The Symmetry in a Basic Temple

The Symmetry in a Basic Temple by Cassandra Hulbert

MATH 401 

9 September 2019

About My Print:I generated my inspiration for this project from my recent trip to Tokyo, Japan. The temples within Japan date as far back as the early 7^thcentury and are found in abundance throughout the country. Early construction centered around nature, aesthetic, and symmetry. I wanted a three story pagoda, with each floor slightly smaller than the previous and a characterizing lightning rod. The idea was simple enough, but required a composite of different techniques within OpenSCAD to create. The object puts to work several of the techniques learned in week 1 tutorials. 

  

Creation Process:With the use of entirely cubes and cylinders, this object was able to be stacked and formed. Starting on the lower level, a cube of [20,20,6] measurements was developed, with a difference cube of [20,5,3] to cut out a doorway. To top the “main room”, I developed a cylinder which was pinched at the top, flattened, then adjusted to 4 facets, ($fn = 4), to create a square-based with a sliced top, also known as a frustum. I repeated this process of a cube topped with a frustum, with each overhead layer having smaller dimensions (of -5 in length and width), until I got to base layer 3. The cylinder which made up the rod, with a radius of only .5, was of relatively small-scale dimensions. The hanging edges in the rendering of my code proved to be a slight problem when it came to print time. Nevertheless, my object was now ready to be printed.

Printing Process:The Ultimaker Cura put my print time at roughly 2 hours. About 45 minutes in, the plastic starts to dip in where the edges hung. I had to stop my print, add supports in, and re-print. For it being my first print, I expected error, hoped for perfection. With the supports in and a smaller scale, my print was able to fit in the allotted timeframe. Ultimately, I was pleased with the quality, accuracy, and sturdiness of my final product.