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Rapid prototyping and personal fabrication increasingly open possibilities of production that will re-invent our understanding and relationship with everyday objects and material culture.

The seminar will function as both an introduction to different CNC + prototyping equipment as well as a studio in which to test the possibilities and constraints of these new methods of production. Using 3D-printing, laser cutting and milling, we will develop a language of “making” that can be brought to bear on construction at multiples scales, including product design, installation-scale and architecture.
 

Getting Started	Course Materials Basic class information
	Media/Info	Visit the NYU Advanced Media Studio guides Reference the class syllabus/schedule link
Class 1	CNC technologies/CNC techniques Issues of "making" in an informational space
	Media/Info	Read this excerpt, from A Turning Point in Building (1) (1961) Konrad Wachsmann, discussing industrialization and its effect on construction systems, from the vantage point of the early 60's Read this excerpt, from A Turning Point in Building (2) (1961) Konrad Wachsmann, setting forth a theory of systemized "making" within a paradigm of mass-production and industry Read this article, from Versioning SHoP architects describe a design methodology of "versioning" - or using increasingly sophisticated knowledge of design and construction issues to guide a process of design prototyping Read this excerpt, from The Life of Forms in Art Henri Focillon writes about the interdependence of any art form on the substrate of material that it is formed from - invoking means of working with material, as well as inherited qualities and resistances, as primary Read this excerpt, from Fab: The coming Revolution on Your Desktop An accounting of CNC fabrication machines from a framework of subtraction + addition + forming Read this article, from Wired "Fabbed Housing" Read this article, from LA Times "Shape of things to come" Read this article, from New Scientist "Desktop fabricator may kick-start home revolution" read this book excerpt, from Branko Kolarevic "Architecture in the Digital Era: Design and Manufacturing" A survey, paralleling our first class, on CNC fabrication approaches and the work produced through them Read this article, from NY Times "Beam it Down From the Web, Scotty" Read this paper, from Kevin Klinger's "Making Digital Architecture: Historical, Formal and Structural Implications of Computer Controlled Fabrication and Expressive Form" Looks at conceptual issues related to computaional practice, both in terms of software methodologies and fabrication Read this article, from NY Times "Beam it Down From the Web, Scotty"
	Download	Download Autodesk Maya Trial A 30-day trial. This will allow us to workshop in the short term. We will eventually have to migrate to the lab after expiration. To that end, please do not install until the day before our first workshop, class #2.
Class 2	Maya/Low Poly Modeling Working with polygon surfacing in Autodesk Maya
	Media/Info	Read Exercise 1: 3D Printing on google docs We ask that you design a small vase, choosing one of the base geometries provided to you. Each vase will be 3D printed at the NYU Advanced Media Studio after review, to be later assembled back together to display for the year end show. Vases will be modeled using Polygon and Subdivision surfaces in Autodesk Maya, which will be workshoped in class. Download Project 1 Maya File, Sites Each project needs to be situated in one of a given 16 sites. Sign up for a site here. To sign up, sign in with login: gsapp and password:gsapp. Edit the wiki to add your name. Download Tutorial Example File #1 Producing a simple vase using face extrusion. Download Tutorial Example File #2 Producing a simple vase using vertex extrusion.
	Tutorials	Read Tutorial: Maya Shortcuts An introduction to the Maya interface, as well as usefull toolbars and shortcuts. Rread Tutorial: Geometry Platforms A chart describing different platforms of geometry, and the potential of each within fabrication, rendering and possible transformation. Read Modeling Polygons, Command List/Tutorial All of the commands/options we will be exploring in class (an to produce the vases) are itemized here and grouped by function.
Class 3	Subdivision Surfaces Working with Sub Divs in Autodesk Maya
	Media/Info	Read Topology at Wikipedia See Complete Maya Programming Vol 2 by David Gould Our favorite Maya MEL/API programming book, it delves deep into how maya handles geometry. Not for casual users. If you are not interested in programming, its probably not worth buying. Dont bother with Vol 1 Read Subdivision Surfaces at Wikipedia Basic description of Subdivision process. Watch Geri's Game Pixar's short film which debuted subdivision surfaces. Skim Subdivision Implementation For those interested in the more technical details of subdivision implementation.
	Tutorials	Read Modeling Sub Div Surfaces, Command List/Tutorial All of the commands/options we will be exploring in class (an to produce the vases) are itemized here and grouped by function.
Class 4	NURBS Surfaces Working with NURBS in Autodesk Maya
	Media/Info	Read Exercise 2: Laser Cutting on google docs We are asking you to design a small lightbox, which uses planar materials and subtraction patterns to create an interesting play of light. Download sample file here (or in IGS here if you are using another version of maya)
	Tutorials	read Tutorial: Projection read Tutorial: Deformers Type: Direct Using a series of spatial deformers to mold a NURBS surface. read Tutorial: Displacement Mapping Type: Direct Using a height map (grayscale image) to raise or lower portions of a surface. read Tutorial: Blendshapes Type: Intermediate Creating multiple 'target' surfaces, a single surface can be constructed to blend, or average, features between them. read Tutorial: Isolating Surface Patches Helpful for taking a small portion of a surface, or trimming out undesirable areas (parts that would cause undercuts, etc)
Class 5	NURBS Continued NURBS + Laser Formatting
	Media/Info	visit the NYU Advanced Media Studio guides Download a template for the laser cutter - we will be formatting everything through adobe illustrator, and files must be carefully calibrated not only for size, but for indication of scoring and cutting.
	Tutorials	read Tutorial: Soft Body Dynamics Type: Experimental Technique to produce form through an active dynamic simulation. Each CV of the surface is turned into a particle, which can then be manipulated with abstract forces. read Tutorial: Blendshapes Type: Intermediate Creating multiple 'target' surfaces, a single surface can be constructed to blend, or average, features between them.
Class 6	Assembly Putting it together
	Media/Info	visit Non-Standard Practice @ DesignBoom A slightly-dated survey of digital architecture. visit ScriptedByPurpose online exhibition catalogue A recent show featuring a selection of architects working through computational methods.
	Tutorials
Class 7	Cage Fabrication Sampling surfaces
	Media/Info	Read Exercise 3: Cage Modeling on google docs We ask that you design a tall column, in groups. These will operate as a display tables for our 3D prints, for the end of year show. Download Exercise 3 Base Geometry MA or IGS format. Groupings for exercise 3D, with base contours. Light Box Template link Use for laser cutting your light box, this template includes small tabs to allow your box to be pasted together.
	Tutorials	Link to Formatting Tutorial link PDF documenting workflow from Maya line-work to finished illustrator file, prepped for AMS to cut. Link to MAYA - Simple Projection link Link to MAYA - Complex Projection link Focus on curve 'extraction' and 'projection' with NURBS geometry.
Class 8	In Class Workshop
Class 9	Tool Mashup IsoSurface, Osirix, Pepakura, TopMod
	Media/Info	Read Final Project: Parasite on google docs Our last project, to work with the previous exercises. Design a parasite to latch onto existing columns. Integrate physical computing components. download OsiriX for Intel Macs Advanced software for working with fMRI data - in our case we will not be working with the DICOM file format, but instead bringing in sequenced jpgs. Software is for OS X and features a GUI. Example images here. download IsoSurf for PC PC and perhaps Power Mac, command line software for generating iso-surface meshs from binary data. download TopMod3D for OSX or PC Program to model topological features - a great intuitive interface and instructional videos make this a good alternative for those that would rather "make" than "generate" - outputs 3D-printable meshes download Polygon Unroller for PC For unrolling simple polygons. see isosurfacing examples output from the NYU AMS Actually medical samples of osteoporosis, note the topological complexity that is handled with ease by both the meshing software as well as the 3d printer.
	Tutorials	read OsiriX Best Practices hosted on the Proxy Wiki Goes into depth on the factors you should consider when making your data set, as well as general instructions read IsoSurf Best Practices hosted on the Proxy Wiki Scroll down to the isosurf section for instructions on how to use the command line options and compiling a single binary image file Link to Polygon Unrolling Tutorial link Using third party tool to create unfolded polygon cutting templates, for laser. Link to Rhino - Unrolling link Using the limited unrolling capabilities in Rhino.