The images below show my first drawing instrument and the processes involved in its fabrication. The drawings to be produced will translate the parallax effect, the displacement in the apparent position of an object, viewed along various lines of sight. This principle is most commonly seen in astronomy to determine the distance to the closer stars. 

Design Process

I began my design process through sketching and computer modelling. There were several iterations of each component of the model as certain tolerances had to be made to allow for the movements. Furthermore, as the model was largely digitally fabricated, using Rhino was a good way to design and prepare the CAD/ STL files for fabrication.

The track of the model has been designed to move along the x,y and z direction whilst the airbrush sprays paint at the objects in front of the picture plane. The objects are placed at varying distances from the airbrush. The closer objects will have a larger impact on the paint projection. 

Modelling Processes

3D Printing (Ultimaker 2)

I used the Ultimaker 3D printing machine. This technology allowed me to create physical models of components to be used in the drawing instrument. Unlike traditional manufacturing that uses subtraction techniques, the 3D printer uses additive manufacturing layer after layer using a plastic filament fed through a print head of various sizes. I was able to 3D print the components by modelling them in Rhino 3D and saving them as an STL (Stereo-lithography) file. Once the file was ready, it was imported into the 'Cura' software turning the design into a 'gcode' file ready to be printed.   

Laser Cutting

The laser cutter uses a laser to cut through thin pieces of material. The files for laser cutting had to be converted into illustrator format. Each line to be cut was made red and every etched line was made blue. The laser is moved across the bed using a similar mechanism to the 3D printer apart from not moving on the z axis. The laser cutter enclosure removes as much oxygen as possible from within whilst it is operating. It is a good idea to leave the material in the machine for 5 minutes after each cut to avoid inhaling any harmful fumes. 

The main body of the model, the base and the picture plane were laser cut from 2mm, 3mm and 6mm MDF.  

Final Output

The images below show the final output of the model, which was photographed in the studio using two spotlights.