This month I’ve been bouncing back between writing my own code, analyzing other’s code, and using open source plugins. I have found the latter the most beneficial for my project. I found this 3D differential growth plugin on GitHub and it has worked wonders for me.
https://github.com/inca/blender-differential-growth/releases/tag/2-1-1
Here are some of models I have created.
My next steps are to define the parameters more specifically in order to manipulate models more effectively.
I’ve been decreasing the split radius value and it has been making the model larger because of the increase in subdivisions so it has been making my computer run slower, but in the name of art, I’ll take it!!
Additionally, I have been having this struggle of when it is okay to take artistic liberty in this project. I want it to be technical, but the current 3D printing technology (specifically what I have access to) is not powerful enough to do what I want it to do. I’m struggling with incorporating what I’m reading about morphogenesis into my models… just something I get to continue to work on this summer. I think the 2D extrusion structures will lend themselves to better prints, but the 3D structures seem more realistic and accurate.
I think now I’m going to start working on printing these pieces with PLA and move from there to printing with clay.
Also, a bit of a side track, but I’m thinking about the accessibility of this sort of academic exploration and wondering if I can take these same differential growth algorithms and model them with live code to produce an audible output for blind and low vision people. I think this would be a really cool way to marry some of my academic interests and projects.