There’s a very interesting story that’s slowly being told, industry after industry. This is one of them. In Milan, Europe’s largest Opera House, La Scala, was to put on a performance of Don Pasquale. During one of the scenes, the production managers and set designers decided the soprano was to sing from within an automobile, floating above the stage. The problem was that the particular automobile they desired, a Lancia B24, was quite heavy and hard to find. They decided to reproduce it, rather than use an actual version of the car, to avoid this weight. This seems rather ambitious, but they found a way to make it happen. They…

When it comes to being at the right place at the right time, nothing beats that old saying, “the best camera is the camera you have with you.” Perhaps the same can be said for sketchbooks—the best sketchbook is the one you have with you when inspiration strikes. Which is why the pocket-sized Field Notes have always been a favorite for designers and engineers. At just over $3 a pop, these no-fuss 48-page memo books are perfect for laying down rough ideas without worrying about wasting precious paper in a leather hardcover book. Plus, they’re the perfect size for throwing in a shoebox to keep a record of all those…

As if it even needs to be said to the many thousands of designers and engineers that read SolidSmack every day, the best way to learn just about new skill is through project-based learning—AKA gettin’ your hands dirty. And while we all clamor for a just a few extra minutes in the day to pursue that side hobby or learn a new skill, it can be challenging to do so without some structural foundation in place. Which is one reason why we love the Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Bootcamp. Designed to be a comprehensive and structured introduction to the Raspberry Pi platform, the 2-hour course is catered for different ages and…

I just returned from hiking 40 miles with a 50-lb pack in the West Texas Guadalupe Mountains. If it were not for hiking sticks, my legs would be gelatinous globs right now. They’re a must – even for kiddos and their ultra-cartilaginous joints. What’s a good way to make them relish such long, arduous journeys on the trail? Well, a hiking stick that colorfully displays all of their hiking achievements, of course. How’s that, you ask? If you’ve a hiking stick, you might be familiar with hiking medallions – metal badges from various parks to affix to your walking stick as a memento and symbol of your achievements. Father-of-the-year, Jacob, has a…

It seems like just about everyone these days runs on a steady stream of either coffee or cola. When the world turns at such a blistering pace, it only makes sense for you to be able to keep up, right? Well, YouTube user The Q may have taken the expression a biiiiit too seriously… Instead of crafting a vehicle that runs on caffeine, he made one out of it. Using over 1,000 empty Coke, Coke Light, and Coke Zero cans, he built a 1:5 scale can replica of the original F1 Bolid. The car uses over 12 meters of spray-painted PVC pipes as its base. By following the basic car…

When it comes to SubD topology, having the ability to construct a variety of meshes with clean polygon flows can mean the difference between yelling an obscene amount of profanities at your monitor or having a blast. Thanks to a new book from the renowned 3D artist, writer, and director William Vaughan, getting to that fun place won’t have to be so challenging after all. Vaughan’s comprehensive 125-page Pushing Points Topology Workbook includes over 60 exercises to train anybody in managing their mesh topology. Even those who may consider themselves “experts” at SubD could certainly learn a thing or two from the master modeler—whose portfolio spans across Nickelodeon and Pixar.…