For this prototyping activity, you will design a pair of "Designer Glasses" that you can wear proudly on your face.
Sketch > Cardstock model > Grid Paper Drawing > Inkscape Drawing > Cardboard Prototype > Wooden version > Advance design
Challenge: Design a pair of glasses that will make someone else feel good.
Laser cut (1/8 Wood)
Finishing
Improving
1. Sketch:
Draw 8 thumbnail sketches of eyeglasses in your sketchbook.
Please be creative and think outside the frame. If you intend to make both sides look the same then make sure they are symmetrical
Make sure your frame is thick enough to hold the glasses together and the arms can be attached.
Be sure your design doesn't have fragile parts that could break off
2. Share and Feedback
Share your design with at least two other people.
What makes them laugh?
Which designs do they like the most?
Which one would they wear to a party?
Which one would they buy for their grandmother?
Reflect on the feedback and determine a move-forward design.
3. Paper Prototype - Cardstock
Using a pencil, scissors, ruler and tacky glue, cut out your design to properly fit your head.
Be sure the design fits your nose and ears and is comfortable.
Tip: look in a mirror, see how they look and feel
No hot glue
Be sure they are not bending around your face.
Once you have a prototype begin to take measurements of your frames, and arms that go over your ears.
4. Technical Drawing
Using 1/8 inch (.125) grid paper, draw the front and sides of your glasses
Each block is a 1/8 of an inch which happens to be the thickness of the wood we will be using
Label dimensions of all drawn shapes
Extra Grid paper is attached below. Make sure you print in "actual size" not "fit to page".
5. Digital Design - Adobe Illustrator
Transfer your technical drawing to a vector design in Adobe Illustrator.
You will need to start a new document (24" wide x 4" tall)
Set units to INCHES, Color mode RGB
Grid TIPs: The grid appears behind your artwork in the illustration window. It does not print.
To show or hide the grid, choose View > Show Grid or View > Hide Grid.
To snap objects to gridlines, choose View > Snap To Grid, select the object you want to move, and drag it to the desired location.
When the object’s boundaries come within 2 pixels of a gridline, it snaps to the point.
Note: If you choose View > Pixel Preview, Snap To Grid changes to Snap To Pixel.
To specify the spacing between gridlines, grid style (lines or dots), grid color, or whether grids appear in the front or back of artwork, choose Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences > Guides & Grid (Mac OS).
Turn on and setup grid to 1/8 inch lines (Crtl + ")
Turn on "Snap to grid (shift + Ctrl + ")
Use the Pen (P) tool to start outlining a profile around your frame. Count blocks if you need to.
Add a tab to the arms that stick out 1/8 inch and is the same height as the slot it is to fit in.
6. Laser Cutting - Part 1
This part is a fun challenge. Learning the laser cutter takes a lot of time and repetition. Things may catch on fire along the way but hopefully, you learn from each of those experiences.
Wooden Glasses
Make a wooden pair of glasses
Try to make tight press-fit joints to avoid using glue
No HOT Glue
Helpful Hints:
Raster = Engrave or etch
Vector = Cut
Vector Line for cut - Red and Point .01 (both found in property bar when line is selected)
Any line NOT Red and NOT Point .01 will be Rastered
Line Property Bar will not show line color if it has no thickness
Windows Snipping tool can make quick work of copy and paste when image is troublesome.
Laser Cutting - Part 2
Once you have your image and vector layout ready select PRINT from the File Menu. This will bring up the Print dialogue box.
Then:
Deselect the checkbox for Auto Rotate
Change Printer to either Epilog or LSolution(Mobile FabLab Only)
Click on the SETUP button in the lower left hand corner
The SETUP button will open the printer dialogue box.
Click on the PRINTER PROPERTIES button.
This will bring up the Laser Dialogue box
Use the table provided to enter RASTER and VECTOR settings and adjust other settings as needed.
Auto Focus
Center Engraving
Air Assist and Vacuum
Color Mapping (advanced)
Once settings are correct click OKAY
Click PRINT in the PRINTER PROPERTIES box. This will return you to the Adobe Illustrator PRINT window.
If the preview matches your design click PRINT.
If not click SETUP again and to go back to the printer dialogue box click PRINT again and check preview, then PRINT. (note: this usually only happens on newly opened documents)
Extensions:
Sand, stain or paint
Offset Lens - Using the offset design feature in Corel Draw, try to make an acrylic lens that is press-fit (Use this link)
Hinges - Try to add left and right hinges (make sure you have left and right in the correct position) Use the new Hinge Template attached below.
Bend and form the wood to a specific curvature
Laminate different layers of wood and incorporate different material
Resources:
Adobe Illustrator basics (reynoldsburge): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HW0tj2rFfR72nvCNwG88-XbgUPd_rN6tZ1hTCXllhp0/edit
How to print to laser Cutter from Illustrator: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwJAN8M_TdPASm0tZUZhWmpkZjA
About Lasers: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/search?q=illustrator
Epilog Laser: https://www.epiloglaser.com/resources/sample-club/laser-cutting-wooden-glasses.htm
Epilog Manual: https://www.epiloglaser.com/assets/downloads/manuals/legend-manual-web.pdf
Instructables: http://www.instructables.com/id/Wooden-Glasses/
Trotec Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nj167idFkQ
Wooden Hinges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKbT1cW_G_8