Module 3 Formstorming

Weekly Activity Template

Millicent Dayaram

Exploration in Data Portraits

Project 3

Module 3

For Activity 1, we created data portraits based off Georgia Lupi's work. Following James Freita's instructions, I created a data portrait. Below are all my explorations with my data portrait. For Activity 2, we used Scaniverse to scan objects. We then imported into Meshmixer and Cinema 4D, baked them, then uploaded them to a 3D viewer.

Activity 1

Starting my data portrait in Adobe Illustrator based on James Freita's post.

Final data portrait. Black circles = age, yellow lines = location, small blue line = phone location, yellow triangle = iPhone user, black squiggle = pen user, comb looking shape = schedule, orange lines = money, red triangle = outlook on life (glass half full), grey squiggle = time, yellow semicircle = morning person, blue crescent = introvert, blue circle = sing in the shower, green lines = amount of friends I would take on a trip with me.

I explorted each individual drawing as a PNG to import it into the code. The images are automatically centered.

Further exploration with the shapes.

I brought all the shapes into Photoshop and arranged them as they were in Illustator. Then, I changed the image size of all the individual shapes so that they remained in the correct position. I brought them back into the code. In this screenshot, I have my head angled a little to the left, which is tilting all the shapes that way.

I wanted to explore different backdrops. This is an image of someone holding a mirror. My data portrait is my 'reflection'.

I added more shapes and played around with how my face orientation affects the portrait layout.

In this screenshot, I wanted the shapes to be aligned the way I had them orginally made in Illustrator, so I stayed upright and as still as possible.

I added a background image of a field. As this project is about data, I wanted to choose a place that represented me. I love being outside and I live in a small town surrounded by lots of green space and farmland. I felt like this was a perfect representation of that.

Exploring more with colour. The dark background helps the colour of the shapes stand out more.

I wanted to add more data points. I added the stars in the upper left corner. These represent all the countries I've travelled to.

I realized I forgot to add where I was born, and where I live. This is depicted by the two long yellow lines in the upper left corner.

I rearranged the order of the shapes. When I turn everything is oriented completely different and appears more symmetrical.

Playing with shape and layout. If I remove certain shapes, how does this change the overall look of the portrait?

I wanted to find commonalities between all the shapes and create categories. This portrait represents time and travel. I've included my age, countries I've travelled to, schedule, that I'm a morning person, and money.

These shapes are categorized to represent my life on any given day: the lines represent where I live, the yellow triangle = I’m an iPhone user, the black squiggle = prefer to use a pen for writing, the yellow semicircle = I’m a morning person, the grey squiggle = time, orange lines = what I’m most likely to do with money, the red triangle = I see the world as the glass half full.

I was curious to know what would happen if I duplicated my portrait. It looks a bit more chaotic but definitley more interesting. The symmetry between the shapes is more appealing as well.

I added another 'dataset'. The amount of hexagons equals the amount of people in my immediate family. I kept it red to stay within the colour scheme. I felt the portrait looked more cohesive this way.

These shapes have been categorized to represent my schedule and work life: my schedule, time I'm more likely to wake up, and I use my pen and iPhone at work.

I found that a lot of these shapes also represented time: what time I wake up at, money (time is money), my schedule, and my iPhone (I'm constantly checking the time on it, it's my alarm clock, it has my calendar on it).

These shapes have been categorized into travel: my age, countries I've travelled to, my outlook on life (glass half full), my iPhone for itinerary, tickets, and camera, and who I've travelled with (friends and famkly).

This is a portrait of 'me' at home (one of my favourite places to be). The background colour is one of my favourite colours. The shapes represent that I'm a morning person, I'm introverted, my pets (I used to have) who would be at home with me, and my location/where home currently is. This portrait was captured with my head in my hands representing a relaxed state

This portrait is of all the data organized by order of importance with family and friends at the top of the list.

I wanted to continue with the idea of capturing 'myself' in places that I love or have been to. I found a picture I took while I was in Hong Kong and applied my portrait to it showing that I was there similar to a selfie.

The last portrait are shapes that represent all the factors that would come into play if I wanted to a pet. My location, money, what pets I prefer, and my schedule.

Activity 2

An image of the journal I scanned in Scaniverse, downloaded as an OBJ and dragged into Meshmixer to repair it before takiing into Cinema 4D (C4D).

When I zoomed in the journal to work on it, it would slowly disappear. I had to troubleshoot this before I could work on it further.

I applied the polygon reduction generator to reduce the amount of polygons in the object. I made a copy of the object to compare how the object would look if I reduced the polygons to 75% and 50%. The journal on the right is 75%, the left is 50%. Seeing this comparison, I continued working on the 75% journal.

I wanted to apply a texture that was similar to the braided elastic over the journal. However, I couldn't find a texture that matched the real thing. I tried using knitted materials, however, when they still didn't produce the right effect, even after I edited them.

Patching up 'holes' in the object based on the tutorial. I used the 'Stitch and Sew' and 'Fill Pollygon' tools.

When I brought the object into C4D, it automatically removed the back of the journal. I had originally scanned it on a paper background. I thought it was interesting that C4D had automatically removed the paper and left the object 'hollow'.

Finished journal after baking. Thankfully C4D didn't remove any of the textures during the baking process.

Image of the scrunchie with the Polygon Reduction Generator applied.

I couldn't find any gaps in the object after putting it through Meshmixer so I went straight to baking it. Unfortunately, I had a lot of difficulty with this process and had to do lots of troubleshooting to figure out what the problem was. When it was baked, the scrunchie kept looking black and leathery. This is the result of an attempt where it didn't look like this. However, the colours are all jumbled and not applied properly.

When I had imported it into C4D, I didn't have to past it's corresponding JPEG to it because it came with it's own materials. Hwever, I ended up adding it anyway.

An image of the scrunchie after it was baked. Instead of it's velvet texture, it now looked leathry. I was happy the colours remained the same!

I wanted to render it to see if the leathry texture was accurate or not. Based on the render, it was definitely leather.

Because the scrunchie didn't have any gaps in the mesh, I wanted to import it into the 3D viewer.

Another view of the scrunchie.

This is how my scrunchie looked in the 3D viewer after multiple attempts at baking.

I tried scanning the scrunchie again at home by suspending the scrunchie. However, it kept turning during the scanning process. This was the final result. I spent a lot of time working on this object, and still wasn't able to find a solution. I decided to keep working on other objects.

Image of the scanned bag in Meshmixer. I was very impressed with how clear the textures looked.

When I imported the image into C4D, the materials came with it.

I then compared how each bag would look when the Polygon Reudction Generator was applied. From left to right, the bags are at 50%, 60%, and 75%. When rendered, they all looked the same.

When I baked the bag, the materials were removed and the bag looked black and leathery, similar to the scrunchie. I undid the baking effect, and applied the bag's JPEG to the object, even though the texture was already applied. I then baked it again and got this result.

I imported the proper bag files into the 3D viewer and, unfortunately, it resulted in this. I'm not sure why this keeps happening, even after all my troubleshooting. There doesn't seem to be a clear answer, but I did notice that this kept happening to all my objects with cloth materials.

I deceded to scan another object at home for practice, but also to work more with baking to try and understand it better. I chose this can because of the metal materials and colourful label. This is an image of the can in Meshmixer. It looks bumpy in some parts, like someone crushed it in their hand.

I then imported the object into C4D. All the materials were automatically uploaded with the object.

After baking the object, I brought it into the 3D viewer.

Another view of the can in the 3D viewer. Again, I'm not sure why some objects bake well and others don't. But I'm glad I was able to experiment with different materials and textures.

Reflexive Workshop 1 & 2 researching the article Know Thyself

is

This selfie created based on the article is made up of data points that represent different aspects of one of our group member's personality and represent self-awareness. For example, the blue represents preference for structure and organization. Yellow indicate passion for creativity and innovation. Red represents leadership. Green represents willingness to work with others.

This selfie is a collage of various faces indicating that self-awareness requires collaboration from others to gain a better understand of oneself.

The final selfie represents self-awareness as reflecting on someone's inner self - thoughts, motivations, and feelings. However, if we have an incorrect view of ourselves, then our introspection can cause more harm than good.

Project 3

Final Project 3 Design

3D Printed Selfie

For this project, I wanted to create a 3D printed selfie as a way of capturing time. I scanned myself using photogrammetry - my arms are outstretched, palms facing up displaying two objects, a journal and a bird. The journal was bought by my spouse, a current relationship, and I as a way of recording future events to remember them. The bird is from my spouse’s grandma who is now deceased. These objects are symbolic of relationships past, present, and future. These relationships have shaped and influenced me in ways seen and unseen. As this concept combines old and new, I wanted to embed this idea into my final design and decided to make it in the style of a Cameo Brooch - an object that is used in the present but calls back to an older time.

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