5/6 3D Digital Design

In this elective we will learn how to design projects for the laser cutter and 3D printer.

Design Challenge 1

Use Adobe Illustrator to design a tessellating puzzle. The puzzle must be have 9 identical pieces that interlock. The pieces must fit into a frame that is no larger than 4" square. You will also need to make a base plate that same size as your frame.

Here 's a link to a refresher on how to create a tessellation.

Making your tessellation on Illustrator

Part 1 - Making your shape

Open Illustrator.
Click on "New File"

3. Use the options on the right side to create a new document.

4. Title the file with your last name and the word "cut".

5. Make sure that you are working in inches and that the file is 11" wide and 8.5" in height.

6. Then click "Create".

7. Once the file is open click on the top dark arrow on the left side menu.

8. Then select the second option in the "rulers and grid" portion of the right side "properties" menu.

9. This will give your document helpful grid lines that look like this.

Each large square is 1" and each small square 1/8".

10. Next you want to make things bigger so its easier to make your tessellation. On the bottom of the left side of your illustrator page there is a little number with a down arrow.

Click on the arrow to increase the size. I like to set mine at around 200.

11. Now the squares are nice and big and easy to see. We are going to focus on just one square and treat it like we did the Post-It when we were making tessellations by hand.

12. Select one of the pen tools from the menu on the left.

The plain pen tool makes straight lines. The one with the swooping line coming out of it makes curved lines.

13. Use the pen tool to make a line you want to cut out from the top of one of the large squares like we did with the Post-Its.

Remember, it works best if the line begins in the left top corner of the square and ends in the top right corner.

14. After drawing the line look at the right side "properties" menu. If the "Appearance" section has a plain white square for "fill" change it to the white square with a red line through it. This shuts off the "fill" ability. We do not want our shapes to have fill.

15. Use the dark arrow to select that line you just drew in step 13. You can tell if it has been selected because a thin blue box will surround that line, We want to copy this line.

To copy hold down the "command" key and "c" key on your keyboard at the same time.

Release those keys. Now hold down the "command" key and the "v" key at the same time. Release those keys. You should have an exact copy of the first line.

16. Leave the first line in place. Use the dark arrow to select the copied line.

Go to the "transform" option on the right side "properties" menu

The bottom left option lets you type in how many degrees you want to rotate an object. Type in 90 and press return.

This will rotate that copied line 90 degrees.

17. Now you want to move that line into place. It is going to become the right side of you tessellation.

Use the dark arrow to click and drag it into place. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard.

When done you should have the top and right side of your tessellation complete.

NOTE!!!!

Illustrator is not web based. You need to save your work as you go! Make sure you are pausing now and then to click "save" in the top file menu or you can hold "command" and "s" on your keyboard to save.

18. Now we want to make the bottom. The software is going to automatically attach the bottom line to the rest of the shape if we draw to close to what we already drew. We don't want to do that quite yet so I like to draw it a little under what i've already made.

This is the part we would have cut from the bottom of our Post-It so the line need to go up into the square. Again, it is easier if your line starts and stops in the corner.

Remember to use one of the pen tools from step 12.

You'll end up with something like this.

19. You want to copy your new line like you did in step 15. Use the dark arrow to select your new line.

To copy hold down the "command" key and "c" key on your keyboard at the same time.

Release those keys. Now hold down the "command" key and the "v" key at the same time. Release those keys. You should have an exact copy of the first line.

20. Now we need to get these lines into place. Use the dark arrow to click and drag one line into the bottom position.

21. Then use the dark arrow to click on the remaining line.

Go back to the "transform" section of the right side "properties" menu and rotate that shape 90 degrees. Like in step 16.

22. Now you just need to get that final side in place. Use the dark arrow to click and drag it into position as our left side of the tessellation.

This is your tessellating shape!

SAVE!!!!

Part 2 - Tessellating your shape

We want to fit 9 copies of this shape together like a puzzle. There needs to be 3 rows of 3 shapes.

The first thing we need to do is officially join are shape as a single object. Use the dark arrow to create a box around your shape. Then click the "group" option from the bottom of the right side "properties" menu.

You should now be able to move your shape around as one solid piece,

2. For this part of the project I find it easier to reduce the size of the workspace. Go to the bottom left side of your Illustrator make and change the size to 66.67%.

3. Now you can start copying and pasting the shape.

Remember, to copy hold down the "command" key and "c" key on your keyboard at the same time.

Release those keys.

Now hold down the "command" key and the "v" key at the same time to paste. Release those keys and you'll have a second shape.

You can use use the rotate function like you did in the first part to rotate the shape 90 degrees.

You can also use the arrows in the "transform" section on the right side "properties" menu to flip the shape horizontally and vertically.

4. Keep copying and moving shapes until you have a 3x3 grid like this.

5. Copy and paste the shape one more time so you have an extra piece by itself.

6. Use the dark arrow key to group the 9 attached shapes as one object like in step 1.

7. Select the 9 piece group with the dark arrow. Go to the "appearance" section of the right side "properties" menu and reduce the stroke size to .25. This will make a cleaner cut on the laser. You'll see the lines become finer.

8. The last step for this part is to make a frame around the 3x3 block. Select the rectangle from the left side menu. It will be under the pen tools.

Make a 4" square and place it around the 3x3 so the 3x3 is centered in the square as show below.

Use the dark arrow to select the 3x3 and square. Group those all together. You now have all the items the laser will need to cut your shapes.

Save what you have!

Part 3 - Illustrating your shape

Now turn your attention to the shape we set aside that is not attached to the 3x3 and square.

2. We want to see what creature or object we could make this shape into. Feel free to flip it 90 degrees if you can't think of an idea. I also like to adjust the size of my workspace so it's bigger.

3. I am going to use the paintbrush tool to add the details to bring this character to life,

I find my paintbrush beneath the arrows, pens, and rectangles on the left side menu.

4. Something about my shape reminded me of a bison so I added details to make mine more bison-ly.

Save what you have!

5. Once I'm happy with it. I want to move the original outline shape away from the details I just painted on. I use the dark arrow to do this.

6. Then I use the dark arrow to group all my paint marks into one object.

7. Now I can delete the extra tessellation piece.

8. I now want to copy, paste, and rotate the paint marks so that they line up onto all the pieces in the 3x3. Again, it might be easier to reduce the work space size when I do this part.

In progress...

Complete!

9. Next you want to seperate the 3x3 with frame from the painted parts. Use the dark arrow to move the 3x3 with frame away.

10. Then use the dark arrow to group all the painted parts together as one object.

These are the parts the laser with draw on or "etch"

Save what you have!

Part 4 - Final Steps

Create a new file following steps 2-4 from Part 1. Instead of "lastname cut" name the new file "lastname etch"

2. Copy and past the painted parts into the "lastname etch" file. Then erase them form "lastname cut" file.

You should now have 2 seperate files. One with only 3x3 and frame and one with only the painted pieces.

"bisson cut" file

"bisson etch" file

3. Now we need to export these files. Go to the top "file" menu in Illustrator.

Find "export" and hover. Click on "export as".

Under "format" there's a pull-down menu. For the "cut" file you want to select the .svg format.

Make sure you are saving it to your desktop so it is easy to find.

4. Repeat the same process with the "etch" file but export this as a .png file.

5. Finally, send me an email with both of these files attached. The subject of the email must be "laser project".

Move onto design challenge #2!

Design Challenge #2

Use Tinkercad to design a maze for a ball bearing to pass through.

maze can not exceed 6" in width, 6" in width, and 1" in height
maze must have a border of at least .25" to glue top plastic to
maze must accomodate either a 1/4" or 1/8" ball bearing
maze must have a minimum of 6 curves the ball must navigate
floor of the maze must be flat
text or decorations must be invluded in the design
finalized design must be downloaded as a .stl file and emailed to me
subject of email must be 3D Print

IMG_3850.mov

Design Challenge #3

Use Adobe Illustrator to design a decorative, laser-cut box. The individual pieces need to interlock so that, theoretically, it can come together without adhesive. There are hundreds examples to see if search GoogleImages for laser-cut box.

Important Info To Know:

The wood we use is 1/8" thick. Think about the thickness and how it plays into the design of your box.
All parts for your box must fit on an 11"x8.5" piece of wood.
Box must have 4 sides and a bottom. A top is optional.
sides, bottom, and to must fit together with tabs.
There must be decorative elements on the 4 sides. NO TEXT!

When done you MUST email me both your .svg file for the cuts the laser must make and the .png for the decorations. This must be one email with LASER as the subject.

Below is a sample .svg file and the finished project.

Keep in mind that you need to consider all 3 dimensions as you design. It is easy to forget how the thickness of the wood impacts your overall design. Building templates with cardboard can be super helpful.

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