63. Interactive Design Systems for Fabrication
発表担当
目次
説明
Dimensional measurement remains one of the most error-prone activities in making, engineering, and construction, despite the technical precision of modern instruments. Errors frequently arise not from the tools themselves, but from usability challenges: correct alignment of tools, interpreting numeric values, and transferring measurements across media. We introduce StoryStick++, a novel measurement system that rethinks measurement as an interactive, unit-less process. Inspired by story sticks, century-old craft tools using align-and-mark workflows, StoryStick++ replaces numerical readouts with direct spatial interactions. The device enables users to measure, mark, and transfer dimensions without converting to numerical values or standard units. Our system integrates a smartphone-based clip-on with embedded sensing and a series of attachments to support a wide variety of measurement tasks for measuring and marking basic and complex geometries with step-by-step guidance. Together, these contributions offer a new paradigm for measurement; one that emphasizes usability over abstraction and numeric precision.
日本語まとめ
説明
We present MotionSmith, a sketch-based computational design system developed through participatory design (PD) with three experienced makers of mechanical crafts (automata). MotionSmith enables users to sketch and iteratively identify a desired motion, explore system-generated mechanisms to realize the motion, refine the chosen mechanism, and export fabrication-ready files. We developed the system through a year-long iterative process, including PD with three artists. Insights from this collaboration emphasized the importance of prioritizing creative intent over literal sketch fidelity, enabling fluent iteration across design stages, and ensuring mechanically simple, fabricable outcomes. The resulting system leverages computational support while maintaining user agency across sketching, mechanism synthesis, and blueprint generation. Our deployment with experts shows how this workflow bridges user intent and mechanical realization and surfaces opportunities to expand educational scaffolding and fabrication guidance for a broader community of makers.
日本語まとめ
説明
We present VisiPrint, a tool for appearance-first previews of 3D-printed objects. Existing print preview slicers focus on toolpaths, not appearance, while pure rendering software is complex and cannot automatically reproduce slicing patterns. Prior work highlights persistent gaps between digital previews and printed results, such as color shifts, gloss/translucency changes, and layer-line highlights, motivating the creation of VisiPrint, an appearance-focused support tool. The VisiPrint algorithm combines slicer screenshots with filament photos via a custom diffusion-based synthesis pipeline. We present both a standalone user interface for VisiPrint compatible with any slicer and an Ultimaker Cura Plugin. We evaluate VisiPrint through a user study showing it is significantly faster, easier to use, and more faithful than alternatives: within a time-limit, participants completed 100% of preview tasks with VisiPrint, versus 63% with Cura and 13% with Blender. VisiPrint narrows the gap between design intent and printed appearance, complementing settings-centric tools with appearance-driven decision support.
日本語まとめ
説明
Exploratory fabrication techniques present new challenges for the reproducibility of small scale automation workflows. In this short paper, we investigate how to repeat, reproduce, and remix exploratory 3D printing workflows. Motivated by challenges in existing online communities, we introduce a platform for sharing computationally fabricated objects. We then propose strategies to support replicability that adapt common end-user programming tools to fabrication. These include `diff' tools for comparing code and its corresponding physical output across iterations, linting tools to communicate process details found through material testing, and remix graphs to facilitate the discovery of relevant models. Through the production and reproduction of several example artifacts across various machines and materials, we demonstrate how our platform supports replication of exploratory workflows. Based on our work, we discuss how to close the loop between exploratory digital fabrication tools and community.
日本語まとめ
説明
Prototyping with 3D printing depends heavily on virtual modeling, which requires expertise and often leads to scale mismatches and inefficient iteration. Physical deformation through heating is possible but challenging, as heating is difficult to control and deformation remains complex. We introduce TF-Shell, a thermoformable shell that enables repeatable, localized thermoforming of 3D-printed prototypes. Leveraging shape-memory properties, TF-Shell allows 3D-printed objects to achieve volumetric deformation, restoration, and shape memorization within the physical prototyping process. With customizable features, it can be embedded into free-form models through a design tool. A user study shows that TF-Shell provides intuitive, convenient physical modification and expands iteration beyond virtual modeling. Technical evaluations confirm its thermoformability and repeatability, establishing TF-Shell as a practical approach for integrating physical deformation into 3D printing workflows.
日本語まとめ
説明
Desktop digital fabrication presumes form-factors designed for workbenches, limiting suitability for other spaces and workflows. We propose a class of physically narrow and deep “rackable” digital fabrication machines that offers opportunities for new applications and interactions. Flexible and inconspicuous placement supports ubiquitous fabrication, including site- and context-specific tools. Personal factories could be enabled by shelf-optimized rackable digital fabrication technologies that improve organization and functionality for collections of machines. These explorations necessitate new positioning mechanisms and machine architectures. We contribute the Cantilevered DeltaXY mechanism that enables rackable digital fabrication form factors with high lateral spatial efficiencies (LSE). We develop first-order design tools to aid the implementation of DeltaXY machines. We demonstrate DeltaXY by creating Fab Unit, a “bookshelf 3D printer” with an LSE significantly higher than similar commercial desktop machines. Together, DeltaXY and Fab Unit open the design space of rackable digital fabrication for future HCI fabrication research.
日本語まとめ
説明
Solid knitting is a fabrication technique for producing dense 3D volumes through knitting. Designing such objects is difficult because yarn paths must remain continuous—formed from one (or a few) yarn(s)—while handling increases and decreases across three dimensions. To address this challenge, we introduce skCAD, a block-based design tool that allows users to compose 3D forms by stacking rectangular blocks, which are then automatically converted into solid-knitting patterns. To build skCAD, we also standardized a grammar of solid knitting that formalizes stitch and row operations, making it possible to construct patterns beyond basic shapes. Our tool and grammar enable the creation of complex solid-knitted objects, and help those interested to learn and explore this technique. We evaluated the system in a workshop with knitters, yielding insights into design needs and directions for future development.