artistic side of CAD than mechanical. I was not stressed about if the object was going to fit, was it going to function, or if it was going to fail under stress. I focused on if the object felt right, if it was aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and if it was going to feel soft in the hand. In addition to that, I wanted to improve my skill of rendering so I also learned to incorporate designs onto the surface of the piece.

Artifacts of what I made :

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  3D printed physical models of the pots made in Solidworks

Connecting Back to Class:

This connects back to the course topic of incorporating engineering into art or vice versa because I learned to be more artistic when designing in CAD. Compared to what I would do before, through this learning process I spent more time on the aesthetic side of designing. Instead of crunching numbers to make sure things fit and function, I spent time drawing inspiration from the environment, around me, and nature. I created objects that not only functioned but were pleasing to be around.