Mathieu Laporte

We were asked to explore 2D and 3D, and other computer aided design tools and software to design our final project. My idea of a final project has already changed a bit from last week. Well, not that much, the inspirations that I shared last week are still valid. This said, without knowing the form that it’ll take, I want to make a automatized kinetic sculpture. So, as the complete design haven’t been planned yet, I decided this week to explore mechanisms and gears designs through 2D and 3D software. I thought that it'd be a great context for this week of the program. I’ll also have to use some photo edition software to adjust my documentation files. Here’s the software I chose to use:

• Inkscape
• Openscad
• Gimp
• Fotor

Ideally, I'd very much like to be able to manipulate Fusion360. I'll try to use it for the next week assignment.

To be able to visualized possibilities for the making of an automatized kinetic sculpture, I thought that I had to study different kinds of mechanisms. I found that video library on Youtube, which was very inspiring. I looked at the 200 proposed mechanisms.

First of all, here's the final result. Then, I'll explain how I did it. I wanted a pantograph for drawing straight lines and I based myself on the 14th model on the previous Youtube video library that I proposed.

I draw the gears with the help geargenerator.com which allows you to download it in .svg format.

For the other parts, I took the mesures from a screen shot of the model that I took online. Then, I traced the parts using diffrent drawging tools. I wanted to begin by creating the paths and objects.

To be able to treat the shapes for laser cutting and for OpenScad you have to transform the objects into a path.

Here's the parts made in strokes. This file will be use to lasercut a prototype later in the week. I could also use this drawing to cut it with our CNC too.

Then, I needed to make an OpenScad friendly file to be able to render my pieces in 3D to maybe 3D print it. I did it in 4 steps:

1. Take the strokes out and fill the parts:

2. Cutting the holes in the different parts by using the function difference.

3. Flatten the curves. OpenScad won't be able to extrude perfect curves.

4. Save a copy of each part in .dxf format.

3D design with OpenScad

The method to extrude a third dimension to a vector file is quite easy with OpenScad. But, for the use I had this week it seemed pretty useful. I'll have to push a bit further my skills on other CAD software for next steps of my final project.