NOVEDGE blog

At the 2013 Bay Area Maker Faire

This year, I attended the annual Bay Area Maker Faire, one of the largest and most extravagant festivals where, "invention, creativity and resourcefulness" can be found in one place. To see all my pictures, check out Novedge on Facebook.

On assignment, I met and rode on my bike with a small group of dedicated enthusiasts at Dolores Park.

Upon my arrival, I couldn't help but notice a fellow cyclist's awesome ride. It turns out the very frame of his MTB bike was crafted out of solid mahogany with absolutely no CNC/CAM! Bay Area native and proprietor of Masterworks Wood and Design, William Holloway has been crafting these human powered locomotives for a number of years now. And if it is any testament to his skills as a craftsman, he reached the Maker Faire before yours truly!



My ride locked and secured, Kinetic Steam Works' printing press beckoned me with its distinct whistle. Compliments to KSW for reminding us that human ingenuity has been ours from the very start and for the freshly printed Maker Faire coasters!

Close by, Fun Bike Unicorn Club (FBUC) had multiple things going on. People could climb into the Whiskeydrome and see if they could ride the wall, or visit their massive tent to check out their showcase of wheeled contraptions. No one bike was the same. The only consistent theme? Pedals, chain and wheels.

The brave and curious, or those wanting to evaluate the sturdiness of their builds, were more than welcome to pedal to the metal with FBUC's Death Defying Figure 8 Pedal Car Race and Power Racing Series. Power Wheels on steroids anyone? 

In addition to the various Thunderdome inspired projects and workshops put on by non profit DIY spaces, Nimby and The Crucible, before CAD and 3D Printing, creativity is still a hands-on endeavor.

Having had my fill outside, what was THE hot topic at this year's Maker Faire? - 3D Printing. In fact, if the pictures are any proof of how crowded the place was, I had to wait in line just to say Hi to our friend and VP of Marketing, Afinia's own Aaron Pratt. The Afinia team worked overtime to answer any and all questions, as were representatives from Shapeways and i.materialise. With a host of printed samples for festival attendees to grab, what would happen to the waste generated? Interestingly enough, the OmNom Project aims to make filament replacement as easy as feeding a monster. OmNom might indeed be necessary, as the 3DMonstr team looks to create an industrial grade printer worthy of Tim The Tool Man's praise. Both OmNom Project and 3DMonstr will have Kickstarter campaigns up soon, follow us on Twitter for updates.

In an exploration of architecture's potential future with 3D printing, The California College of the Arts along with UC Berkeley's Department of Architecture demonstrated new methods and forms for 3D printed architecture on a massive scale. With so much buzz, I had to pinch my shoulder as there was still plenty to see. Moving on!

Amongst other projects showcased, Maker Faire had on display a number of kinetic art pieces and participants were encouraged to interact with them. Benjamin Cowden's creation Eating my Cake and Having it Too (2007) gently rotates its handle to lick a lollipop with a prosthetic tongue.

 

Gather around to reanimate a floating creature with Oakland based artist Anja Ulfeldt's Undercurrent. With the exception of some of the more fragile pieces, most of everything I saw was hands on. A number of masks from pop culture icons were on display as well. For a fanboy like myself, no way would I miss out on the chance to dress up!

 

Do you want to see all my photos? Check them out on Facebook!

And don't forget to follow Novedge on Twitter for our latest updates.

The Edge: Ilan Gabai's Epic Animation

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.

Ilan Gabai: Hello! My name is Ilan Gabai, and I am an effects animator (technical director) located in NYC. I earned my BFA in digital arts in 2007, and have since worked in the entertainment industry. I began my career working on TV shows and live action film, but over time shifted towards feature animation. Today I work as a full time effects artist at Blue Sky Studios/20th Century Fox. I have previously worked on projects such as Ice Age 4, Rio, Fast & Furious, Lost, Fringe, Rescue Me and more. I like to teach in my spare time, I have lectured and taught courses at Gnomon, SVA & Pratt. I gave my first SIGGRAPH presentation last year in L.A.

As an effects artist I am responsible for developing techniques and creating appealing visuals to support the story. My favorite part of the job is that I am involved with both development and animation of my effects work. Some examples of effects work include Oceans, water splashes, smoke, fire, dust, magic, explosions, destruction, etc.

Ilan Gabai - 2012 FX Reel from Ilan Gabai on Vimeo.

Novedge: You have worked on TV projects, films and animated features. How similar and how different is to work in these different fields?

Ilan Gabai: Short answer: The amount of time you have to deliver your work.

More elaborate answer: While the goals and type of work may be similar, there are quite a number of differences between the project types. They are all pretty demanding in their own unique way. Working in episodic television can definitely take a few years off of your life span. Other than pilot shows and season premieres, you have on average 2 weeks to complete all of the visual effects for an episode. Your studio is generally hired as a visual effects vendor for a larger production company. There really is no room for screwing up. So you look for the least time consuming, most aesthetically pleasing solution. Because you have very little (if any) time to develop ideas, it is best that you rely on prior experiences that have proven results. In episodic television, your development time is during the pilots and premiers which generally have longer deadlines.

I find live action films to be closer in nature to episodic television pilots, with higher aesthetic demands. So you generally have more time to work on a shot, but you are expected to create a visual effect at the highest level of realism. You are still hired as a vendor to work on a larger production. Visual effects for films usually get distributed over a number of studios simultaneously. So there are a number of vfx vendors completing work on different sequences for a larger production studio. Also, as many of the readers are probably familiar with this, the vfx industry is going through a serious struggle right now. The flat rate bids definitely add pressure to the work environment when your employer is trying to stay within budget. Artists are frequently forced to relocate in order to stay employed. These pressures create a more challenging work environment, which made my decision to shift towards feature animation an easier one.

Working at Blue Sky Studios has been a great experience for me. It has been a breath of fresh air. The studio is family oriented, and a pretty fun place to work. Like all work places, we have deadlines and crunch times; but somehow they feel much easier to meet here. Most likely because we have a good recipe for making film production work. Unlike in live action, here at Blue Sky we make our own films. Everybody gets credited for their work here, including babies that were born to artists during production. I think that the fact that our movies are made in house also makes us feel more attached to them. We take the success or failure (but mostly success) of our work very personally. Another big difference between working in feature animation vs live action is our ability to create more stylized visuals. While we do have art direction, artists are given plenty of opportunities to share their ideas and creativity. We usually have time dedicated to developing new ideas and techniques between films or at the beginning of a new production.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on? 

Ilan Gabai: I just completed my work for the upcoming film Epic, and am currently working on Rio 2.

I can only share what has already been publicly announced about Epic. The film is based off the children's book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs by William Joyce. and is directed by Chris Wedge (Ice Age, Robots). The story is described on Wikipedia as a "battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and evil, and tells a story of a teenage girl who finds herself in a secret world, where she must help a team of fun and whimsical characters to save their world, which also saves the real world."

Back to my opinion: visually, the movie is amazing! Everyone here at the studio really pushed themselves artistically and technically to the next level. You can get a bit of a taste of that by viewing our trailer, but most of the exciting work won't be seen until the film is released. And we are all very excited to share this with the the world this coming May.

 

Novedge: What software do you use? 

Ilan Gabai: I work with a variety of software packages. My main software for effects work is Houdini. I use Houdini for its procedural and non-destructive workflow. While other software packages are slowly catching up, Houdini has been the first to go fully procedural, and is designed from the ground up to work in that way. We maintain a close relationship with the developers at Side Effects Software, and work closely with them to figure out ways to tackle new challenges. The level of support that sidefx has shown us during our productions has been second to none in my experience.

For liquid simulations I sometimes use RealFlow. RealFlow is a great stand alone liquid simulation package. It does actually offer more than just that, but liquids are what they have become known for. After creating your simulation in RealFlow, you can easily export your results to any major 3D package. The company that created RealFlow, Next Limit, is a small and friendly company located in Spain. They are very personable, and work closely with their clientele. For me it is always a huge plus to see that a company goes out of its way to make user experience a high priority.

For general 3D usage, I work with Maya. Maya is the 3D package that I was taught to use in college. It also seemed to be the most wide spread package of choice amongst the US based studios that I have worked for in the past. So until I arrived at Blue Sky, Maya was the main software package at the studios I worked for. It is a strong general package for all contexts of the 3D pipeline such as modeling, texturing, animation, effects and lighting ( with the help of external plugins).

Novedge: What would you say to young people who want to work in the visual effects field? What skills, both technical and personal, are in demand in the industry?

Ilan Gabai: This is a very competitive field of work, which requires an artistic eye and a certain degree of technical know how (it varies depending on the area of specialty).

With technology rapidly improving, it is important that you stay on top of things. I personally read, and practice a lot in my spare time. The industry is filled with extremely passionate people, so it is hard to compete against them if you are less dedicated than they are. For those of you currently earning a degree in the field, just holding a degree isn't enough. You really need to go the extra mile on your own and gain a professional level of knowledge these days. For effects work specifically, it's important to have an eye for detail, a creative thought process and a technical mind set. Finding an artist that excels in all of those areas is sometimes a challenging task.

With all that aside, it really is a rewarding field of work. It doesn't feel like a job when you enjoy what you are doing. I still get excited every time I start a new film, or even a sequence of a film. Also, for me, my work environment is a big plus. We enjoy lots of little perks, game room, film screenings, guest speakers, studio parties, etc. It definitely beats a 9-5 office job!

 

Would you like to see more of Ilan's work? Check out his Vimeo channel.

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And don't forget that Epic opens in US theaters on May 24th!

The Edge: Bill Eubanks's Urban Edge

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and your role at urban edge studio

Bill Eubanks: I am a landscape architect with a little over 30 years of experience, which is really hard to believe because I feel like I am still learning. I am the Creative Director at urban edge studio. This is supposed to free me up to mostly design and not manage projects. It works better on some days more than others. I love public meetings, public workshops and the energy of a design charrette. It was a super cool day for me when I became a Fellow of ASLA.

 

Novedge: What drew you to work with the public rather the private space as an landscape architect?

Bill Eubanks: Actually, we do a lot of both. I prefer public work, though, because it benefits and affects so many people. I also love the public process. But some private work can be really rewarding and oftentimes the private sector has a huge impact on the public realm.

Novedge: There are four fun videos on Vimeo around the issues of walkability, community, frontage, land use and traffic. Can you explain your studio's approach to them?

Bill Eubanks: I think we place a lot of emphasis on the public realm -- especially streets. This includes how architecture addresses the street and helps form the public realm. It includes how a pedestrian feels on that street. However, we do very little traditional streetscape kind of work. We prefer to get them right the first time. While we avoid "isms" for the most part  most of our work boils down to what I would consider form based not because it's a trend but because it works and makes sense.

 

Novedge: What software do you use?

Bill Eubanks: Our favorite software is our brain. We try to use that the most. Daily if we can. We use lots of trash and sharpies. Markers are still part of our world. When we do go digital, we use Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, SketchUp, and AutoCAD. We also abuse things like Excel to do things that are very graphic - not just spreadsheets.

Novedge: What is it like to work at urban edge studio? What do you look for in an intern and/or an employee?

Bill Eubanks: We work hard but we try to keep balance in our lives. We have fun. We joke around a lot. We also collaborate constantly. It's like breathing for us. Our studio is open, literally and figuratively. We are highly creative and that sneaks out in all kinds of ways. Right now we are listening to the new Sunvolt album, Honky Tonk. We listen to a lot of music. We don't really like cheap beer. Ever. Pretty much, if an intern can hang in that kind of environment and has the ability to make us laugh and to make us think, they will fit in just fine.

 
Novedge: As a small studio, what has been most important in developing and growing a successful practice?

Bill Eubanks: I think consistency in who we are and what we do is so important. We have a reputation to maintain, whether we like it or not. And we live and die by that reputation. So, integrity, ethics, creativity, and professionalism are key to our existence, every day.

Novedge: What innovations do you find most exciting in your field?

Bill Eubanks: Urban agriculture, eliminating food deserts, introducing green infrastructure, embracing urbanity, density, walkability, complete streets, repairing sprawl. These are some of the things we talk about and try to embrace in our practice.

 

Check out more of Bill's work at urban edge studio and connect with him on Twitter.

Would you like to be interviewed for our blog? Do you know a passionate artist or innovator that would be a good fit for The Edge? Tell us on Twitter at @Novedge!

The Edge: Ryan Swanson and The Urban Conga

Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

Ryan Swanson: My life began in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I went to high school for architecture. I then moved to Tampa about 7 years ago to attend The University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design where I will soon receive my Masters in Architecture.  I'm an aspiring architect, designer and creator. I like to make things and make things for a reason.  I hate making something that has no back story or reasoning for its existence. I try to live by this quote from Jim Henson - "When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there.” It's kind of cliché but I believe if I'm alive I might as well make it worth it.

What do I do... Well I try to dip my hand in just about anything I find interesting. I coach and play volleyball, dj on my spare time, and pretty much just try to live life as much as possible.  Which is a hard task to do while in Architecture School. I recently have really gotten into emergent technologies and how they can be used in a large scale realm to push urban activation. So I spend a lot of time learning and designing. I never want to stop learning.

Novedge: How did you become interested in architecture and the public space?

Ryan Swanson: I think my interest in architecture kind of came about when I was young and asked my mom what I could do that involved math and art and she was like "architecture." That started me down this crazy wild path to where I am today. I didn't really get into public spaces until I went to Europe about two years ago. Me and some friends backpacked around for 5 weeks going to about 7 different countries. I began to see what a real public space was and actually be a part of their activeness. It's one thing to read about how a space is in a book than to actually experience it. I saw how people began to come together and interact with one another through the space. It was something that I never really saw in Fort Lauderdale or Tampa in the urban environment.

When I came back to the States I had just actually moved close to downtown Tampa and began to ride my bike there quite often into downtown. Before I never had a reason to drive the 20 min to downtown because there was never anything going on.  I began to ask myself why Tampa was unsuccessful when it came to public spaces.  It had some of the same parks, spaces, and open areas that I experienced in Europe. I began to realize people just either didn't know that the spaces existed or that it was ok to hangout in an empty grass lot. Or, it was just that there was nothing going on for them to want to hang out there. If you look at any big city you can walk down a street and feel like you are alive. Something is always happening or about to happen. I wanted to make this happen in downtown Tampa. I felt it had the potential and wanted to begin to create a change in the social interaction downtown.  Public spaces are a way for people to escape and with the way our world is looking these days people need any way they can get to escape the harsh realities of life and come together.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

Ryan Swanson: I'm actually working on a couple of different projects right now. One is this interactive projection installation I call Projecting Fun. The idea for the projection installation is that it is something that can be easy to transport and it can be as big as you want it. The installation is done using the xbox kinect and processing, an open source code driven software.  Right now I have a simple script that reads movements of the body and allows one to dance and play and see themselves projected at a large scale doing it. The idea of this installation is to promote interactive activity in inactive spaces. It draws people in but also makes people begin to appreciate and notice the space they are occupying. My goal is to give people a good time and break up their typical route, but also make them appreciate the space they are in. I have done this installation in two locations, one on the side of an old facade and the other under an overpass. So this is something I have done but I am still working on making it different and more playful.  

The next thing is a prototype for this thing I call the Space Manipulator. The idea is that it's this cube that is placed within an inactive space and it can be broken down to a multitude of spatial arrangements for people to interact with. The idea is to get people to begin to play and work together on something and to create this idea of public interaction. The whole concept is to get people to come together in a space that isn't regularly used but is an interesting public space that should be activated. So when bringing this installation in I hope to not only give people something they can hang out on and move, but something they can begin to discuss and figure out. Public spaces are about bringing people together and creating a place for people to be interactive and become a part of the space. It's about creating a conversation between the human body and the space around them.
The Urban Conga is working on a bunch of different projects right now and they can be seen on our website. But something that has recently fell into our arms is helping design, create, and run a Fab Lab in South Tampa. Essentially we are working to create a place for learning and collaboration. The idea is that the house is always developing projects done by people coming to the Lab to learn and create. We hope to set up a studio in the Lab and begin to collaborate on a lot more public installations with creators from the Tampa area.  

Novedge: What software do you use?

Ryan Swanson: Software is something I told myself I want to have a vast knowledge in. It's like being a painter; you don't want to paint with just one color. Through architecture school and 3d modeling I have become really familiar with 3ds Max, SketchUp, V-Ray, AutoCAD, and Photoshop. I use these programs for prototyping ideas and mostly for rendering and setting up files to be laser cut or CNC routed. 3ds Max is also good for animations for showing how interactive installations work or for getting accurate prototypes to pitch ideas.  When showing people what you plan to do it's all about making it as pretty as possible and 3ds Max can do that for you. Rhino, with the Grasshopper plug-in, is probably the program I use the most for modeling and designing ideas.  Rhino is great for parametric modeling and also it has an endless supply of plug-ins and can do a multitude of functions. Grasshopper is a generative modeling tool for Rhino that uses algorithms to create form. It also can be interconnected to Arduino which is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. The two can be used together to create real world interactions and create a digital model from that interaction.  Another program I use for interactive projection installations is Processing. It is another interactive open-source software that runs off of Java. The great thing about Arduino and Processing is that everything is open source, so everyone is willing to share ideas, code, and help. The idea is to keep pushing the limits and for an idea to keep growing. So if you make something maybe someone else can make something cooler with the thing you created and then so on. I believe technology is important to keep up with the ever growing society we are in. So I keep trying to find new software that I can learn to make things better and bigger with.

 

Novedge: What is the Urban Conga?

Ryan Swanson: The Urban Conga is a collective group of creators activating urban spaces through interactive installations.  We stimulate urban spaces through exploration, activation, and above all interaction. The objective is to spark a conversation between the public realm and the human body through interactive installations. Our mission is to start The Conga Line!  We want to collaborate with other creators and begin to start a movement in inactive areas.

 

We are not a group of artists that create static public art to make a dollar. Our philosophy is to inject care into local communities by accentuating and enhancing the beauty of the current urban conditions! With like-minded passions to better communities, we are turning unused and overlooked urban spaces into interactive places to live, learn, and love your city. The Conga started in September 2012 when I and a couple of other students at the University of South Florida School of Architecture realized we were interested in solving the problem that our downtown is having with activation. So in doing my thesis I tried to incorporate my research into The Urban Conga in how to interact with people and what they best respond to in order to begin to activate these unused spaces. Our goal is to start a movement! We hope there will begin to be an Urban Conga group everywhere just giving people something to do and interact with and have fun. Our whole motto is "Come out and play!"

Novedge: What are the rewards and challenges of being part of a collective, such as the Urban Conga?

Ryan Swanson: Everyone works in groups in school and hate it. I feel this gives a false reputation on collaborations or working in a collective effort.  In the working world this is something a majority of people have to learn to accept and deal with. I think working with other people is how to make something better. If you lock yourself in a room you are only getting one perspective on the thing you are doing and that is your own. When you put together a bunch of people that have different skill sets something amazing happens. IDEO is a design consulting firm that solely believes on creations through a collaborative effort. They are one of the top design consulting firms in the nation due to this mind set.  If you look at any online open sourced software, people collaborate everywhere. Someone puts up some code that does a basic function and someone else takes that basic function and makes it fly a rocket ship.  Maybe that's a bit extreme but my point is that things grow from a collective effort, every time being pushed to be better and different. At the same time you do run into problems with communication and people not being on the same page,  but I feel in the end the rewards out way the some time bickering and arguments over how things should happen.  The way the Urban Conga is set up is anyone can come to us with an idea and the motivation to make the idea happen.  What we want to do is make that idea for an interactive installation happen. Either through helping that person with funding or just helping them build and design it. Ever since we started this collaborative group so many artists, performers and creators have reached out to us to make stuff happen. People need something that is actually out, doing stuff that they can sort of latch onto. Collaborating with these people just helps me learn more of their specific skill set.

 

Novedge: What advice would you give to people looking into going to college to study architecture?

Ryan Swanson: If you want to study architecture in college make sure it is something you are truly passionate about because it takes over your life!!! Keep your mindset open when it comes to what design and architecture are when starting. You will realize that the knowledge you learn in architecture school can be used in so many different ways of design not just in building buildings.  Also architecture school is all about teaching the art side of things and not the real side of architecture so make sure you study how things functionally work and about coding and all that jazz as well as the fun stuff. Architecture school becomes a part of your life you kind of begin to realize no one outside of architecture school really understands what you are going through. It makes you feel sort of like an elitist in the college world but also excluded. Learn to love the studio and make it your home. Working in the studio is the most important part of architecture school. It goes back to the whole idea of putting different skill sets into one room and learning from one another. The main thing is just to hold on for the wild ride architecture school will bring you!

Want to see more of Ryan's work? Check out his website and Vimeo channel.

And here's a link to The Urban Conga's website.

The Edge: Chris Waner's Principle Creative

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.
Chris Waner: First, I wanted to say thank you for putting the time and energy into creating a forum for showcasing and inspiring students and professionals. I know how much work goes into that.

It wasn't so long ago that I would have said that I was a 3D visual effects artist. But over the last couple of years I've been forced to abandon that description because if I honestly assess what I do, I have to admit that the term 3D visual effects is too narrow. Nowadays I find that I'm called upon to design--design for anything and everything; design for print, web, interactive, packaging, do style frames for commercials, write copy, even compose music or do a costume design. Of course I still do visual effects; I still love visual effects, but quite honestly it has simply become another tool for enhancing a broader creative endeavor. Because I work for agencies, studios, and direct-to-client, I'm forced to view what I'm creating in light of the client's larger and more generalized brand trajectory. I call this kind of work principle creative, and quite honestly it took me a while to figure out that this is the kind of work I wanted.

Ballerina - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Grand Opening from claudia chagüi on Vimeo.

I've always been in the arts in some way, but somewhere along the road I decided to follow after other goals; I received a degree in English Literature and Secondary Education, taught for a while, and left because the politics of education were more than I wanted to deal with. And after a five year hiatus I came back to design. I started doing personal projects to get a small portfolio together, did some free work for people I knew, and used that work to become a junior graphic designer at a print house in Tulsa, OK. I then leveraged that work into a freelance children's book illustration job. Then took that portfolio to NYC, received my MFA in digital media, and became a visual effects artist.

Now I help people move their businesses forward in beautiful ways, and I love it.

Demo Reel - 2013 from Chris Waner on Vimeo.

Novedge: How do you find inspiration to stay ahead of the curve?
Chris Waner: As cliche' as it might sound, inspiration is everywhere. I was inspired by a kiwi fruit at lunch today; I had some fun looking at a shadow on the wall that resembled Kermit the Frog. On a more pragmatic level I've always considered staying up-to-date in design, color, technology, and cultural trends a part of my job. I unapologetically spend at least an hour a day looking at others' work, new technology, industry news, design blogs, etc. Ultimately, I'd have to say that what inspires me to stay ahead of the curve is the desire to create great work more efficiently. From a technological point of view, I want tools that are fast, efficient, and flexible; from the art/design side I see the work of others as iron sharpening iron, taking unrefined edges off my own sensibility. There's an efficiency that comes with refinement.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on? Feel free to talk about more than one project!
Chris Waner: Certainly one of the most interesting and unusual projects that I've done was for Stark Collective, a start-up agency in Kansas City. On the surface the project was pretty straightforward, a launch video that spoke to the agency's intellectual ideals. However, the project was novel for a couple of reasons. In the first place the typical internal brand identity for agencies is white, graphic, and minimal. Stark, whom I would find as time went on to be breakthrough in a number of areas, had chosen a look that was black, raster, and active. In the second place, and perhaps even more astonishing, Stark did not want anything even remotely didactic but, rather, something abstract, even esoteric.

Stark Collective - Launch Video (Director's Cut) from Chris Waner on Vimeo.

Unlike many launch videos where the plain communication of core values is sufficient, Stark wanted a visual piece that spoke symbolically and even emotionally to those values; and especially visually they wanted to avoid a concrete or literal exposition. This, I think, is a powerful way to work, a resonant method of communicating ideas, and a very modern, forward-thinking approach to design. As it would happen one of the reasons I was asked to work on the Stark launch video was because of a piece that I co-directed and executed with Claudia Chagui, a brilliant creative located in Chicago. The piece was for a Kansas City organization called CinemaKC, who is dedicated to providing a forum for local film makers. In that piece we told the story of an idea that grows, blooms, takes flight, and finally finds an audience in the land of CinemaKC.

CinemaKC Show Open from claudia chagüi on Vimeo.

This symbolic storytelling caught Stark's attention, and I was brought on to design and execute a piece that encapsulated their creative philosophy. I did a few style frames, and to my amazement they just said, "Okay, go crazy."






That level of trust is utterly uncharacteristic of, well, really any client I've ever had, and that this client was an agency really kind of blew my mind. The one challenge thrown into the mix was that the piece needed to be a minute and a half long, and after the boards were complete I only had a little over four weeks to create it. Thanks to Bazillion Pictures in Kansas City who provide some much needed support in production, manpower, and infrastructure, we completed on time and on budget. The response to the launch video has been great, and Stark, mostly due to its own talent and perspective, is thriving with a host of new clients, in spite of the fact that as of the writing of this, they are only a little over a month old.

CinemaKC Show Package from claudia chagüi on Vimeo.

Novedge: What software do you use? Why?
Chris Waner: I've found that different software applications approach the same problem from different points of view. I recommend downloading free trials of everything, and see what feels right. Adobe has really cornered the market for suite based workflow and is an industry standard. For me the folks at Alias|Wavefront just spoke my language back in 2002-2003 when I started on Maya 4.5. Maya is still my app of choice because it strikes a nice balance between a procedural and artist-driven workflow (yes, artists drive procedural processes too). In the near future I see Houdini making a real in-road in the middle range commercial market; it's procedural tools are second to none, and I can see real possibilities because it has all the pieces in place to solve one of the major hurdles in commercial work, rapid iterations--turning versions on a theme around quickly for approval. I'm hoping to dive into Houdini in the near future. Finally, I can't leave out RealFlow. Although very few of my projects start out needing fluids, I find that I often end up there; I'll be in Maya thinking, "Hmm...how should I make this effect," and I'll realize that RealFlow has a tool to get me there.

Novedge: What are the rewards and challenges of working freelance?
Chris Waner: I think anyone considering going down the freelance road should remember that freelancing is not one job but ten. As a freelancer it is challenging enough just completing projects, keeping track of hours, billing, keeping and organizing receipts, dealing with clients, etc., but people who are successful at it must also keep pounding the pavement, so to speak, looking for new work, meeting new people, making new connections, keeping up with existing clients, promoting recently released work, and many other things. I think in many ways freelancing is much more similar to running a small business than being a visual effects artist, illustrator, designer, or whatever; you are CEO, CFO, CMO, and the grunt labor in many cases.

Apple Tree - McDonalds from Kompost on Vimeo.

The market makes a big difference too. The market in NY or LA is very different than it is in KC, for example. One market might let you specialize where another market might demand that you generalize. In my market in Kansas City, I will go from being an Art Director or a Creative Director, to a motion graphics artist or visual effects TD, to an interface designer or print designer within a month or two. Freelancers need to know their market in order maximize their offerings.

That might seem like a whole lot of trouble, but freelancing has it's perks too. Quite often it carries with it a lot of creative freedom. If you work from home, your commute is shorter. Many costs are reduced like transportation, food, and there are many tax benefits if you are organized and researched on how to take advantage of that. Quite often freelancing carries with it a higher money-to-time-spent-ratio than a traditional staff position. You rarely have to deal with the same difficult personalities for very long; often I can work when I want to in the day, I sometimes get to work when I want to in the week (i.e. a day off now and again), and on rare occasions I can just turn down a job that seems, well, torturous. You can't tell your boss at work that you're not going to do that job because it looks boring...unless you're wanting to become a freelancer really soon.

MLB 2012 All-Star Game Graphics from Chris Waner on Vimeo.

Novedge: What would you say to young people who want to work in the visual effects field?
Chris Waner: After graduating with an MFA from Pratt in NYC, I went on to teach courses in visual effects to undergraduate and graduate students. I have a real heart for those who are learning and a desire to help them make the jump from academia to the workforce. I say that because it's true and because I'm about to dodge this question. This industry is changing so much and so fast that it is almost impossible to answer this question without feeling that I might have led someone astray. The only comments I can really give young people starting out in this industry is to first, be self-reflective about what you want and why you want it. The design/visual effects industry needs people who are serious about their art and/or science, are willing to work hard, and are also level-headed enough to know when they are being abused. And second, I might get some emails about this one, don't feel like you have to do the NY or LA thing to have a happy and rewarding career. I started in NY, worked on some big jobs with big clients and agencies on their terms, but I left after six years because there's more to life than that. Now three years later I'm starting to work with bigger clients and agencies from NY and LA again, but this time I work my own way. Some of my favorite projects, and the best projects, were for clients that most people would call "small." There are some local business people out there with great vision and also some brave people who will follow you in your great vision for them. The world is a big place, don't settle for a small box.

 

See more of Cris Waner's work on his website and Vimeo channel.

Interested in Maya and RealFlow? Check them out on our website. And don't forget to connect on Twitter and Facebook.

Novedge Webinar #67: Q&A with Brian Benton

Brian Benton delivered a great webinar on AutoCAD Sheets for Project Management and many of you had questions for him. Here are his answers to those questions that couldn't be answered during the live Q&A session.

Q: How do you add a sheet to the Sheet Set?
A: With the Sheet Set open, click, hold, and drag a Paper Space Tab for the file you want to add and drop it into the Sheet Set you want to add it to.  You have to have the file opened and it must be current.  The Sheet Set you want it in must be opened and current.  A second method is right-click on the current sheet set and click on the Insert Sheet option.  Browse to the file and select the paper space tab you want to insert.

Q: What is the difference between the sheet view tab and model view tab?
A: Both tabs reference saved named views in files.  You can save a named view in a file and list it here.  Clicking on the saved view in the Sheet Set Manager will open that file and zoom to that view.  Model Views are for views in model space.  Sheet Views are for views in Paper Space.

Q: Can you import excel data into sheet set?
A: No. You have to enter Sheet Set data manually.

Q: Do sheet sets work with AutoCAD WS, ADT, and MEP?
A:  They work the same way in all AutoCAD Verticals.  AutoCAD WS cannot handle Sheet Sets, but if you upload your file (that was using Sheet Sets) to AutoCAD WS it will bring the current Sheet Set data with it in the mobile platform.

Q: Is there a way to automate the updating of the Sheet Index after it's generated and new sheets are added, or they are rearranged, renumbered, etc.? Currently, the only way I know is to select the Index, rt-click and select to update the data links.
A: Yes. The command is "datalinkupdate".  Add it to your acad.lsp or acaddoc.lsp file like this:

(COMMAND "datalinkupdate" "u" "k")  

When AutoCAD opens a file it will run this script and will automatically update the data links.

Q: Does Sheet Set only work for Paperspace? Will it also work for model space?
A: It only works for Paper Space and you can only assign a tab to one Sheet Set file at a time.  A Tab can not belong to more than one Sheet Set.  If you have a model space file that you want to add to your Sheet Set (I do this with area base files) create a paper space tab for it anyway and add that tab to the sheet set.

Q: Can we use SSM with a file document manager where we check drawings in and out? When
checking in files they are removed from our local drives.
A:  I do not know about third party Document Managers, but it will work with Autodesk Vault.

Q: Will renaming the Path to the drawings mean destroying the link in Sheet Set?
A:  Yes.  Sheet Sets are path dependent.  If the path or file name changes you can repath the drawing by right-clicking it in the SSM and changing the path that is saved in the properties option.

Q: Can I export Data-information from Sheet Set to an Excel document ?
A:  No.  If you have created a Sheet List Table it can be extracted to a spread sheet.

Q: What about a link between Data-information of Sheet Set and BIM database?
A:  No.  Sheet Sets can’t link to other data bases.

Q: Looks like Sheet Set acts similarly to Autodesk Inventor project files or are they different? How?
A:  They are similar but are limited to simple data and file references.

Q: re: SheetSetPlaceholder and ViewportScale placeholder type -- I can automatically display the
viewport scale within a View Label block, but cannot control the format. AutoCAD has 7 built in
formats for viewportScale, but none are the one I need. I also tried copy/pasting the field expression into the "formula" field, but the block then returns "####". Is there any way to customize the viewport Scale format? Is there a "trick" to getting the formula field to work? Thanks.
A: I have also struggled to get the formula field to work in a block.  I have also had little luck with place holders.  I have set up my template file (.DWT) and the Sheet Set file I use as a template Sheet Set file to work.  My DWT file looks at my default DST file.  I don’t use placeholders.  This tends to work more often than not for me.

Q: Please note that dragging a layout tab into the SSM does not work if the SSM is docked.
A:  I learned something from this.  I did not know that but I tested it and you are correct.  It will not drag and drop the drawing unless the SSM is undocked. I typically don’t dock my SSM so I have never run into this issue.  Autodesk, please fix this.

Q: I recommend SSM Properties Editor by JTB World for extra SSM editing power.
A:  JTB World produces quality products and is one of my favorite CAD based websites.  I have not tried this product myself but it has been recommended to me several times.

Q: What is the limit of sheets you can have in a sheet?
A:  I do not know if there is a limit.  I have not reached it yet.  Right now I have a Sheet Set open that has about 50 drawings and 7 subsets.  So it will handle at least 50.  I apologize for not having a more definite answer.

Q: When two people are using two different sheets in the same sheet set and one is xref'd into the other, how do they affect each other?
A:  They affect each other no differently than if they were not in a Sheet Set.  The rules of xref’s govern their behavior.

Q: Can you have custom fields in subsets?
A: No but that would be a great idea.  Autodesk please make this happen.

 

Looking for more webinars? Check the complete series on our website.

And don't forget to visit Brian Benton's CAD-a-Blog and to get his full training program.

The Edge: Gavin Goulden, The Game Master.

Today we we talk to Gavin Goulden, the author of our March Book of the Month, about his work and inspiration.

Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

Gavin Goulden: My name is Gavin Goulden, I am the lead character artist on Bioshock Infinite and have contributed art assets in the past to titles such as Dead Rising 2, The Bigs 2, Dragon Age: Origins, F.E.A.R. 2 and Damnation.  My main focus is on character art (modelling, texturing and rigging) for games on current generation platforms. I also have a keen interest in creating art pipelines, teaching character art, and toy sculpting. On top of the the game projects that I have been a part of, I have contributed dozens of articles to 3DArtist and 3DCreative magazine as well as authoring The Swordmaster.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

Gavin Goulden: Throughout my career, I have been involved with nearly a dozen titles ranging from “kids games” to first person shooters. As part of that, three big projects stick out to me. My most recent project, which should be on store shelves soon, was BioShock Infinite. While on BI, I created many of the general population seen in the game as well as enemies you encounter during combat scenarios. During this project I also entered a lead role which required me to start managing schedules, maintaining best practices, and conversing with other departments about their needs and what our team could do for them. This is, by far, the biggest project I have been apart of – though I can't go into too much detail about it – it was certainly rewarding.

Before joining the team, I was working with Capcom on Dead Rising 2. While on DR2, I took care of many “psychopath” characters, player outfits, and weapons seen in game. Definitely a fun project given the genre – Who doesn't like zombies?

Before Dead Rising 2, I was working with Blue Castle Games (which later became Capcom Vancouver) on 2K Games' The Bigs 2. While I am not a sports fan, this project taught me so much in the way of structuring a team, managing schedules, working within a pipeline, etc. that previous projects did not. So, while not exactly a game that I would play on my own, the entire experience helped lay down a foundation of lessons that I still practice today.

Novedge: What software do you use? Why?

Gavin Goulden: On a day to day basis I use 3ds Max, Zbrush, and Photoshop. I generally supplement these programs with more specialized apps like CrazyBump, xNormal, and Wings 3D. For the most part, I'm just a creature of habit. The work flow for game assets, especially characters, generally requires the same exporting point, or at least a common ground so that problems are not introduced for other departments. So, for that, we are all required to use the same software as a project standard. 3ds Max has generally been the accepted program for the studios I've been with, along with Maya which I previously used for the same reasons. Zbrush and Photoshop, for pretty much the same reasons, they are industry standards.

For the more specialized programs, I tend to use them because they are just quicker and/or more efficient than what is out of the box when it comes to major applications. Like the baking speed (and the need to not have to load models into a viewport for baking) within xNormal saves hours of work, Wings takes less time to unwrap objects, CrazyBump produces nice cavity maps in seconds – it's just quicker and easier.

Novedge: Your book, 3D Masterclass: The Swordmaster in 3ds Max and ZBrush, is our March Book of the Month. Can you talk about how it came about?

Gavin Goulden: The Swordmaster was a long running series for 3DCreative. I was originally approached by the magazine to do a few short articles covering the process of current generation character art. Once I was approached, I jumped on the opportunity. I had written a bunch of smaller articles in the past, and tutorials roughly covering my process in a few pages – but this time I really wanted to go in depth. And I did. Eventually, we realized that we were producing A TON of content which would make a great book. So, we added even more information, created a set of new renders, bonus material, and brought all of the pieces together.

Novedge: How do you find inspiration to stay ahead of the curve? 

Gavin Goulden: I think there's a few different things going on here. Where I find “inspiration” is the same place I found it as a kid doodling poor renditions of imps from DOOM, and Spider-Man. There are things that I nerded out over which have shaped my personal tastes that still have some degree of influence over the choices I make now. As a kid, I wanted to be the guy who created these characters, that was the dream and, in a way, I still am that person – it's just that now I get to do it as my career. What “motivates” me to do that and to stay where I am within my industry is that I am extremely competitive. I always want to stay relevant, I don't want to fall behind. I've worked incredibly hard to be where I am now, so, if I didn't pay attention to the next great thing – I would be doing a disservice to myself.

Novedge: What are some of the rewards and challenges of working as Lead Character Artist?

Gavin Goulden: My goal is to make life easier for everyone. By establishing and maintaining a process that empowers artists but also encourages quicker turnaround times and easier iteration, everyone can walk away happy – and that's a good feeling. One of the challenges I face, personally, is that eventually you will have to say, “No” which can be tough. Sometimes, there just isn't enough time or resources to do everything you had hoped to do – which is common on all projects.

Novedge: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Gavin Goulden: While I don't think I've ever had a heart to heart conversation with someone and received a solid life lesson, I do think that the collected advice regarding portfolios from the game art community has been incredibly valuable and is a mindset that I try to share with people breaking into the industry. Simple things that, to an industry veteran, may seem obvious but may be slightly shocking to students. The biggest point that stands out to me is that you are not competing with your classmates and the ones in your immediate circle of artist friends. You need to consider yourself in the same market as the ones you idolize, like the people in your reference folder could be looking for the same job as you. While it's one thing to be the top of your class, there are other people out there who have years of work under their belt applying for the same job opening. You need to wow potential employers. You need to learn to self edit and really compare yourself to heavy hitters. Rather than having an expansive portfolio full of school projects, life drawing, and works in progress , you need a handful of solid pieces that are relate-able to the projects you want to be a part of and better than artists in the industry that currently have the job you want. Not a lot of schools will tell you that, and it can be a little demotivating – but it is a competitive industry where you need to stand out of the crowd.

 

Learn more about Gavin's work on his website and blog and don't forget to connect with him on Twitter.

Gavin's 3D Masterclass: The Swordmaster in 3ds Max and ZBrush comes out in June. Read about it here.

Looking for your own copy of ZBrush, Maya and 3ds Max? Get them from Novedge: Tools to Design the Future. And don't forget to join us on Facebook.

The Edge: Vincent Gault's Avatar

Vincent Gault is not only a talented artist, but has a great sense of humor. Here he is eating "angrily" a cricket candy!

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do.

 Vincent Gault: Hey, my name is Vincent Gault, I am (now) an Art Technical Director  and (sometimes) a game designer at UBISOFT. I was lucky enough to start my career at UBISOFT Montreal five years ago, and I have now been part of the Barcelona studio team for one year.

Basically, my job is to make sure that the artists I work with can unleash their talent, within the reality of real-time constrains. Thus, it is a collaboration with the art team to define what we want to achieve, and how we can do it.

Novedge: Ubisoft is known for working with new technologies. How do you find inspiration and stay ahead of the curve?

Vincent Gault: There are two aspects to this.
From a technical point of view, we indeed have to stay up to date with the evolution of different technologies, and how it can be relevant for us, or if it can fit with actual hardware capabilities.
Artwise, it's easy to find an infinite amount of inspiration nowadays. I am trying not to focus only on videogames or CG art : photography, classic art,movies,  sculpture, etc... There so much to look at !
Of course the other games, and all the indie game community, are a great source of inspiration as well.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

Vincent Gault: I had the opportunity to work on Far Cry 2, James Cameron's Avatar, Just Dance 3,  and more recently on Sports Connection.

Novedge: What software do you use?

Vincent Gault: With the engineering team, I mostly use 3ds Max, ZBrush and Photoshop.
They are really powerful and well known softwares.
3ds Max is used at lot at UBISOFT. I like the fact that the scripting language is really powerful, and that it allows me to build interesting tools for the artists.
While I don't consider myself as a good artist, I just love ZBrush and I do some scripting in it as well: this software has no limit, except the imagination of the artists. I am lucky enough to be in close contact with the Pixologic team, as I was one of the tech beta tester of the 4th version.

Novedge: How many people do you usually coordinate? What are the rewards and challenges of leading a team?

Vincent Gault: I don't directly lead people, but rather, the tech side of their job. It can vary from 3 to 10 people. I think the reward comes from the mutual respect you can build with a team: in order for people to follow my guidelines, and sometimes to accept making some concessions on their work, they have to trust me and to be sure that if I ask for these concessions, it's because the result will be better in the end.
There is no real leadership, without a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.

Novedge: What innovations do you see in your field?

Vincent Gault: A lot! Optimizing the production pipeline, so the artist can focus on art rather than anything else is the final goal.
Also, real time lighting and rendering, will be one field that will greatly improve in the coming years.

Novedge: What would you say to young people who want to work in the video game industry?

Vincent Gault: Be passionate about what you do, but stay open to any kind of art. Mastering your art is more important than the tools you are using. 
Go on the net and look at the best artists you can find. Train a lot, post your work online to receive feedback: it can be hard sometimes, but it's one of the best way to improve.
Don't put only Orcs and Space Marines in your portfolio ;-) 
Show that you have your own style, but also that you are able to adapt to different kinds of art directions.
Participate in a small game project: it may be one of the best and most relevant experiences for your portfolio. Between the indie and mobile market, it's now easier than never.

 

You can read Vincent's writing on his blog, in French, or follow him on Twitter and Google+.

To find out more about 3ds Max, ZBrush and Photoshop, check out Novedge: Tools to Design the Futurefor great prices, users' reviews and advice.

The Edge: Juraj Talcik's Perfect Room.

You might have noticed Novedge is undergoing some design changes (check out our new webinar slides!). On this blog, we have been publishing two interviews every week for the past couple of months. This series of interviews is now called The Edge as we talk to people at the edge of knowledge, innovation, new businesses and art.

Novedge: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do

Juraj Talcik: My name is Juraj Talcik and I am the co-owner, with Veronika Demovicova, of a small visualization studio based in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. We are creative partners and longtime friends who shared architectural studies together, which is great help in the type of work we do, since our prime customers are architects and property developers. The core of our business is creating high-end promotional 3D visuals of unbuilt spaces and designs, although we wager into other types of work as well, providing supplementary services in small graphic design and website creation.

Novedge: You have a solid presence on Facebook. As a new business owner, how important is it to show your work on social media, enter competitions and be published?

Juraj Talcik: Although I believe media presence (esp. social media) is still secondary to producing exceptional quality of work, it’s an incredibly important aspect of the current global economic market. Various fields including ours are over-saturated with strong global competition and it’s important to communicate your uniqueness. While a lot of traditional forms of business can thrive off hear-say and personal recommendations, digitally-based companies with globally based customers need to put themselves out there in order to reach new customers. A solid media presence across multiple channels helps you push your work into broader and longer internet limelight in times when attention spans are reduced greatly by the over-abundance of content. Apart from Facebook, we have a strong following on Behance and Vimeo, both sites showcasing original content. I noticed that for most the hardest thing is to maintain these channels, which for me is play. I greatly enjoy sharing my work and experiences and giving back to the community, by giving advice and posting images alike.

Novedge: What software do you use?   

Juraj Talcik: The primary software in our workflow is 3ds Max from Autodesk, due to its versatility, relative easiness of use and for being literally the industry standard, which is important because it lets us connect it to various other tools being developed which both expand its capacity and also make our work easier. We use 3ds Max to model individual assets such as furniture, and then assemble the whole scene inside it, probably 90% of our time is spent inside. Our renderer of choice is currently V-Ray. We use it mostly for same reason as 3ds Max, it's the industry standard, it’s been greatly developed and is compatible with various other tools. Last but not least, is Adobe Photoshop, used in post-production stage, from color grading to photo montage creation. One special software that’s been in our pipeline for quite a long time and makes us stand out quite bit is Marvelous Designer, a cloth simulator that helps us create life-like assets of various furniture. We also currently test technologies from real-time segment, namely Unity and CryEngine3.

One important thing I would like to mention is that although we build strongly upon the newest technologies, we never lose sight of the most important aspect of our work, and that is communicating design with the right ideas, choosing the proper visual language and storytelling. Technology is only the tool that helps us achieve these goals.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?  

Juraj Talcik: Our most successful and recent project is The White Bedroom, which was a non-commercial endeavor started when we were asked by 3D Artist magazine to write up a complex tutorial on the creation of furniture using cloth simulation with Marvelous Designer software. Alongside it, we created our first animation for it, which ended up being quite successful and was even chosen by Vimeo in the Staff Pick category. It was watched by more than 150,000 people in the first week. In our work we always try to bring uniqueness to each project and this is realized both on the style and the technology front. Marvelous Designer is definitely our most popular feature tool, for which we are well known.

Novedge: How do you find inspiration to stay ahead of the curve? 

Juraj Talcik: I consider it very important to seek inspiration outside of your field. Find ideas and translate them to your benefit. For us it means surfing through a lot of photography of various sort, from commercial to documentary to artistic, advertising, movies, literature and even computer games. If you focus too much on what your direct competitors are doing you end up in a chasing race that can’t be won and your work will slowly become just another copy, and therefore inherently worse. I see it happen so often. Second, just like most designers, I strongly enjoy what I do, and when work is fun for you, you improve quickly. Nonetheless, I am a very competitive person, so I am still aware of how others are doing, but I keep doing my own thing.

 

Novedge: What are some of the rewards and challenges of owning your own business? 

Juraj Talcik: The biggest reward is freedom. The biggest challenge is responsibility. Freedom enables you to fit work within your own lifestyle, which by itself makes you a quite happy person. And you can pursue the direction that you wish to explore in business. I am an adventurous person and always wished to be my own boss. I also feel good as a leader, motivating others in their pursuits. Responsibility is something that keeps you awake at nights when others already cleared their minds of work. It never keeps you satisfied, always being hungry for advancement and improvements. It’s a never-ending challenge, and although it makes for a more stressful life, I would not swap it for security.

 

Would you like to see more of Juraj's work? Check out his website, Facebook, Vimeo and Behance Channels.

To find out more about 3ds Max, Marvelous Designer, V-Ray and Photoshop, check out Novedge: Tools to Design the Future for great prices, users' reviews and advice.

Meet Jim Newton, Founder of TechShop: "TechShop was created because I wanted my own dream shop"

Jim Newton, an uber-DIYer and lifelong maker, created TechShop because he needed a place to build his own inventions. His ideas are now more relevant than ever, so I asked him to share his story and philosophy with us.

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and TechShop. 

Jim Newton: TechShop is a membership-based workshop and fabrication studio where we teach hands-on classes to equip anyone to operate industry-standard machines and technologies for use on their personal projects. Each of our facilities includes a full wood shop, metal working shop, machine shop, plastics and electronics labs, welding stations, and laser and water jet cutters. No experience is necessary to take a class or become a member at TechShop.

Members are given unlimited access to the space, which is open daily from 9AM to midnight. They can use any of the tools after taking a one-time Safety and Basic Use (SBU) class. These classes typically run between one and three hours and prepare members to safely explore a machine's capabilities on their own. They also have open access to high-end design software including the entire Autodesk Design Suite.

TechShop also offers personal consulting and prototyping for an hourly fee. All locations are staffed with experts who can be paired with members who require special help or guidance.

We teach hundreds of classes every month at each TechShop location.  Classes cover topics in everything from laser cutting to sewing to electrics design to stained glass and injection molding.  We also offer a variety of CNC classes including the ShopBot wood router, Tormach CNC mill, and the FlowJet CNC waterjet cutter. We will be opening our seventh location in March.

TechShop was created because I wanted my own dream shop, so I tried to think of a way I could put it together, that would not require me to perform prototype work and fabrication services for customers.  I thought about the health club membership model, and applied it to a do-it-yourself workshop.  The rest is history.

Novedge: What inspires you? 

Jim Newton: Ben Franklin inspires me, and people who become brand new makers. 

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

Jim Newton: Here are three recent projects.

Electric Cargo Trike

This was a project that I built as transportation for myself for the 2011 Burning Man event.  I took a new electric bike that I bought at a local auto parts chain store, and hacked off the motor, controller and drive train and fabricated a frame and box that looked a lot like an ice cream vendor trike.  It had a large cargo box in the front with two wheels, and had one wheel in the back.  It worked great, but I only had 4 days to pack for the trip and build the trike.

Extreme Pinewood Derby Cars 

My sons were both in Cub Scouts so they built Pinewood Derby cars each year.  In our pack, we also had what we called an "Outlaw Derby" and the reason was so the dads would build their own car to compete with the other dads, and they'd let their son build his own car.  It worked great.  I have build a number of "Outlaw" cars over the years, but in the last few years I made a self-steering car that would sense the center guide rail and steer away from it to reduce drag and friction, and my car from last year was designed in Autodesk Inventor and printed on a 3D printer.  That car also had jewel bearings on all four wheels, which reduced the wheel and axle friction to practically zero.  I am now working on my car for 2013 that has both active automated self steering and jewel bearings, as well as a ducted air induction system that directs incoming air onto vanes on the wheels to add a small rotational force.

Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier

Before I started TechShop, I build an amphibious armored personnel carrier for one of my clients.  It was a scaled version of a Marines troop carrier.  It had tank-style steering, eight wheels, propellers in the back, a machine gun turret, and could carry 6 adults with full combat gear.  Since I didn't have a TechShop yet, I built it in the driveway of my house.  I'm pretty sure the neighbors loved it.

Novedge: What software do you use?

Jim Newton: I use Autodesk Inventor for 3D design, and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for 2D designs. I like Inventor because it really is a virtual workshop, and feeds particularly well into 3 printers and into CNC equipment.  Illustrator and Photoshop I use because I produce a lot of 2D graphics work, and I have been using each of those programs since before they were released so I know them really well.

Novedge: What innovations do you see in your field?

Jim Newton: I think there are a lot of future tools that have not even been dreamed up yet.  Laser cutters and 3D printers are very new in the history of tools, and it was not very long ago when nobody had thought of those yet.  We are going to see some amazing tools come out in the near future that are going to add capability that humans have never had before.

Also, I think that we will see 3D printing technology advance to the point that it is competitive with traditional injection molding.  A lot has to improve with 3D printers for that to happen...specifically print speed, print quality including the ability to print smooth glossy surfaces without any "pixel" resolution, and the ability to print objects that match the color and luster of objects with which they will need to mate in the final product assembly. I think we are a long way from any of these things happening, but it will happen at some point.

Are you a member of TechShop? Leave a comment for Jim.