Sunday, September 15, 2013
MODEL: architectural model building vs 3D printing
Boing Boing: Dylan sez, "The hyper-designed world of architectural model building is facing a new threat - the advent of 3D printing. Dylan Reibling's new short film MODEL is a playful look at the battle for supremacy between man and machine. The film pits old school card stock against new wave plastic filament in a smart and charming portrait of an art form at a crossroads.
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11 comments:
This reminds me of the drafting debate; to hand draft or to computer draft? To be honest nothing looks as beautiful as a well done hand drafting, that could probably be said for hand modeling as well. I remember seeing Dick Block's drafting and renderings as well as 1/8th inch models he made and I was absolutely amazed by how elegant they looked. The art of doing things by hand is getting to be a lost one, but I believe they are more impressive than all others in say, a meeting. Especially when showing off designs to a director.
I really liked the video, I thought it was a very interesting perspective on technology and how it can improve different fields. I like how it portrayed the printer as something enhancing, speeding up, and making the process of model making easier. The color throughout the video really made the 3D printing appear to bring life to the dull world. Of course I see the value of having the ability and skill to make models by hand, but in a world that needs thing faster, neater, and more precise, 3D printers can accommodate the needs of the world.
This video brings up the debate issue of having computers and machines absorbing jobs normally executed by humans. In order for model builders to keep their jobs they will have to learn how to 3d draft. But as Simone said there is something to be said for the art of hand modeling and the intricacy required. So I suppose its a matter of detail or efficiency.
Simone brings up a great point. Its up to you to decide what to do and there is something to say about a hand-drafted or built model. We are in this business because it is art, and architecture is almost the same way. It really depends how you see your work. Some people say that architecture has strict rules, guidelines and forming nature. Although that might be true for the engineering of the building and layout, but there is still an element of creativity, free flowing nature, and in the end, art. There are many benefits to 3D prating such as the speed, enhancements, and ease, but there are some things you cant accomplish, such as individuality. It all depends what you want and what you need. For me, I feel that the old fashioned way is the best if you want to present something. We havent come far enough to make each 3D printed model unique.
Even though this is a rather cute video, it raises an interesting idea. With all of the technology and high tech tools out there, is there still any use for the old ways of doing things? I haven't had to build architectural models, but I do have experience with this in the context of drafting. People often argue whether hand drafting should still be taught given the remarkable capabilities of CAD. I personally believe that there is still a use for it, because even though CAD can produce the product faster and cleaner, the process suffers. Hand drafting makes you think differently which can help the design process. I would expect the same to be true in the context of models that the video discussed.
This video makes some interesting points about the evolution of art and technology. The architectural designs in the film are still the original idea's of the artist so they are still art, but the removal of the artist's hand from the process seems to make it less so. There is a beauty in making things by hand. The small origami man at his desk in the movie posses far more beauty than the same man 3D printed. I'm not saying we should not use 3D printing technology. It is fine for adapting and reinforcing basic structures in models, but it can't replace the art of the white card model or the art of it will be lost. Models are not simply a means for communication. It is communication through art, and that requires an artists hands.
This video is a beautiful example of how technology is beginning to replace old. We've seen this multiple times including once with CAD replacing hand drafting, even though this is really still debatable. However, I don't see there being any possibility of 3D printing to completely replacing model makers any time in the near future. Having used a 3D printer for models, I can personally vouch for how time consuming it truly is and how sometimes it's almost better just to make it by hand rather than waste both time and money on a 3D printout.
This video is proof that computers are slowly taking over every aspect of just about any job in any industry including entertainment. Like Hunter said it gives the impression that many human jobs could be lost too this technology. But on the flip side I think this may not be a bad thing. People who may have spent there time building models could potentially become skilled in other areas which labor falls short. I once worked with a professional designer who predicts that by 2050 there will be no such thing as a light board or a sound board, or Q-lab. He proposes there will be one master computer so intelligent it will remove the need for different boards. I'm not so sure how much I agree with him but I do find it interesting how this idea relates to the article. Overall very cool video, and I'm interested to see this technology continue to develop.
I feel like this video casts a debate between hand and technology where there really doesn’t need to be one. As technology continues to advance, and tasks are made easier, why should we make things harder for ourselves? Perhaps I am naive when I say this, but I look to models as functional rather than aesthetic. They accomplish the task of having the whole creative team on the same page, and similarly are used for proportions etc. As long as it accomplishes this task, there is no need for added elegance except to achieve vanity. Instead the production moves onto the next step of creating the actual set. So if available, why not use a 3-d printer to make things easier on yourself? That being said, there is still much to be said for modeling by hand. What happens if the 3-d printer were to break down, or what you are looking to accomplish falls outside its parameters. I relate it to the advent of the computer. Just because computers became available did not mean we stop teaching handwriting, even though both accomplish the same thing.
I personally think it is foolish to hold firmly to the old ways for no other reason than "that is how it has always been done." I believe that if technology can create a product that is as good as what a human can create, than we should let it and the human can spend time more efficiently bettering humanity, in whichever way their job entails.
Although it is sometimes very sad to see how old ways of doing things are eliminated because new technology keeps introduced, this video is very interesting to see convenience of using technology compared to stressful, intricate work of hand building. From the introduction of 3D printing, people in various fields like architecture, which require intricate details started to use 3D printing instead of hand making. Eventually, the 3D printing will take up people's work and hand making will be disappear in the near future. However, for a person like me who prefers working hand rather than working on computer, I wish the old ways should be kept at least to some extent because as a person works his/her project in hands, he or she can figure out something that he/she did not see in the past and develop further.
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