Update

Project Update

                In continuance, I’m constructing 3D models today because you have accidentally misplaced your keys and locked everyone out of the back room where their projects await them. Within that closet was the arduino board I have been using to attempt and figure out how programming works. For this reason, I continued designing 3D objects in Sketchup.

                The most recent creation was the small portion of the Great Wall of China I designed. Then, I figured it would be cool to move on to an object that wasn’t a piece of architecture; a civil war ship. After cruising through Google I found a 34’ model of the CSS Virginia. I have spent a few days working on the file within the dispersed time I have been allotted and have a result. Although not completely refined, it’s getting the job done. The only part I have become incredibly disappointed with is that the bottom of the ship isn’t designed correctly. The real ship curves inward as you look at the bottom. The way the file happened to end up being designed though would not allow me to do such a thing. With a flat bottom, it still retains the ship-like shape and identifiable structure.

                Hopefully tomorrow you will have found the keys and working on the Arduino will commence again. Without someone to guide me though, I’m finding it extremely difficult to just pick up and work with. The web hasn’t been a whole lot of help yet and just plugging LED’s in isn’t exactly ideal. Hopefully tomorrow I will have better luck.

Project Update 4

So as of today I got a step further with the arduino. Understanding the basics is a large part of thsi small project that I personally really have to grasp before starting more significant things. Understanding that linking wires to ground then from ground to halfway across the breadboard was something I never even began to think about. As Chris Hawes sat next to me waiting to print something out, he also began to plug in LED's. We found that the difference between the slots 13, 12, 11, and 10 werew all very different. The voltage or something is completely wacked out. Some of the inputs had pulse modifiers on them and therefore left a completely spin on things. The code I had written did not seem to work on all the LED'S, althoug hit workede for 13 and 12. Here's the code I wrote:

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(12, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);  // set the LED on
  delay(1500);            // wait betweeen blinks
  digitalWrite(12, HIGH);
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);  // Turn LED off
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(12, LOW);
  delay(1500);
  digitalWrite(11, HIGH);
  delay(1500);
  digitalWrite(10, HIGH);
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(11, LOW);
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(10, LOW);
  delay(1500);
}

Project Update 4/30/12

                I could not for the life of me either find the arduino I have been using or download it from offline. I used the search feature on the computer and the only result I got was for Arduino 17. You have UNO arduino boards and 17 does not support and or identify UNO boards. For this reason, I deviated from my main project today to fix and print off of the 3D printer.

                I had made a piece of the Great Wall of China and finally made the decision to make it happen. Starting off quite rough, the platform was uneven. This has been a reoccurring issue and for some reason I never thought of looking under the platform. The issue was that one of the allen screws was halfway unscrewed and had the platform at an angle. I screwed that back down, heated up the platform, and now have the opportunity to print my Great Wall piece.

                Gradually, I am still learning this machine even after 2 years like we always say. I’ve tried quite hard to stay away from the MakerBot because lately it just seems to waste my time, but I needed one last print before I left for college. I hope to take one of the opportunities you have granted me and intend to follow up on that fab lab place on Mass Ave. Hopefully, I’ll bee lucky enough to get my foot in the door and continue to build great things just like I have gotten the chance to in this class.

Project Update 2!

After figuring out the basics, I got a program of simple blinking lights to work. Amazingly enough, I was able to write the code myself and have a simple understanding of how it works. On the Arduino Uno, I plugged in LEDs in slots 12 and 13 after running ground to the breadboard. You have to start somewhere right?! So next I will try to understand exactly what code I will need to write in order rig up the small camera to it. Here's an example of the code I'm writing:

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(12, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);  // set the LED on
  delay(1500);            // wait betweeen blinks
  digitalWrite(12, HIGH);
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);  // Turn LED off
  delay(1000);
  digitalWrite(12, LOW);
  delay(1500);
}

New Documentation!!!

Been a while, with college and such, but it's time to start documentation for a new project! Given the option, I have made the decision to work with arduino. I'm not exactly sure as to what kind of board I'll be using yet, but it might be a Liliypad I was given by Professor Leah Buchley at an MIT workshop I did. Ideally, I'd like to learn the basics of how to really work with and improve the arduino considering it's a really basic circuit board.

Hopefully I'll be able to rigg up a switch for a camera and then a little LCD screen to view the pictures taken. Starting simple here makes the most sense to me. Then, if I have the capacity to figure it out, may have the button tripped by a motion sensor or something of the sort. Essentially my goal is to really figure out exactly what it will take to do such a project.

This weeks results!

As of this week, as previously stated, I was left with soem stickers of a spartan's helmet, a laser cut box, and what I was most proud of, the Pantheon I designed! The fiel is very very close to being able to print and I thoroughly plan on posting it on Thingiverse just liek everythign else I do! The pantheon was another identifiable structure that everyoen knows has its home in Italy. The colosseum I was designing in sketchup is mostly finished, but got caught on a snag due to an error with the program caused by the lack of actual CURVED LINES. Instead, Sketchup makes circles out of straight lines. This problem is constantly causing me issues and stops projects from beign completed due to the innaccuracy of its appearance. Fortunately though, the Pantheon will be doen soon. This is my progress so far!

Refurbishing the Skills!

This whoel week has been dedicated to projects I've done both in the past and am presently working on. I recently redesigned both vinyl stickers and redesigned my laser cut box. The projects helped me do multiple things:
First and foremost, reestablishing how to work with open office draw fiels. I oculd not remember for the life of me how to cut let alone make a vinyl sticker. The project definately helped this rusted skill.

Second, was how to make and design a tab and slot box in open office. Ever since I did these projects last year, I've stayed as far away from the program as possible haha. This hesitation hasnt aged well over time. The tab and slot box though was a very inttricate intimate project that took both time and patience when first designing the files, but is well worth it when you see the final result.