Shape Computation Lab

Specifying a Gear in DrawScript

Tzu-Chieh Kurt Hong

02/20/2019

This video shows the design of a drawing script to generate a mechanical gear in the Shape Machine. On the left, the template for the DrawScript mode of Shape Machine is shown with four shape rules to specify the design automation. When the visual program is run, the rules are applied sequentially to: 1) draw an initial circle defining the outer radius of the gear; 2) offset a second circle to define the inner radius of the gear; 3) subdivide the outer radius to specify twelve parts; and 4) generate teeth at each of the twelve parts. The selection of the complete visual program in the DrawScript mode produces a gear design illustrated on the right with twelve teeth. At any time during the design process the designer can intervene in the DrawScript mode to change a shape rule and create a variation of the design. Here, the last shape rule that specifies the end of the gear is slightly edited to substitute its straight end with an arc end to specify a second design variation.

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