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.…
Don’t get me wrong; while the tried-and-true Swiss Army Knife is great for opening UPS packages or the occasional toothpick, it doesn’t scream “heavy duty” in times when you might need it for anything beyond that. When faced with an outdoor scenario, chances are the little knife might break under the stress of cutting a tree branch for firewood or sharpening a spear you made to ward off the park rangers. And yet, the humble Swiss Army Knife is the closest comparison you can give to the ultra heavy-duty COMBAR outdoor multi tool from Aclim8. The hammer is made of 44-48 HRC stainless steel and is textured to provide…
Seamlessly bridging the physical and digital worlds has proved to be a significant challenge for even the world’s most advanced electronic manufacturers. While HP has made considerable strides with their “mixed reality” Sprout platform, the creative market has grown to favor more portable tablets and laptops over full-fledged desktop platforms. With Project Zanzibar, the Microsoft Research Team hopes to blur further the distinction between the digital and physical worlds—this time, in a portable implementation that can be rolled up, stowed, and paired with existing tablet computers. https://youtu.be/4Gl6iaVXZu0 While their early prototypes focus on expanding toy sets into interactive experiences (including creating animated 3D rendered movies that mirrored how children were…
How many boats does one need? WRONG QUESTION. How many boats can you 3D print, stick in your mouth, and say ‘Bathtub Boat’. Me? 27. But they were small boats and I choked when I realize one could come shooting out my nose at any moment – can you imagine the pain a PLA print squeezed through the nostril cavity produces? Not gonna find out. These boats are the creation of a one VANDRAGON, or as I like to call him, VANDRAGONY THE SUPREME. So, why does he create these? Well, besides boats being cool, he says, I like my bathtub and boats, so I’m creating some for the bathtub. I…
Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll get the groove going with “Otis” from The Durutti Column before diving into sweet melodies from Sunflower Bean, Kyle Craft, Woods, Vanishing Twin, and others before wrapping up with “Lucky Once” from Nick Waterhouse. Rock! Have suggestions? As…
We’re stoked to welcome Hardware Massive with this special guest post by Greg Fisher, Founder at HardwareCon. Check out Hardware Massive and, if you’re in the San Jose area this week, you’ll want head over to HardwareCon to learn about the future of hardware. Having spent the last 13 years helping more than 900 hardware startups (they used to be called inventors) taking innovative, physical products to market, I’ve seen the industry go from one dominated by large established companies, to the burgeoning hardware revolution that has already brought thousands of startup products to market. Using new tools and technologies, it is just getting started. Despite growth in the market, in…