Over the next two weeks you'll be working on your final project of choice. This project will be due when we meet for our last class on the 9th of May. I'll be meeting with each of you individually in class on April 25th to discuss your work to date in this course and any ideas you have for this final project of choice. Think about your dream job, areas of interest or design work you 'have to get done' that you could focus on, utilizing the skills I've taught you this semester. The only requirement is that the topic relates to what I've taught, namely 3D modeling and rendering. You are free to use other programs and combine workflows as well. I'll help point you in the right direction and let you know what I'd be looking for relative to your chosen project. 

On the 2nd of May you should be half done with this final project of choice and come to class ready to work on it. I'll be available to answer questions as needed that day and will check on your progress so far. 

 On the 9th of May, our last class, each of you will give a short presentation covering three projects you've done this semester. One of these must be the final project of choice. Make a single PDF slideshow to present from that day. 

• Post your files to your shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

• Post your final presentation PDF to your page or drive folder. 

This will be the last assignment I'll be defining for you this semester (after this it's your final!). I'd like you to design, model and render a headphone  concept this week that is inspired by a musical artist of your choosing. In class, we'll look at SubD modeling for form and NURBS modeling for details. UV mapping, alpha transparency maps, blended emission materials and anisotropic effects will be covered as well. For the demo we'll use an artist I grew up listening to named Aphex Twin (Richard D. James, no relation). For your project you will need to source and prepare texture maps relating to your chosen musical artist on your own.   

• Post your 3dm file to your shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your design to your page for review. 

This week we're modeling and rendering footwear! In class we'll cover a sneaker concept but feel free to base your design on any other genre of shoe. See the Helpful Stuff for a video of the lesson as well as support materials for the project.  

• Post your 3dm file to your shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

Your task this week is to design & model one watch concept, then render it to appeal to two distinct demographics of end users. Utilize color, material and finish (CMF) to accomplish this with minimal changes, if any, between the 3D forms. Different add-ons are allowed such as crowns, band construction or clasp details but try to make use of the same overall geometry in the two different design directions you choose. 

• Post your 3dm file to your shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

Over the next two weeks you'll be working on your midterm project of choice. This project will be due when we meet again on the 4th of April. I'll be meeting with each of you individually in class on March 21st to discuss your work to date in this course and any ideas you have for this midterm project of choice. Think about your dream job or areas of interest that you could focus on. The only requirement is that the topic relates to what I've been teaching you this semester so far. You are free to use other programs and combine workflows as well. I'll help point you in the right direction and let you know what I'd be looking for relative to your chosen project. 

• Post your files to your shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

Your next assignment is to learn how to use the Grasshopper plugin that comes with Rhino. Your specific task is to design some wearable fashion accessories incorporating complex patterns. I'd like you to then 3D print one or more of these for review on the 21st. 

In class, I'll first take you through the basics of using Grasshopper which is a node based algorithmic modeling tool. We will cover a variety of techniques focused on controlling repeating patterns including point and curve attractors as well as image sampling. In addition, I'll show you how to create watertight polygonal meshes for 3D printing. 

• Post your 3dm and GH files to a shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

• 3D print one or more of your designs for review.

This week your task is to design, model and render a product for the brand Le Creuset . In class, we'll model their classic Dutch oven design paying close attention to the defining brand language and materials. I'll want to see these elements in your own projects for Le Creuset completed over the week to come. 

Of note, you'll learn about Displacement textures this week as well as how these custom meshes can be reverse engineered into NURBS when needed.  

You are free to design a new product for the Le Creuset brand or copy something they currently produce, have fun and see what you can cook up :D

• Post your 3dm file to a shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

Over the next week you'll design, model and render your own concept for a children's night light. In class we'll model a simple character together using SubD techniques for a soft organic form. You'll learn about cage editing SubDs, primitive mapping methods, blend materials and sub surface scattering as well as emission material properties. 

As always, see the Helpful Stuff folder this week for assets used in the demo and video tutorials of the lesson.

• Post your 3dm file to a shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

For your next assignment I'd like you to model and render two famous furniture designs. The first one we'll do together in class using this Eames molded plywood chair as reference. See the Helpful Stuff folder > Furniture folder for a side and front reference image that we will use in class. 

Over the following week, select another famous furniture design to copy on your own. See https://www.dwr.com/ if you need help deciding on your second design or require reference images to help in the process. 

• Post your 3dm file(s) to a shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review. 

This week, your task is to model and render a family of three drinking glasses. Use any of the modeling approaches taught in class and refer to the video in the Helpful Stuff folder on our site for the basic polyline method if needed. 

• Post your 3dm file(s) to a shared Google drive folder linked to on your page. 

• Post renderings illustrating your designs to your page for review.