PotScript: a visual grammar for sculpting with functions

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.