Design challenges

Jef Geys doesn’t only look back when it comes to his vision on the developments of art, but also forward. According to him, the technology of 3D printing is the next step in the ideas around art and production. The questions that he asks himself regarding what art is, what is real or surreal and what is it that makes an artwork unique are all applicable to this.

3D printing is a technology that allows the creation of highly complex and detailed physical works of art. Not only does it provide the possibility of creating very unique designs, but it also provides the possibility of 3D printing that exact same design over and over again.

This is where the artist Jef Geys challenges us to step up to the plate and take a shot at creating something unique. Does this sound like a challenge for you? Do you feel that you have what it takes to create something what is uniquely yours and share this with the world?

In collaboration with the art museum M HKA in Antwerp, we put out a call for all you brave designers out there to design something personal and unique with the technology of 3D printing. The objective is simple...

Design a new shape for an existing object

In this we have the following three different entry levels:

Youngsters & Beginners

Kids of up to 14 years old and beginners of 3D printing can make use of the software package 3D TIN to achieve their creative goals. You can visit their website and use their online software FOR FREE at www.3dtin.com

In 3D Tin you can make use of virtual building blocks in order to create a 3D shape. It’s kind of like playing with virtual Lego blocks and it even comes with a build-in basic tutorial.

To view what some of our customers have done with this software, please click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imaterialise/sets/72157627186363184/

The best three designs will be 3D printed by us and sent to you

Designers

Challengers in this entry level will already have some 3D background knowledge and will most likely already know how to use more sophisticated modeling packages. In this case, we will be accepting a still render of your artwork additional to your 3D model file. We currently accept the following file types: 3ds, stl, igs, model, mxp, obj, wrl, 3dm, skp and dae. All entries can be uploaded via the submit button on the challenge page.

The typical types of software packages that can be used for this entry level are for example the free Google SketchUp application. This can also be downloaded for free from their website at http://sketchup.google.com/. Other applications like 3D Studio Max or Maya are also perfectly acceptable for this challenge.

To view what some of our customers have done with these types of skills, please click the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imaterialise/sets/72157625833965925/

Like with all entry levels, the best three designs will also be 3D printed and sent to you

Sketchers

For those of you who have a nice set of hand drawings skills instead, we accept a clear drawing of your design which you can email to us. We will then convert your hand drawn artwork into a 3D printable model and like with the other entry levels, the best three designs will also be 3D printed and sent to you.

How to participate

Technical Info:

Maximum Size: Your 3D design has to fit within a box of 12x12x12 centimeters.
Detail Size: The smallest details can go up to 1 millimeter in size, nothing smaller please.
Colors are also allowed, including textures.

Practical Info:

Submit your work within one of the above entry levels and please pay close attention to the technical specifications when designing your artworks.

For Youngsters & Beginners

-        Step 1: Go to www.3dtin.com(not compatible with Internet Explorer)

-        Step 2: Press Start

-        Step 3: Log in with the following credentials

o   Email address: muhka3d@gmail.com

o   Password: ontwerpen

-        Step 4: Start creating your 3D Design (3D Tin offers useful tutorials with its software)

-        Step 5: Once you’re ready, save your work with your name as its file name(example: BuckRogers)

-        Step 6: Send an email to muhka3D@muhka.be with your name and your personal email address so that we can keep you up to date on the challenge.

For Designers

-        Step 1: Create your 3D design in your desired software package

-        Step 2: Save your work in one of the above mentioned files

-        Step 3: Upload your 3D model as well as a still render of your work by pressing the submit button at the bottom of this page

For Sketchers

-        Step 1: Create your drawing in a clear front, side and top view

-        Step 2: Send your drawings to muhka3d@muhka.be

You can submit your work up until the 1st of December of 2011. Once submitted, your artwork will be reviewed by a jury whom will select the nine best designs to be 3D printed and sent to the winners. (That's three for each entry level)

The winners of this challenge will have their artwork exposed at M HKA during the exhibition which ends on the 29^th of December. Once this happens you’ll get your artwork posted to your homes for you to enjoy it in your own personal environment.