Brad Fox
I was delighted to read your excellent thoughts.
It's interesting that you're promoting concept modeling in much the same
fashion as people teaching architecture - "model" " model" "model."
Perhaps it's significant that the trend in industry is toward more, better,
faster design change. Isn't there less tendency to leave the basic concept
untouched and putter with trivial details, than was typical ten years ago?
The new demands of competition mean that designers need to handle 3D problems
more efficiently and successfully. This is what architecture schools have
specialized for years. Although I won't claim that architects are always
efficient and successful, I will say that the best of them have learned that
it's awful hard to beat a lot of concept modeling in the early stages. These
concept models can be relatively rough and inaccurate - they are working tools
of the trade. The expensive models are reserved for later in the process.
So, give us fast, cheap and easy 3D printers - so anyone can crank out 3D
hardcopy "like popcorn." With the potential increase in user volume, there's
no reason why such machines shouldn't come WAY down in price - and add black
and then more colors along the way to the "Epson Goal". {{By the way, let's
not even wait for "university" or "beer and cigarette money" - maybe
interested kids will to be able to save there "bubble gum money" for some
nifty little "Intendo," - modeled on their Nintendo and printed out at
Kinko's}}
Norm Kinzie
Architect
(781) 444-6910
In a message dated 98-03-12 15:50:08 EST, you write:
> If we hope to dramatically reduce the time to market, then lets start
> utilizing concept models in the first 70%. Gunther Kruse was right when he
> said, "Too many companies have a blind spot to the strategic dimension of
RP
> technologies." Concept modeling is strategic.
>
> To truely integrate this, it means a culteral change at companies. This is
> the biggest battle - and this is where you Universities come in. It was the
> Universities that played a crucial role in training students in CAD. These
> young eager beavers graduated and changed the current thought toward CAD at
> the companies they worked for. LIKEWISE, THEY NEED TO DO THE SAME WITH
> CONCEPT MODELING.
>
> Which is why I would encourage every University to change their own focus
> abit. Keep up the hard core research in 'high end' RP, but start pumping
> out engineers where concept modeling is like going to the bathroom - the
> urge is there and you better act upon it!
>
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