Vizproto - Personal Project

Personal Project Cinthia

IDea Collage for Personal Project

What are your favorite hobbies or pastimes?

Among my hobbies are watching anime (I love both 2D and 3D animation) and making sculptures with cold porcelain.

What studio processes are you currently involved with

I’m not sure what is meant by “studio processes,” but I believe it refers to the following. Due to my teaching practice in engineering, I have been involved with 3D printing and laser cutting, as well as the fabrication of molds using platinum silicone.

What images, objects , and processes do you find yourself attracted to?

In general, I’m interested in everything related to 3D modeling and printing, from the electronics behind it to creating sculptures and bringing them into the real world through different technologies, not only 3D printers but also CNC machines.
On the other hand, there’s the entire 2D world, in which anime has been a big part of my life. In anime and video games, I’ve always been drawn to the blacksmith or artisan characters because of their versatility and creativity when crafting different technologies, which I personally associate closely with the work and spirit of an engineer.

What issues (locally, nationally, internationally) capture your attention?

In many countries, fewer young people are choosing to study engineering. I believe this is partly due to limited public understanding of what engineers actually do and how deeply their work affects everyday life. Engineering is often viewed as purely technical, yet behind every innovation there are people who design, make decisions, and shape the world we live in. I am currently interested in exploring the professional and cultural identity of engineers, how they see themselves and how society perceives them.

Proposal

Research Question: How might I use digital fabrication to transform abstract ideas about engineering identity into tangible, visual forms?

Proposal : My research will result in the production of a sculpture that represents how engineers see themselves and how society defines them, created through 3D modeling and rapid prototyping. The data used to generate the sculpture will come from drawings with the theme “Try to draw an engineer” and from surveys conducted with engineering students, based on the questions “What do you think engineering is?” and “What does it mean to be an engineer?”
The final 3D-printed piece will serve as both an artistic artifact and a social inquiry, offering a new way to visualize and reflect on what it means to be an engineer today.

Action plan:

Schedule:

Collect drawings and surveys: Oct 15 – Oct 23
Analyze drawings and surveys: Oct 23 – Oct 27
Sculpting and 3D modeling: Oct 27 – Nov 7
Small test – Material testing: Nov 7 – Nov 21
Printing final design: Nov 21 – Nov 28
Vizproto webpage update and final details: Nov 28 – Dec 5

Resources & Materials:

Software: Blender and Meshmixer
Equipment: 3D printer or CNC
Space: ASU Chandler Innovation Center or Innovation Hub at poly
Budget: $50 for finishing materials (like paint) or wood (in case to work with the CNC)
On-Campus resources: 3D printers or CNC in ASU Chandler Innovation Center

Feasibility & Alternatives:

Deal breakers: Limited printer access or shortage of materials could affect production. Additionally, printing time could be a potential factor that may impact the final delivery.

Alternative paths: If 3D printers are unavailable, I will consider using CNC milling or wood fabrication as an alternative process or vice versa, depending on machine availability in the lab. Additionally, laser cutting may be incorporated for specific components if it enhances structural or aesthetic details.

If the printing time is too long, I will develop a smaller-scale version of the sculpture to ensure completion while maintaining the conceptual and aesthetic coherence of the project. However, on a smaller scale, some details of the sculpture may not be properly appreciated. If it becomes evident that the quality of the piece is compromised due to time reduction and the physical prototyping cannot be completed, a digital 3D model will be presented instead, including renders, lighting, shadows, and spatial context to convey the visual experience of the finished work.

3D modeling

Based on the interviews with eight participants—engineering students—and their drawings in response to the prompt “Try to draw an engineer,” I selected one drawing to serve as the main structure for the 3D model. I also incorporated some of the common patterns that appeared across the drawings and the participants’ descriptions of engineering, such as problem-solving, transforming nature, being creative, and the use of tools and gears associated with the engineering profession. Some drawings also included buildings and idea-generation clouds, which were integrated into the model as well.

Body

Face: For the face, I used the intermediate model I created for the 3D model benchmark , in order to have a more detailed yet simple structure, something that looks more human while still maintaining a cartoon-style aesthetic.

2D drawing for decoration:

I took some images to extract the shapes using Illustrator’s Image Trace, and then finished modifying them by hand. These were added as decorative elements on the sculpture.

Printing and Material testing

Small 3D sample

Real size printing

Material test for decorations:

Initially, I had considered using wood to create the additional decorative elements. However, after taking the vinyl cutter course, I decided to use vinyl instead, since it adapts better to the overall shape of the 3D sculpture. This was ideal for my project and gave me more freedom when decorating the piece. At first, I planned to place the tree on the back and the other figures on the base of the cloud, but using vinyl gave me greater flexibility and allowed me to distribute the elements more easily across the sculpture.