iCan't believe I paid for this

I love my iPhone...like, looooooooove my iPhone.


It is the most wonderful piece of technology to ever fit in my pocket. Even better then the pointed stick (although that is pretty handy).  So when I read that there is an app called iCeramic Art. I had to try it.

Truth be told. I have been thinking of a ceramic app for some time. But I was thinking of more a technical, glaze calc type of app. Good thing I don't know anything about programing for the iPhone SDK so I don't waste any precious time on it.


iCeramic Art is something else. This program from Exrant and is meant to be a real time 3d modeling program.
I bought it and gave it a spin for all of you. I admit that I have only given it a cursory try. but my main reaction is. Meh...


I will say, it is pretty cool to see that the iPhone has such live rendering abilities. And I do believe that the program could be something decent. It has neat features like the clay responds to the touch, and you can spin the clay as you "work" with it, ala the wheel. There are tools and finishes, and a variety of things that show that someone was thinking this through.


I guess the big problem is that the app is not very intuitive. When you open it up, it s a mystery as what to do with it.  It is sort of like a "button masher" video game. You play with it and it does something. it is just not what you want it to do.


Anyway, the app is $0.99 so if you want to play with it, it is not much of a loss. but it is not much of a gain either.


iTunes Link

A Teapot in The Matrix

Yesterday's post on the "rendered" teapot, took me down a little rabbit hole. In the article there was a reference to the Martin Newell and the digitization of a Melitta Teapot in 1975. I was interested, so I dug a little deeper and what I found it is a cool little story about how a teapot played a role in the development of computer graphics. 

The University of Utah was a hot bed of computer graphics in the 70's (Don't believe me? Ed Catmull who is one of the founders of Pixar is an alum). While working on a new rendering project Martin Newell was wondering what to attempt to render. He brought this up to his wife while they were sitting to to tea. She recommended the teapot they were using and computer history was made. 

The teapot provided the right level of visual complexity while providing a neutral surface that would render well. He sketched it out and then went into the lab and created the image you see at the top. History was made


The teapot became a famous object with computer scientists and a standard test for the quality of software. In fact it had  become an inside joke with computer scientists, and you can find this teapot in movies like Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and The Simpsons (Homer in the 3rd Dimensions, Tree House of Horrors episode). You'll have to look for it.


The Teapot now resides in Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California if you want to see this historical objct. Bringing Teapots into the Future. 


Cool. 


You can get more information at Wikipedia

Rendering (Plant)

3D Rendering and printing is super cool. It is much like making pots for all of those "I don't want to get dirty" types (just kidding) but it is a fascinating way of building and thinking about space. I am always a big advocate of knowing exactly what you are going to make before going into the studio. I know a lot of people like to go in and play, but for me I like to have every object and step in the process laid out. I think it makes a better final product. 3D rendering is the same thing, Plan things out, consider things carefully then execute. 
Here at Alfred, Carlo Sammarco has been teaching a series of very popular 3D rendering classes and is producing a lot of interesting things. 



This is borrowed from Yanko Design. Talking about the Martinus Teapot by famous designer Art Lebedev.

If you are the sort of person that’s got their fingers in the 3D rendering world, you might know about computer graphics researcher Martin Newell. In 1975 he took it upon himself to digitize his own Melitta teapot. Since then the teapot has become a common symbol, a basic project for every 3D object worker and designer. What Art Lebedev studio’s done here is to take that concept, that teapot, and push it back into the real. Red, green, blue, and alpha.
Below you’ll see a bunch of little rectangles showing their search for the correct number of polygons, then take a peek at the final product. Or look at the pics in any order you want, too, I suppose.
Lemme tell you how much I want this pot: I don’t drink coffee. I want this pot. I want this pot so much. It’s just lovely.

Artistic Director: Artemy Lebedev
Art Director: Timur Burbayev
Designer: Yevgeny Kazantsev
Industrial Designer: Lin Tao
Modeler: Alexander Pozdeyev
Visualizator: Dmitry Dolgikh