3D design challenge on Beetle Blocks

 🔶 Bottle 

In the last class, we explored a new tool for 3D design, which is called Beetle Blocks.  We also had a look at a bottle example together to learn how to use the blocks. I found it easy to understand the codes but hard to create one myself. Observing the example, I learned how to start, how to make it build upward, and how to create the z-axis curves. Meanwhile, I tried new things in the code. The following pictures are the outlook of the bottle that I created using Beetle Blocks. 

Inside the bottle 

The bottle starts from the bottom. It is a hexagon. I used loop here and changed the value of move each loop. 

Outside the bottle 

What is special is the spiral structure. The beautiful curves were created by changing the angle slightly. For the bottom, the beetle rotates 60 degrees each time. For the body, it rotates 59.899 degrees each time.

See more details here 

http://beetleblocks.com/run/#present:Username=HainesWong&ProjectName=vase1

In this practice, I learned how to make a spiral body. “rotate z by 59.899”  is the key to implement this shape. Not exactly this angle, but exactly changing the angle. In this way, we can create similar spiral shapes, like

🔶 Real-world object 

In this practice, I chose to design a hat using Beetle Blocks. First of all, I searched pictures and observed the shapes. The hat I simulated is made up of squares. The size of the squares changes as the hat is created from the bottom to the top. Therefore, as the absolute z changes, the value of move also changes. Based on the original design, I made some changes to the shape to make it more cartoon-ish. 

see more details here 

http://beetleblocks.com/run/#present:Username=HainesWong&ProjectName=hat

🔶 Exploration 

In the beginning, I was not familiar with the scale and the curve and line options in extruding. To learn the functions, I used them in programs and tested them with different values. For example, when I assigned a bigger value to scale, it got enlarged.