Cases

Due to their extremely complex geometries, architectural files often pose a real challenge in rapid prototyping. Using Magics cumbersome STL files can now be made ready for production on an RP machine easily. IwamotoScott Architecture contacted Materialise to help them with their STL files, since they were extremely large in file size and could not be read by the output machine. After using Magics’ triangle reduction tool, which makes it possible to handle large files, the various pieces of the part were merged together and stitched, making the file watertight in only 24 hours.

Lisa Iwamoto

IwamotoScott Architecture

This model was part of a commissioned project by IwamotoScott Architecture for the exhibition "Open House: Architecture and Technologies for Intelligent Living" curated by the Vitra Design Museum and Pasadena Arts College.

Our project, entitled "Jellyfish House", was designed to filter water through the building skin. The surface of the house was designed as a dimpled surface using a range of programs including Rhino, 3D Max, and Generative Components (GC). For the Generative Component modeling, IwamotoScott worked with consultant proces2.

Because of the complexity of the skin surface, the digital modeling was quite intensive. It is designed as a parametric component array where the rotation of the component affects the degree to which it is dimpled. The components were made in GC and later exported as IGES files to Rhino and stitched together there to make the house shell. To make the model, the IGES surfaces were exported as an STL file. Because of the heavy geometries, the STL files were cumbersome, not watertight and could not be read by the output machine, the Eden Polyjet.

We were already working with Materialise in Belgium to make a larger model of the structure and became familiar with their software, Magics. It is at this point that we contacted Tom De Bruyne at Materialise in Michigan to help us with our STL file.

When Materialise started working on the part, it was already broken into various pieces, which were extremely large in file size, somewhere around 100 MB or higher a piece. The largest part was around 280 MB. At Materialise, Jon Moss imported each part separately and did a local triangle reduction on the parts, but at a very low level as to keep the detail. He then merged the parts together one by one and did the stitching required. Although there were very few holes that needed to be filled, the holes were filled last.

In 24 hours, they were able to restitch our file so that it was a seamless whole and that the Eden Polyjet could read without any errors. The final model was produced over the next several days, and shipped to Germany for the opening of the show at ENTRY 2006 in Essen, Germany. At their service bureau in Belgium, Materialise also produced a laser sintered model.