Digital Fabrications

3 units

This course will focus on fabrications both real and virtual. The ubiquity of computers in design, studio art, communications, construction, and fabrication demand that professionals become comfortable with their use. It is also important in a group of ever-specializing fields that one know how to translate between different software and output platforms. This comfort and the ability to translate between platforms allow contemporary artists and designers to fabricate with ever-increasing freedom and precision. This course will introduce students to 3D software with a focus on 2D, 3D, and physical output. Through a series of projects, students will learn to generate work directly from the computer and translate it into different types of output. Starting from first principles, this course will cover the basics from interface to output for each platform used. This course will also familiarize students with a range of CNC technology and other digital output for both small- and large-scale fabrication. The course will be broken into three projects. In the first project, students will focus on computer-generated geometry and control systems. In the second part, students will generate physical output and line drawings. The final project will focus on rendering, context, and cinematic effects. The software covered in this course includes, but is not limited to Rhinoceros 3D, Maya, Illustrator, Photoshop. Additionally, students will use the 3D printer, laser cutter, and/or other digital output tools.