Final Reflection Post

FINAL REFLECTION POST

My project for this final was a Pokeball, from Pokemon. I chose this because it is easy, convenient, and efficient to build and use--and I also love Pokemon, so it representative of me. 

My drawings of the Pokeball. 

My .stl file of the Pokeball.

As I maintained in class, 3D printing is a great concept, and I love the idea. But, it is too expensive for even simple projects. For example, 3D printing this Pokeball without color and it being 6 MILLIMETERS cost around $5, but that is too small to even enjoy. However, when i increased the size to 6 inches, a much better size, the price skyrocketed to over $2000!!! I'm sorry, but there is no way on this planet can anyone justify paying that kind of price for such an object, especially when you could just pay for it online from a manufacturer, even the official one. Though I cannot figure out why such an object costs so much, I decided it would be much better to just build it in class, and I am very grateful for that opportunity. Thus, while 3D printing is a great option for some, for me it is not feasible. 

I understand how detailed drawings must be for computers to understand your object, as Austyn puts it, "Humans can infer, computers cannot."  I also understand the importance of a good CAD file. 

My constraints for this were the size of a tennis ball, as that is very convenient to build. My multiview sketches were basically all the same, as it is a sphere. 

Sukhjit went above and beyond and instead of making a regular Pokeball, he made a coveted Master Ball, a very rare and the best Pokeball ever. 

This is the mousepad I made for Sukhjit, and he told me (before the project) it is supposed to be purple. I added the "S" in the middle myself, as a kind of personal touch. I also made the back rough, so it won't slip if he uses it. 

As the above pictures show, I worked with Sukhjit Singh on this final, and he made me an excellent and professional Master Ball, way more than I ever expected, and it is very clear the amount of effort that went into making the ball itself. This makes me glad I chose not to waste money 3D printing this, as this was free and is better than any printed nonsense. 

If a machine builds something, or is the source, everything is exact, precise, and calculated. No excesses, no allocations, no preemptive moves, just what is given. While this is good in some situations that are somewhat static, precise parts help. However, say you need parts for a bridge. If you need a beam of x length, the computer will give that to you. However, a human being knows that bridges need to be kinda flrexible to deal with heat, expansion, and stress. So, if a human makes it, it will account for real life better. In addition, human beings tend to give things their own personal touch, which contribute to humanity's collective creativity and non-conformity as a whole. 

Drawings are necessary because you do not want to screw up a consumer product or the communication thereof as it will cause big problems. If i order a thin-and-light laptop, I neither expect nor WANT a 6 pound leviathan that is not portable at all. In addition, these mistakes reduce efficiency, and so bring costs up, and that eventually falls on the consumer. Then, less people buy the products, and so costs increase even higher, less jobs are able to stay, workers suffer, and so the entire system collapses. In short--JUST DO THE DRAWING!!!

3D animation assemblies would be useful for products with moving parts, much like a Pokeball. Whilst mine doesn't have a hinge, normal ones do, and so a moving assembly would better showcase the action than a static drawing. Another product, like a Jack-in-the-Box would be better explained through 3d animation. It would also help consumers understand the product better and help them appreciate the complexity of the design the company has done. 

Apple is a huge example, as they always explain their new technology on their website so it is as clear as possible. This shows not only a willingness to get new customers, but also pride in their work, as Apple, as CollegeHumor puts it, are "design geniuses." Apple has always been about design, about function follows form. This is evident in their new Macbook. They talk in detail about the new keyboard mechanism they've invented--the "butterfly"--and how it saves space over the traditional scissor one. They also talked about their terraced batteries which give an impressive 9 hours of battery. Moreover, their website also gives moving assemblies about their products, like the keyboard and battery. There are also working drawings everywhere as well. So while Apple is not the best bang for buck company, they are certainly the forerunners of 21st-century design.

As a wrap-up, I'd like to talk about how I enjoyed this class.