1. CS 285 -- Solid Modeling, Fall 2011
“Procedural Solid Modeling” or
“Algorithms and Data Structures for Procedural Design, Solid Modeling, and Rapid Prototyping”
INSTRUCTOR: Carlo H. Séquin
COURSE NUMBER: CS 285
COURSE CONTROL NUMBER: 26796
EXAM GROUP: ? – no Final Exam!
UNIT VALUE: 3 units
SEMESTER: Fall 2011
CLASS TIME: Mon, Wed, 4:00pm-5:30pm -- ?
LOCATION: 606 Soda Hall -- ?
(PREREQUISITE): Some Computer Graphics background.

2. CS285 in the Graphics Curriculum
CS 284 CAGD:
Splines!
Various CS 294-X Courses
CS 285 Procedural Modeling
From “Art to Part”
CS 294-?/283 Graduate Graphics
CS 184
Object Representation The Rendering Pipeline
ME 290D
Solid
Modeling

3. Motivation
1972, at Bell Labs, I was laying out integrated circuits one transistor at a time by hand.
1982, UCB, in the RISC_1 and RISC_2 chips, most of the transistors were drawn and placed by a computer program.
1992, major portions of most CPU chips are designed and optimized by a IC compiler.
Study and accelerate this trend for the domains of solid modeling and mechanical part designs.

4. When you spend more time programming than adjusting numbers or handles
Modeling Taxonomy
CAD
Solid Modeling
CAGD (splines)
Procedural Modeling
When you spend more time programming than adjusting numbers or handles

5. What Might Be Designed Procedurally?
Churches (ChurchBuilder)
Saddle-Chain Sculptures (Sculpture Generator I)
Others ? (Student’s Suggestions): ?

6. Procedurally Designed Parts
My Examples:
Mathematical Objects, 4D Polytopes (exact geometry, projections from 4D space)
Sculpture Families (freeform, aesthetics, parameterize for variety)
Gears, Joints, Assemblies, Mechanisms (interaction, vary gear ratios)
Puzzle or “LEGO” Pieces (parameterize for mutual fit, tension)

7. How You Will Learn
No textbook (field is too diverse, moving too rapidly)
Select papers
Discussions
Case studies
“Learning by Doing”

8. What You will Learn (1) Creative, conceptual aspects of design.
Designing by program writing.
Visual / graphical debugging.
Data Structures and algorithms for generating and modifying solid shapes.
Principles of RP by layered manufacturing.
Making physical parts, hands-on experience.
Limitations of SFF (solid free-form fab.) machines.

9. What You will Learn (2)
A Few Generic Pieces of Knowledge that no Designer should be without:
Symmetries and their applications.
Determining and Managing DOFs.
Some Elementary Topology.
Loose fear of higher dimensions.
Euler-Poincaré Relation and its generalization.

10. What You will Learn (3) Meta Skills:
Principles and Techniques for Open-ended Design.
Spatial Reasoning and Visualization Skills.
How to Make a Proposal and Sell Your Ideas.
How to Carry through a Project and Report on it.

11. What You will Learn Summary Not a collection of facts, but Insights,
Mental Tools,
Techniques,
A Collection of Examples,
Experience!

12. Teaching Method Learning by Doing Confusion before Understanding
Listening alone is almost worthless.
Confusion before Understanding
You need to (want to) find a problem solution yourself to understand it and remember it.
Teaching Style : ‘Socratic Method’
Relies on active participation of all students.
Some short homework assignments are ‘Design Exercises’ that have the purpose to get your thinking started about some subject, before the material is covered in class, so that a more meaningful discussion can result.

13. Course Mechanics Group Assignments: Grading Guidelines:
Some assignments are individual, others in groups; I may define those groupings initially, to make you get to know one another and to foster collaboration.
Final Course Projects can be done alone or in pairs.
Grading Guidelines:
40% course project (several phases)
20% homework assignments (various sizes)
20% class participation (be here, on time, awake…)
20% paper presentations & (quiz ?)