Form

whilst developing the final designs and fixing the odd small barely noticeable feature, i take extreme notice of form and shape. though my design is curved and all smooth with no sharp edges, it will b a polybased guide when i develop it in 3DSMAX 

basic cutlery shapes and forms are shown below, gathered from brief research in imagery.

 i like the bends and flowing shape to this set, its very interesting, as the knife is normally a good deal longer than the other pieces.

 

This isnt the form or even the size im aiming for, however the material is very similar to what ive been developing my ideas around. this very shiney reflective but not too slippery looking metal would be desirable for my cutlery set.

Though at this point my designs no longer have any indents or grooves alike this, these slots would be very interesting o model on 3DSMAX and i may incorporate something like it ino my next 3DSMAX project.

This is very similar to what the basic shape will be to begin with on 3DSMAX before i smooth everything over. the deep base and extrusions is what im aiming for.

Observing how kids eat

My research stretched further than just books and the internet, i observed small children between the ages of 2-5 years old whilst eating several different kinds of meals, and my findings show.....kids dont like cutlery, they would prefer to use their hands, and if they use cutlery, it gets messy very fast.

For small children cutlery is too small or too big, this is where ergonomic measuring comes in. 

using a range of tools including a vernier caliper and a ruler, i measured out the approximate size of both an average toddlers pudgy hand and an average spoon and on the market toddler cutlery.  

is still a working progress but im beginning to get a better understanding the sizes of which id like the cutlery to be, as its easier to create a 3DSMAX design if you have a fair understanding of the measurements and calculations required. 

My observations and further research into small childrens eating habits also show me they take deeper scoops and i now see the extent of their undeveloped motorskills. 

Proving my initial ideas of a bulky but easy to use cutlery set would be alot more useful than a novelty item. 

yes i want the final outcome to be appealing and desirable to a child, but the main goal is to create a cutlery set that would help teach and make the learning process as easy as possible. 

different and favourable children foods must be able to be eaten

cutlery should be chewable, kids have a habit of putting practically everything in their mouths

kids prefer using hands, so the cutlery has to beas easy to use and as appealing as possible

finished product needs to be durable, kids use cutlery as weapons, and create mess everytime they eat, so it should also be extremely easy to clean, appealing to not just kids bu also parents. 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=toddlers+eating&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44158598,d.d2k&biw=1024&bih=509&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=PnZKUZvjNs3MParOgIgK

Theme board

my mood board is very similar to a theme board as i was unaware we needd a theme board also. however i have a very strong understanding where im headed with this design. though i have many small details to work out to make it complete, i still have many inspirations and have a fundamental understandin what the finished product would look like.
 below is my theme board which hopefully expresses my general direction and whats inspired me so far.

The making of a model bottle 3DSMAX

In this tutorial we created a standard 500ml water bottle, it required us gathering dimensions of a bottle using a verier caliper and other measuring tools.

it starts as all 3DSMAX designs should, units, i had to start this bottle several times, as fillets wouldnt work and then the units were way off etc. so remember youre basics when working with 3DSMAX people, scratch that, remember those basics in any software, other wise, well, have fun redoing the design ten times over.
Once i had the units and basics cleared up i was ready to start, i created a basic object as a guide, following the gathered dimensions.

once the basic structure was done, i froze the basic structure using the object properties option, i made it see through and froze it, making it easier to use it as a good guide line. i was able to begin drawing my lines and using very simple techniques i moved the vertexes to a suitable angle.

Time for fillets, which are in simple terms, curves. just select the vertexes you want bent round, and if calculated exactly, you can just type in the arch dimensions you want, otherwise theres the usual toggle at the side, and you can just go back and forth in that, until you come to an angle you like. approx 3mm was what i went for on the fillt between the cap and bottle.

Another pair of fillets were put in so the bottle would have the usual indent, normally for easier handeling and a brand wrapper.

I found the concave at the bottom the trickest, as it took several trys to get it horizontal in the centre.

From here the basic guide is useless, and deleted, leaving the half a bottle outline, ready for some tweaks, which to be very honest took longer than creating the bottle itself.

(insert img bottle 2)

one thats complete its time to put the thread on the top of the bottle, for the cap.
you do this by creating a helix (found in the create section, under shapes) in the centre of the bottle ie 0y 0x axiz, and have it begining at the bottom of the cap but top of the actual bottle, which in this case is 150mm.
check it easily by right clicking the move tool.

move it into position, nearr the top and from there you create the cross sectional part of the twist. this can be done by drawing a rectangle using the line tool, bending the vertexes a little and adding in fillets at the corners.

from there you can use the hierarchy panels affect pivot only tool to then create a loft, you do this by selecting the compound objects and choosing create a loft, the helix twist si the pathway and the new shape will b the shape used,

by doing this you are able to then go to modify and select twist and tweak the twists shape and make it alot less harsh around the edges and corners.

this would all be a very interesting technique if i decide on any of my sketches that require cut outs or small buldging designs in the cutlery.

(insert final twist)
as you can see, though not very realistic, (but material tools would fix that my bottle is complete, its just missing a cap.

i really like the twisted screw at the top for the bottle cap, its difficult, but would work well on maybe not his particular project, but other future 3DSMAX projects down the line.

though the bottle is fundamentally simple, the fiddely bits tht build the whole thing, really are time consuming. prooving that even though 3DSMAX is extremely useful and can create interesting pieces, it really does taking some getting used to and skill building.

Building a house on 3DSMAX

Well knwoing me and 3DSMAX, i ran into problem awfully fast.
problem number one, as with all the other tutorials, between the fact im slow and the tutorials are fast i find myself struggeling to ehar whats being said, and replaying the same 2 seconds about 9 times, resulting in a five minute tutorial taking me the guts of three hours. me and 3DSMAX havent gotten along any better since our last few encounters.

apart from the intial problems, especially with the volume and actually finding the tutorials, i was getting along pretty well....or so i thought.
NOTE TO SELF (and anyone smart enough to listen) : b accurate with your lines, ive made this mistake numerous times, however this particular time its stalled me by about an hour, ive fiddeled about with the seperated lines and oddly place pivots, and still cant figure out how to delet the line in between, as i already have thse two objects attached and made into one, so i couldnt even redo the whole block if i wanted, believe me i tried.

as you can see, though it all looked rather flowing etc when i was originally drawnig the lines, theyve all decided to be just that too far off, i attempted to align them, no luck, infact all i ended up doing was cause a mess and add more pivot points.

In the end i adapted and went off road for a moment, deleting the whole original line, creating a new one a fraction lower, though the right hand side lines dont low perfectly, its a vast improvement, i might be able to fix at a later date.

i created the new line, knowing what was in store, created the correct amount of pivots, and using the snap tool, modify and refine tabs, i was able to cut out that pesky middle line that had been seperating the blocks.

from this ive learned a few exxtra ways around problems, even though they didnt work this time, they might next time a problem arises, which it will, theres no doubt there.

though im following a tutorial, i understand its for teaching purposes, and really useful whilst learning, but when ive finished these tutorials and begin creating my cutlery set i believe it would be handier since ill know what the final shape will become, thus i wont have to go back and delete lines, however if im developing and creating extra bits and pieces as i go along, i will need to know these back tracking and fixing skills.

.... my stupidity at its best. an hour of panicking couldve been avoided had i watched about 40 more seconds further, as the lecturer shows you how to fuse and snap the vertexes together....however im glad i had that wee annoying expierence, at least i put my quick thinking skills to the test.

moving on, handy tools to remember, the refine tool and snap to grid. they are my best friends when attempting to get my horrible blueprint like building to look somewhat similar to the tutorials.

changed the units, now time for a little stretching and modifying, perhaps get this building to look a lil more realistic, i think so.

now its time to get it into 3d, so i move out of the top view and into the perspective view, i select it all (snap tool off, that didnt go well oops) modiy list and extrude......nooooooow once again, problems arise.

i extrude it to 2.4m high, which is grand, but then notice those gaps in the wall.....back tracking time.
clearly i didnt weld all the vertexes toegteher.

took more time and effort, but well, theres that finally up to speed.
now its time to start fiddeling about, figuring out how to get the doors and windows sorted, make these random blocks look like a house.

handy little tool, right clicked on the realistic setting, choose, wireframe, accidently chose a few others first though.
now its beginging to look somewhat like im making progress (yeah ive resorted to lying to myself at this point)

replayed the tutorial 6 times, but eventually caught on, he said press f3 and f4, and this handy thing shows up, i get the wire frame plus the shadding, making it easier to actually see what im doing.

modify edit poly, selection vertexes
select middle vertexes in top viewport
drag them up to the hieght of the door- easy way to do it, right click move and transform tool, a dialog box appears and since it al been drawnto scale it can be worked ut the average hieght of a door. which in this case i 2m

select polygon tool, eiter right click or find it in modify selections, which i did. hold control and select the top segments of the door frame, and creata a bridge.
a dialog box will appear, theres several options, but none of which i need to change or use at this time, so i just click done, and i do this repeatedly for each door frame of my building.

now its time to create the windows, its not a building without windows. to do this im using the slice tool which is in the modify list. to begin i selected all polygons (or ctrl A), sorted out the snap tool to only grid points and slightly change the home grid to 0.5m.
went down the modify list to slice tool and created two horizontal lines across the building on the front view. starting and ending slightly outside the building walls.

do the same only with vertical lines, and now we have the outline for my buildings window.
by selecting and extruding the square (since this building is to scale, this makes the whole thing that bit easier) from here all i have to do is delete the polygon window, and there you have it.
at this point i went slightly further and messed about with the windows and added a few extra, all different shapes, but they just didnt look right. more is less in this case.

the tutorials are getting more difficult, i think 3DSMAX is an amazing piece of software, but considering the computer keeps crashing and i keep making tiny mistakes, im adimint me and 3DSMAX wont be getting along anytime soon.

from here i guess im done as there is no end to this tutorial.....im building a house that apparently has no roof....ill get back to this, as i fear at this point if i dont leave, the computer will no longer be my friend and be in teeny tiny pieces scattered around this room.

for all of you actually get along with 3dsmax, youre not human.

creating a simple phone 3DSMAX

I found this my favourite tutorial, but that may have been more up to my mindset and the simplicity of the tutorial rather than anything else.

This tutorial seems very basic but shows many useful techniques ill likely use during the creation of my cutlery on 3DSMAX.
such as the boolean and chamferbox. basic but extremely useful.

I began setting up the units as you do, mm for handyness (basic steps missed like unit set up, can really come back and haunt you, and by haunt you, i mean have fun starting from scratch) i then created a chamfer box, which would be the basic layout of the phone. i changed the size etc in the parametres drop down.
at this point im catching on (slowly) and getting more famliar with words such as segments and vertexes.

free form defimation ffd3x3x3 was an option which came in alot of use thorugh out this tutorial, for both the form of the phone, and later with the screen. in simple terms it bends the lines and allows you to raise the surface in a slight curve.
demonstrated below...

After working on the shell/wall thickness, after that i moved onto bolean. which was difficult looking but rather simple once explained, i created a rectangluar shape half the thickness and slightly larger than the phones chamferbox, i then checked the boolean and picked the operand b, which basically made both the rectangle and anything attached, disapear, i could control which half stayed and which half didnt by selecting the x or y xis, at this stage i now had half a hallow phone case, to create the botom half i simply used the handle mirroring tool which was on the top bar, i selected if i wanted it copied extactly or flipped etc, once hat was created i simply hid that object for now.

i then began to create the buttons. or the holes for them at least.
I created a circle, sorted the spec, went into extras and selected the array tool. followed the instructions and diameters, the circle then got copied into four rows of three, with equal space between them all.

Once assembled and set in position it was time to create the screen, which was basically a thin rectangle, it also got set in position and attached to the buttons, using the same technique.

At this point they are all shapes, so needed converted to edible splines, from here i could modify  and extrude them.
This is where the boolean tool comes in, its found in compound objects and not to be mistaken with proboolean, which is yes similar but incorrect for what the tutorial is doing.
By once again using the boolean tool i could create holes where all the features will be, at this point its actually starting to look like something, and not just a bunch of random shapes.

its time to get down to the fiddely bits, right click and unhide the lower case. click 3dsnap tool found on the top tool bar, a tool i will find extremely sueful later, during both other tutorials and the making of my cutlery.
right click the snap tool, and the dialog box comes up (thats a tricky bit to remember) click vertex to vertex, i used the move tool, selected the middle vertexes and connected them successfully, i knew this was correct by the red line turning green.
From there i could manually create a small distance between the upper and lower case by dragging on the y axis.

At this point the basic object is complete but no time to stop and amire it,  moving on ....

The surface is paper thin because it was extruded a couple of steps back, this can easily be fixed. Whilst holding ctrl i selected boarders and extruded them by -2 mm.
However first time round i messed up and didnt notice the width was some random number, giving me an odd shape of an extrusion, as you can see below. so i back tracked slightly and made sure all the other options were correct. reminding me how improtant it is to watch all the little options and sure all the correct measurements are there and boxes are or arent ticked, otherwise, it could impact the entire final design.

Its now time to create a screen using the rectangle tool adding segements so object will bend. i created a slight curviture using the same technique as before, giving the LCD screen that more realistic appearence.

The buttons surprising were made from oiltank shapes, like the buttons i created one, sorted the spec, in this case they were sligtly smaller than button holes so it would all slot together nicely.
Did as before, set to  0y 0x axis, then manually moved it. rfom there i could disassemble  the buttons etc if i wanted the middle rows raised higher than the others, but in my phones case, i think it suited where it was originally.

Now, finally, as you can see below.....DONE.
quickly learning time keeping to be honest, what could take ten minutes in a tutorial could take several hours, pausing, playing, sorting, rewinding, repeating the process three four times for each step of the way.

though 3DSMAX is extremely useful and i love the effects and final designs more skilled users can create, im unsure at this stage if ill pursue it next year.

The final outcome....

mood board

bit late i know, but hey its here. hopefully it gives off the general gist of where im going, and what i want incorporated. the fruits, the animated faces and the kids novelty merchanidse etc is etc little features. ive already explained the cutlery pieces ive added, just so anyone not readingthis blog would understand the shape im heading for.
to the right is more handles and mouldings,

this shows more the themes and shapes im going for rather than the fiddely bits ive been discussing and developing all along. enjoy.

Claire

3DSTUDIOMAX first impressions

well, its been a couple of classes now, and im not liking 3dstudiomax any more than i did the first day, infact, its getting worse.

when i first began i thought, oh well, its different, ive used many different softwares but to me 3dsmax seems like a cross between autocad and flash cs.5, some of the features and dynamics are similar, but that doesnt make it any easier.

To be very honest my main problem seems to be timing during tutorials. the lecturer shows us something, but by the time i figure it out, and tune back into what hes saying, ive gone and missed like two steps to whatever object we were creating,
This happens several times and the lectuere is forced to show me ten more times before i finally just accept the fact ill do the tutorial later. granted im more than slightly behind on those already, but theyll be done.

Though it seems difficult, i believe it just needs a bit of getting used to.....ok alot of getting used to. but once i figure my way about the place a little more, and actually start remembering the baby steps at the start (note to self, remember to change the settings to mm everytime, otherwise it'll continue to bite me in the behind again and again) 3dsmax actually seems liek an amazing piece of software, not jsut for the cutlery, i mean for many things, its a software i doubt ill use again in school, but for other purposes and skill building, its deffinatly something id like to explore further when not under assesment. (ya know how sometimes things can seem easier when youre free to roam about and explore it, play with the software a little. its alot easier when none of it is getting graded)

So far ive noseyed around all the tools and know the basics....however me remembering them all isnt very likely.

ok folks, wish me luck with this one, it doesnt look like me and 3DSMAX are going to get along very well.

Claire

My favourite find

Without a doubt my favourite set of cutlery to date, the shiney material, the depth, the way the spoon and fork curv and the way they are practically the same except the fork has a few cut outs, as youve seen from my previous initial sketches and slightly more developed sketches, this is where i was heading, though not entierly where i was going, the tips i would change, the knife though interesting is not what im trying to aim for, though the angle seems like it would help a smal child cut with less motor skills, its not what im attempting to create.

Currently ive been researching toddlers hands, thier capabilities and what size i want the set to be, i want the fork about a third longer than the rest, the spoon and fork will be pretty similar, though im still working on the cuts, what angle shape and length i want them to be.
the size though, i need to have a better understanding if this was a real product id need to know all sizes and demnisions, though they would be approximite, i want to develop them.
currently unncessary but once i begin using 3dstudiomax a little more and begin to develo and design my cutlery using that 3d software, i believe approx demnisions could come in handy.

I researched kids tv shows and toys, looking at classic and popular icons, that would make a child wish to eat with this particular cutlery set more so than an average set. however unlike many of the examples ive given, i didnt want my set to be primarily a character merchandise, that was just an added feature, i didnt want it over bearing or interferring either, like the moulded character heads or grooves shown previously. this is a perfect example of where im heading.

above i gave the example of the plain set, simpley so you could notice the detail and features more accuratly, however with a simple character rpint, the whole set ebcomes more child freindly (shown below) im primarily designing a set like the one above, and the character will be an added feature and not over bearing. similar to the winnie the pook designed one below.

by far my favourite find. very inspirational.

www.beckyandlolo.com

working on the fiddely bits

Ive been getting more into the fiddly bits and finer details of the product, such as joints and ends. small features that need designed but not normally noticed on such an everyday object.

 getting the basics of a childs hand sorted whilst i observed childrens eating habits

getting the measurements sorted (actual size)

playing about with depth,shown through colour, go a bit deeper,and maybe wider near the handle

developing the finer details in the fork cut outs/head

 finer details in the joints, working on the thickness and curves.

 working further on the joints and tip ends.

basics of the moldings in the handle, the idea is simple,
it needs to be small enough for a child, bu bulky enough for them to grasp, and their little fingers should rest easily in the moldings.

 getting the final designs drafted up

ergonomics in the final deisgns.

whats out there ?

Did a wee bit more research, heres a few things i came across i think ill build on, or like to look back on and develop my ideas with inspiration from them.

Though its perfect for this project, its not what i have in mind. this is small and fat, perfect for a child that cant grasp fiddely things, but perhaps too big? too bulky?
i love how big and colourful hey ll are. each set comes in a wide range of coluors, however a set is all the same colour.
they seem durable and even easy cleaned, so the product has the same idea i do, be usable and practical yet sellable.
i dont know if i want to go this basic though.

www.gourmetkitchenware.com

The material is very interesting and perhaps along the lines of what i was looking to create. its soft, and gentle but its not going to slip, the grip are very interesting an positioned where a childs hands would normally hold, this might by far be my fvourite but not most inspirational piece yet.
though i love the idea of something featured on the hanlde, for easy holding, i unsure at this point wether it would be a grip, and unuual material (like this jelly plastic) or if it will be a uniue moulding/shape.

The tips are simple and made like the average cutlery set, and perhaps that is a good thing, after al this is a tool, used for training a child to use cutlery, and in a short time this child will be wained onto adult (older children) cutlery, and might find the adjustment difficult if too catered around when learning.

The oval shape is interesting, this si the shape ive been aiming for, styled not unlike the squared cutlery from a previous post.

These are attributes id like to build on and maybe look into further.

www.ebay.co.uk

Basic, colourful and light, they seem legit and quite average for a childs set of cutlery, infact at the very begining this is what id imagine the most basic kinda cutlery for a child would be, however, is it too small? too thin? too ligh? i love how theres a range of colours, and they incorporated the characters into the moulding, make it appealing to a child, but this is one of those appealing but not practical kinda of cases, infact, if i was to hazard a guess id say this was more suitable to an even younger, assisted feed child, meaning the appeal of the characters would liekly be lost on such an infant.
as you can probably tell by now, im giving you examples of things i like but may or may not use, things i hate and would prefer not to mimic and over all things that i may not like over all but have an dd feature hre and there that i like, and would bring into the development process, which im now in the middle of.

www.ebay.co.uk

These are beautiful and small, perfect size for a child in the aimed age range, however, are they practical? i see they are appealing, theres no doubt and this is actually the perfect example of the novelty item i was talking abut earlier (thus why its here mainly) the novelty items mean it would engage the child in the process, it would make the whole expierence appealing, but can they scoop the right amount of food, will the child need assisted, can these help a child eat everything on the previous menu i posted?
the more and moer i examine these and similar cutlery sets, im noticing a pattern, many of these novelty items lack the pracical side and visa versa.

www.dooyoo.com

This a lovely plain and simple set, plastic like many for cleanliness sake. i found this whilst researching depth on the avergae set, as thats a feature im very interested in (see sketches to dates)
however thought this has deptha nd seems perfect for scooping, for all the size of the ehad, it might be a little too deep cnsidering it is also very sharp around the edges, adn the tips ends are rather pointy, likely a huge turn of for a small child.

i have to be very careful and consider the repercutions of any features i add onto this product.

www.chemist2customer.com


Novelty Characters. appealing?!
Ive had a look around not only the shops but the internet etc and asked around small children what popular tv shows, brands and toys are most appealing at the moment.
As always there are long lasting classics, and the annual show/fad. here are a few examples, im thinking would suit a set of cutlerly and would be appealing but not overwhelming.

(see sketches with noevlty characters incorporated)

Through my research i found there was many tv shows and other things directed solely at kids and toddlers, many of which are not just to entertain  but stimulate and teach, the little enstiens were my favourite example as it wasnt overly patronising and has music as well as other factual information, so not only has it characters that could be easily placed on merchndise like cutlery, but it has symbols and objects like rocket shiips and musical notes that could also be decorative.

The fact they are a teaching show, and help ids learn, fits perfectly with the whole 'teaching kids to eat' theme im going with.

www.alittletipsey.com

unlike many of the popular shows, thomas the tank enginge (though his animation has changed variously over the years) has remained a kids classic. meaning if he was on the cutlery, a manufacturer wouldnt have to redesign the imagery every other year.
thomas the tank engine seems entertaining and somewhat teaching, but more in morals than facts, either way, he and his costar friends would all be interesting enough for the cutlery.

www.growingyourbaby.com

a cross between little enstiens and thomas the tank engine, seaseme street is a classic tv show (though i dont believe any new episodes are being created, they are still re run everyday) seaseme street is entertaining and a teaching show, facts and morals.
so again it fits in with the stimulating teaching theme im going for, however another useful feature of this show is, there is many different characters, so one could be on the spoon where as another could be on a fork and so forth.

www.totallifecounselling.com

A long running classic character and brand, still in major production. its the go to for character merchanidise, walt disney. mickey mouse being the cover boy of the whole brand suits.
The only problem i have with using or thinking about using this type of character or brand is, its been done, a thousands times over, not just on cutlery, and not just the classic character, theyve created infant versions of the classics, to relate more to toddlers, and they made many cutlery sets, likely designed to help small children eat with more ease. so thought its a favourable, id like to stay away from such unoriginal ideas at this time.

www.disney.co.uk

couple more sketches

Here ive developed my initial ideas a little further,incorporating my research into it.

at this point shapes, colours and the depth etc play a major role in my design and development stages.