M2.2;
Improvisational
printing
This project follows up on re-inserting the designer in the making process of 3D printing. Instead of augmenting the process, this project investigates the live-coding of the machine. A 3D printer was adapted to work with live-streaming code, and an interface was made to program this code. First a quick interface was made and quickly the limitations to the interface arose. This prompted the design of a modular system for programming g-code, as the system could grow with my experiences. A communication protocol inspired by modular synthesizers was designed and applied in a range of modules. These modules were used to program the 3D print and explore the concept of “live 3D printing”. This resulted in a reconfiguration of the 3D printing practise, where the designer entered a different relationship with his machine.
The goal of this project was to continue untangling the designer-machine assemblage of fabrication and understand their correspondence in making processes. By exploring live coding the machine I was able to not only explore one parameter at a time by hand, but all parameters. Reconfiguring my relationship with the 3D printer was interesting, as it brought up a different approach to additive manufacturing. The 3D printing became performative, improvisational, and serendipitous. These first-hand reflections were interesting however also a bit confused, I was not yet able to relate my first-person experiences with theoretical frameworks. I started to touch on the philosophical implications of this technical exploration but was not able to articulate them convincingly. Thus, my methodology of this process needed some deepening, to be able to phrase the meaning of the process.
This project naturally revolved around MD/C, C/A and T/R, making the modules, exploring writing G-code live, and exploring its expression in plastic. A significant time was spend exploring the academic related work, on making, agency and configurations of machines (US). The application of this theory in writing, could use a lot of work.
