Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

1. Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

2. CONTENTS Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

3. CONTENTS • Working Environment Basics, Material Options, Phantom Arm Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

4. CONTENTS • Working Environment Basics, MaterialOptions, Phantom Arm • Tool Actions Basic Tools Supplementary Tools Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

5. CONTENTS • Working Environment Basics, MaterialOptions, Phantom Arm • Tool Actions Basic Tools Supplementary Tools • Material Actions Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

6. CONTENTS • Working Environment Basics, Material Options, Phantom Arm • Tool Actions Basic Tools Supplementary Tools • Material Actions • Library Samples Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

7. CONTENTS • Working Environment Basics, Material Options, Phantom Arm • Tool Actions Basic Tools Supplementary Tools • Material Actions • Library Samples • Helpful Hints Free Form Software A Supplemental Tutorial Paul J. Wolff III Spring 2001

8. INTRODUCTION The following tutorial illustrates some of the capabilities of haptic technologies. The Free Form modeling system software allows the user to use the sense of touch for creating three dimensional models on the computer. This is an intuitive and expressive tool that is similar to working with clay or foam materials. The primary advantage of this tool is that it allows the user to test and compare multiple design proposals for complex surfaces without the waste or expense of materials.

9. CONTENTS • Working Environmenta) Workspace,Empty Model Space,Mouse Functions b) Material Options: Clay Block Shape, Units, Courseness c) Phantom Arm

10. Basics: WORKSPACE This is the virtual sculpting environment that begins each work session in Free Form Software. The white square on the screen represents a block of virtual clay. This configuration is the default setting for all sculpting activity.

11. a)Basics: EMPTY MODEL SPACE Free Form Software also allows you begin with an empty modeling space. Choose File, New from the pull-down menu to obtain the “Create Model Screen.” The result of selecting this option will be a completely empty work space. Create New Model Screen

12. b) Material Options: EMPTY MODEL SPACE To add clay: First, From the Free Form Tool Menu, select the desired tool. This allows more flexibility in sizing the digital clay material more closely to the match your specific design parameters. NOTE: The software adds clay in the Shape of the tool selected.

13. b) Material Options: EMPTY MODEL SPACE Next, select the add clay icon at the bottom of the screen. More about the features of the Add Clay tool will be discussed later in this tutorial.

14. Basics: MOUSE FUNCTIONS The left mouse key allows you to view the object from many angles. You may also adjust or save specific views by selecting the view command from the main toolbar menu.

15. Basics: MOUSE FUNCTIONS The right mouse key allows you to pan the object to read closer or farther away from you.

16. b)Material Options: CLAY BLOCK By selecting File/New from the tool bar, you will obtain the “Create New Model” screen which displays the options for sizing the initial block and for selecting a shape for the bock.

17. block b) Material Options: CLAY BLOCK SHAPE Free Form Software allows you to pick the shape of your initial lump of digital clay. The shape options are: block, sphere, cone and tube. sphere cone tube

18. Create New Model Screen • Material Options: CLAY BLOCK UNITS Free Form Software also allows you to size the block of digital clay in a variety of units: mm(default), cm, m, in,ft. These options are available from the “Create New Model Screen,” chose

19. Create New Model Screen b) Material Options: CLAY COARSENESS Free Form Software also allows you adjust the “coarseness” of the digital clay. This option adjusts the grain size of the material and maximum tool size available. In general it is best to begin with rough shape option. The other options (Refine Shape, Add Detail, Add Free Detail and Custom are best used for finishing work.)

20. c) Phantom Arm The Phantom arm is an input device that is located next to the computer monitor and mouse in the Cad Lab. It consists of a segmented “arm” and “wrist” that allows rotation in several directions. There is also a small button on the end of the arm which engages the sculpting actions of the tool seen on the screen.

21. c) Phantom Arm The Phantom arm is represented on the digital work space as a hand with a pointing index finger.

22. c) Phantom Arm The Phantom arm can be manipulated in many ways. Different actions require different grips. The actual hand positions are determined by desired action and the user’s manipulation of the tool. It seems best to develop a variety of hand positions for each tool in an effort to get the maximum flexibility from each tool.

23. IIa) Basic Tool Actions • Summary of alldigital tools. • Comparisons with wood and stone carving hand tools. • Digital Loop Tool (Scooping) manual scorp • Digital Ball Tool (Boring) manual eye punch • Digital Scraper Tool (Peeling) manual draw knife • Digital Corn Dog (Smoothing) manual burnisher • Digital Block Tool (Denting) manual mallet • Digital Add Tool

24. Loop Ball Scraper Corn Dog Block Add The Free Form software uses six basic tools to shape the digital clay: Loop, Ball, Scraper, Corn Dog, Block, Add

25. Loop Ball Scraper Corn Dog Block Add The digital loop tool allows a SCOOPING action into the digital clay.

26. Digital Loop Tool Loop Tool in Action The loop tool is similar in function to the manual scorp carving tool in that it is designed primarily for removal of large chunks of material. Manual Scorp Tool

27. Loop Ball Scraper Corn Dog Block Add The digital ball tool allows a BORING action and also the creation of dents in the surface of the digital clay.

28. Digital Ball Tool Ball Tool in Action The Ball Tool is similar in function to the manual eye punch carving tool in that it is designed primarily for burrowing or tunneling through material. Manual Eye Punch Tool

29. Loop Ball Scraper Corn Dog Block Add The digital scraper tool allows a PEELING of the digital clay material.

30. Digital Scraper Tool Scraper Tool in Action The Scraper Tool is similar in function to the manual draw knife carving tool in that it is designed primarily for subtracting thin layers of material. Manual Draw Knife Tool

31. Loop Ball Scraper Block Add Corn Dog The digital corn dog tool allows a SMOOTHING action. By passing this tool back and forth material may be removed incrementally or edges may be tapered.

32. Digital Corn Dog Tool Corn Dog Tool in Action The Corn Dog Tool is similar in function to the manual BURNISHING carving tool in that it is designed primarily for compressing the fibers together to shape and form the material. Manual Burnishing Tool

33. Loop Ball Scraper Corn Dog Add Block The digital block tool allows a DENTING action into the digital clay material.

34. Digital Block Tool Block Tool in Action The Block Tool is similar in function to the manual carving mallet in that it is designed to be forcefully applied to the material; smashing it to shape it, denting it with textures, or using it in conjunction with other hand tools. Manual Carving Mallet

35. Loop Ball Scraper Corn Dog Block Add The digital add tool allows the addition of new material to the basic sculpting block.

36. Digital Add Tool The Add Tool functions like a soft ice cream dispenser; once the area for additional material has been selected, a blob of material plops out. There is a limit to the amount of new material that may be added. If too much material is added, it presses against the actual boundary of your working block (note flattened area).

37. IIb) Supplementary Tools • Tug Tool • Smooth Tool • Stream Tool • Mirror Tool • Slice Tool

38. Tug Smooth Stream Mirror Slice There are five supplementary tools that assist the six basic sculpting tool. These allow specific additive and subtractive manipulations of the digital clay material. These Include the tug, smooth, stream, mirror and slice tools.

39. Tug Smooth Stream Mirror Slice The digital tug tool allows the digital clay to be pulled away from the main block. There is no manual equivalent wood or stone working tool.

40. TUG TOOL By selecting the tug tool icon from the sculpting tool bar, you are able to pull the material in any direction away from the main block. Note: It will feel like you are pulling a rubber band; the farther away that you get from the block, the more resistance provided through The Phantom Arm device.

41. Smooth Tug Stream Mirror Slice The Smooth Tool allows you to decrease the severing Of any carving action to create a more gradual change In material situation.

42. Digital Smooth Tool Manual Rasp Tool

43. SMOOTH TOOL This tool allows you to grade whatever sculpting action that you have used on the digital clay material. By “reapplying” the action, you can continue to smooth the sculpted material until the desired effect is achieved. It is also possible to adjust the amount of smoothing per application. Note: The manual equivalent would be some kind of power grinder, but in this case the equivalent action is more like pouring acid over a targeted area to decompose the existing material.

44. Stream Tug Smooth Mirror Slice The Stream Tool allows the addition of material in extruded rows (like streams) to any portion of the digital clay block.

45. STREAM TOOL This tool allows the addition of digital clay material in streams that are dictated by the shape and size of the tool selected. It is best used for small additions of material and offers a unique flexibility not found in stone carving, for example. Although the blobs are so irregular that once they are added, they must be shaped considerably, in most cases.

46. Tug Smooth Stream Slice Mirror The digitalmirror tool allows you to only have to sculpt one half of an object, if it is symmetrical. The other half is replicated with this tool.

47. MIRROR TOOL This tool allows exact replication of any pattern of sculpting actions. the benefit of the tool besides saving time with a symmetrical piece is that you can back up the mirroring actions (undo) to any point in the history of the design process.

48. Digital Mirror Tool Manual Pointing Tool allowed reproduction/rescaling of test models, usually in wood or clay. NOTE: This system of duplication required elaborate measurements of holes pointed strategically over the entire surface of a sculpture.These measurements were used to transfer the sculpture to a different scale or material. These pointing holes can often be observed in finished sculptures, indicating that they have been copied.

49. Tug Smooth Stream Mirror Slice The digital slice tool allows sections to be cut through the digital clay material.

50. SLICE TOOL The slicing tool allows you to place picture planes at any point though the object and then cut through the clay leaving only the selected areas, mimicking the idea of an architectural sectional cut.