By Every Monday, College of Arts lecturer Devin Wilson offers students and faculty a chance to explore what the world of 3D modeling has to offer in the campus’ Innovation Space located on the ground floor of the University Library.
On Nov. 18 at 1 p.m., the workshop began with a presentation by Wilson, where 10 attendees were given beginner-friendly, step-by-step instructions on how to use the Blender Interface software, an application used for the modeling process.
Wilson’s instructions on using Blender interface helped attendees begin creating their first model– a spider leg.
The focus of the workshop is to help give attendees the foundational knowledge on how to create their models.
“It’s for people with little to absolutely no skill whatsoever– whether that be with 3D modeling or even opening the software itself,” Wilson said. “I want to create an environment where it’s collaborative, open, communicative, where students don’t feel that they need to come in with knowledge to have access to this stuff.”
Though meant as an introductory lesson, the workshop does get more in-depth, should anyone choose to attend another workshop the following week. Taught at the speed and level of its attendees, the class seeks to help further their knowledge and skills.
Wilson began teaching at Long Beach State this fall and has volunteered to lead the workshop since the beginning of the semester.
Though he is a lecturer for the College of the Arts, Wilson noticed the lack of teaching for students to learn about digital modeling and wanted to fill that gap.
Wilson was trained as a sculptor and began his journey in 3D modeling during graduate school. Provided with the materials but no proper lessons in digital fabrication, Wilson taught himself.
“I have no formal training, I am completely self-taught,” Wilson said. “Within four years, I taught myself the entirety of CAD software, I taught myself Blender, I taught myself 3D printing, 3D modeling, laser cutting, illustrator for laser cutting, [and] Waterjet.”
Devin Wilson provides one-on-one help to a workshop attendee in creating a spider leg model with Blender software at the 3D printing workshop in ISPACE on Nov. 18. Photo credit: Jamie R. Austria
Victoria Rose, a junior ISPACE technician, helped to bring the workshop forward.
Rose mentioned that the workshop hopes to provide more education regarding the modeling stage to interested participants before they move onto the process of physical 3D printing.
Additionally, Rose said that she hopes to see more workshops for other services the ISPACE studio has to offer.
“Right now it’s 3D modeling, but we also have a podcast studio, a laser cutter and 360 theater, so ideally we will have kind of an intro course for all of our services,” she said.
The ISPACE center houses many different printers, with the most expensive being its 3D multi-material PolyJet printer which costs $250,000. This printer has advanced technology that can print things in any color.
ISPACE’S 3D printing services are available to anyone, and done at a cheaper price in comparison to outside sources.
Users are charged only for the cost of material used, with students being given an additional 70% percent off.
“This is truly just to help you get in on that bottom level and get rid of the barrier to entry that we see in engineering and 3D printing, where if you’re not taught formally, you can’t do it,” Rose said. “We want to change that narrative because there are small things that you can learn that you can then use to create anything.”
The next 3D modeling workshop will take place on Dec. 2 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., given the campus’ closure for the Thanksgiving holiday.
There is a limit of 10 attendees per a workshop, so prior reservations are required through the Innovation Space’s website.
