MakerBot Brooklyn
the entrance to the new manufacturing facility which recently came online.
I encouraged them to include a jar of finely moldable clay with each of their new 3D scanners, with no explanation needed. People might think more about creation and less about copying with their "Replicator".
More generally, I think we need a new framework for 3D content creation, as it has held back so many 3D dreams, from VRML in the 90s to 3D printing today. If you want to create a 3D model of a teacup, it’s just way too difficult for most people using geometric primitives of addition and subtraction, manipulated and rotated with 2D tools separated in space (a screen and touchpad or mouse).
My first thought was that perhaps we could reconceptualize the digital process: instead of manipulating polygons, what if we had digital clay — malleable and asymmetric and organic — that snapped to polygons and various axes of symmetry after the fact? The UI would naturally support multitouch screens where we see the clay under our fingers and need not project and rotate 3D objects in our minds.
And with a 3D scanner, MakerBot could take a step in that direction by providing rudimentary post-processing of scanned clay. With 3D printing, the objects don’t have to be symmetric. Complexity comes for free in a 3D print. Objects may be a bit more artistic and organic with asymmetries. So the post-processing could include a slider for smoothing… and perhaps a way to recognize Platonic forms like a circular or elliptical curve, offering various snap-to-grid options if wanted.
MakerBot Brooklyn
the entrance to the new manufacturing facility which recently came online.
I encouraged them to include a jar of finely moldable clay with each of their new 3D scanners, with no explanation needed. People might think more about creation and less about copying with their "Replicator".
More generally, I think we need a new framework for 3D content creation, as it has held back so many 3D dreams, from VRML in the 90s to 3D printing today. If you want to create a 3D model of a teacup, it’s just way too difficult for most people using geometric primitives of addition and subtraction, manipulated and rotated with 2D tools separated in space (a screen and touchpad or mouse).
My first thought was that perhaps we could reconceptualize the digital process: instead of manipulating polygons, what if we had digital clay — malleable and asymmetric and organic — that snapped to polygons and various axes of symmetry after the fact? The UI would naturally support multitouch screens where we see the clay under our fingers and need not project and rotate 3D objects in our minds.
And with a 3D scanner, MakerBot could take a step in that direction by providing rudimentary post-processing of scanned clay. With 3D printing, the objects don’t have to be symmetric. Complexity comes for free in a 3D print. Objects may be a bit more artistic and organic with asymmetries. So the post-processing could include a slider for smoothing… and perhaps a way to recognize Platonic forms like a circular or elliptical curve, offering various snap-to-grid options if wanted.