PotScript: a visual grammar for sculpting with functions
Name
3623263.3623357.pdf
Size
7.71 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e1e8b3cb19eb71e67ba7ad3a8102ddb1
Author(s)
McElroy, Leo
Huang, Lingdong
Date Issued
October 8, 2023
Publisher
ACM|Symposium on Computational Fabrication
Citation
McElroy, Leo and Huang, Lingdong. 2023. "PotScript: a visual grammar for sculpting with functions."
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We present a playful 3D modeling tool that integrates a visual grammar with shaping curves to model forms as parametric functions which can be created and manipulated by novice users. We created a web-based1, open-source2, end-to-end design environment for 3D printable forms which were fabricated on clay 3D printers. Users can manipulate forms by directly editing curves which drive transformations to the form’s profile as it grows in the z-direction. These transformations can be stacked and composed in a visual postfix language which allows for the creation of parametric designs driven by directly manipulable curves. We pilot tested our program with a small group of ceramicists, artists, and digital fabrication practitioners, which suggested applications in education and art making. PotScript demonstrates an approach to integrating direct manipulation into parametric design which allowed users to create complex forms in small sets of user actions. We aim to make modeling complex 3D forms as approachable as stacking a handful of blocks.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1145/3623263.3623357
