Robert Efroymson uses code and 3D printing to make objects that engage, and perhaps puzzle.
I use code of my own crafting to design, analyze, and re-design forms. Drawing on years of experience in other media, primarily photography, I search for balance and interest. Bronze sculpture is a team sport, and I work closely with great professionals on the casting, chasing, and patina work.
Since my process is somewhat unusual, you might be interested in reading a bit more about the tools I use to create the work.
3d Printer. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) refers to a technology of building up a 3d object layer by layer on a flat build plate. The Filament used is PLA, or poly lactic acid. This is a very safe plastic to work with that makes very sturdy objects. More importantly, it can replace the wax in a lost wax casting process, that we may call “lost PLA”. In lost PLA the main difference is that the PLA must be burned out, not melted out. However, it burns out very cleanly, and the Bronze piece that comes back from the foundry catches every detail of the PLA original.
Python. The Python programming language has been around for several years, and is one of the most popular languages now. It supports multiple different design paradigms, including object-oriented and functional. It also handles old fashioned imperative programming, such as I did professionally in C for many years.
OpenScad. One of Python’s many advantages is its enormous collection of libraries. One, called solidPython, links Python with OpenScad, an open source CAD program. The advantage of this arrangement is that the visualization and rendering tools of OpenScad can be used to visualize objects and prepare them for printing, while the more open ended programming environment of Python enables an exploratory and playful approach to tool making.
makePolyhedron5.py This is library of routines that I wrote in Python. Everyone who uses a computer is familiar with the notion of a software tool, from text editors to paint programs to video editors; tools are ubiquitous. A programming language is more than a tool though, it is a tool construction kit. Every computer user is familiar with the frustration of not quite being able to get the result wanted from the tools provided. Writing your own code is the answer.