Meguru Ito sensei and Michihiro Hayashi sensei, who are in charge of Physics and Engineering Design classes, would like to introduce the ICT 3D Modeling Contest 2024.

 The ICT 3D Modeling Contest is a 3D CAD-themed contest for 1st and 2nd year students at the Hakusanroku Campus. ICT students begin using Autodesk Fusion 3D CAD software in their 1st year, and use 3D CAD modeling and 3D printers to output parts for use in classes and projects to improve student 3D CAD modeling skills. ICT holds a yearly competition called the ICT 3D Modeling Contest.
 The theme of this year's contest was “What You Want to Bring to an Evacuation Shelter.” Many victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on January 1st, 2024 were forced to live in evacuation centers for a long time. We chose this theme because we wanted students to think about what they need while imagining such a situation and creating their models. Students at Hakusanroku Campus completed and submitted their models as their summer vacation homework. After being reviewed by several judges, four students were selected as Excellence Award winners.
The following are the comments of the four students.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd year student, Hiroko Takeda
Title: Hardtack and Sugar Shimaenaga (a bird called Long-Tailed Tit) Candies

Production time: about 4 hours for the package, about 8 hours for modeling
Points of particularity: package
I created a shimaenaga version of the packaging to resemble the hardtack packaging that I remember from when I was a child. (The product information on the back of the package was faithfully reproduced down to the line breaks.)
Another key point is that I drew the Striped Shimaenaga to resemble the color scheme of the character on the original hardtack.

Modeling:
・When I creating the lid part of the can, I utilized both surface(*1) modeling and sheet metal(*2) techniques. (I didn't know how to do this, so I asked a question on the forum where I learned about it during the Fusion workshop last year, and they gave me detailed instructions.)
・I created the design for the hardtack package pattern myself and applied it to achieve a more realistic texture, striving to make it as authentic as possible.
・I tried to apply the decals to the package, but the image was cut off because of the curved surface. As a solution, I enclosed the solid (*3) with a surface, and then applied the package in two parts on top of the solid.

Judges’ Comments:
The modeling closely resembles the actual can shape, including how the lid bends when opened. The textures have also been meticulously created, making the overall work very impressive. The contents, the hardtack, have been designed in the style of Shimaenaga, showcasing creative attention to detail. However, the arrangement of the hardtack appears somewhat unnatural. Next time, you could try using features like physics simulations to calculate a more realistic stacking arrangement.

(*1) Surfaces: Function to make objects without thickness exist and express shapes in software.
(*2) Sheet metal: Function to bend, cut and change the thickness of plate-like objects.
(*3) Solid: Function to express a three-dimensional object as if it were packed inside.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd year student, Rinse Okiyama
Title: Bag

Production time: 2 days
Points of particularity:
The theme of this modeling contest was “What You Want to Bring to an Evacuation Shelter,” so I aimed to create a backpack that would be fun to prepare in everyday life. Therefore, I decided to add a unique face design to the front of the backpack while keeping in mind its need for a simple structure and portability. I spent about two days in the production process, paying particular attention to the backpack's three-dimensional shape, cloth-like texture, and easy-to-use zipper. I carefully adjusted the thickness and roundness of each part to give it a three-dimensional feel and to pursue realism. Since, I am a Fusion beginner, I faced many challenges during the production. Each time, I utilized the well-known forum function and quickly solved the problems that I did not understand. By referring to the advice of other users, I was able to learn as I went along. I am very happy that my work won an award for my persistence.

Judges’ Comments:
I think the soft impression of curved surfaces, which is a weakness of mechanical CAD, was well modeled. The fasteners are modeled a little larger than usual, but this may have contributed to the prettier impression. Whenever there was something unclear in the operation, she was able to ask a question to the forum and solve the problem, and I felt that it showed her willingness to learn independently. It would have been even better if the zipper was slightly opened to show the inside.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd year student, Ruuna Nakazawa
Title: Slim Compact Fan

Production time: about 5 hours
Points of particularity: The focus of my work is the shape of the internal propeller. I adjusted the direction, angle, and length of the propeller from a three-dimensional perspective in order to express the propeller's unique bend. I also tried to make the design as patterned as possible so that it would be close to the actual product I used as a reference.

Judges’ Comments:
I thought that the designer made good use of CAD functions, such as setting up “joints” for the parts where the handy fan folds up, and modeling “curved surfaces” with twists and turns. Also, she seems to have an excellent ability to carefully and in detail observe the actual objects and express them in CAD. The modeling of propellers, etc., is useful for fluid dynamics analysis, and I hope that she will be able to use even higher level CAD/CAE functions in the future.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd year student, Kaya Yasuda
Title: Home Fire Extinguisher

Production time: 6 hours
Points of particularity:
The main focus of this work is the parts that actually operate the fire extinguisher, such as the handle and pins. In this part, instead of combining the moving elements into a single shape, I separated them into individual parts and later assembled them. By doing this, I was able to create gaps and shadows between the parts and make them look good. I also spent a lot of time on the handles. It was difficult to create not only the shape and size, but also a complicated shape that was not filled in, so I made it little by little, changing the way it was made.

Judges’ Comments: I liked how the model was divided and modeled for each component used in an actual fire extinguisher. I think the model shows how each part is combined and how it moves to perform the function of a fire extinguisher. I also felt that the modeling conveys that the shape of the handle was carefully observed and balanced in terms of size and bend. I think it would be even better if the “joints” were set up to actually simulate movement in the screen, so please give it a try next time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Judges' General Comments:
Continuing from last year, the 3D modeling contest was held again, and we received a large number of strong entries from students. Many of the models had curved surfaces, which are difficult to model, or were carefully textured or had rendering settings that made them enjoyable to look at. Among them, we have selected a few works that particularly caught our attention. we hope they will serve as a reference for everyone's future 3D model production.

 We were surprised again at this year’s students excellent work, and we are looking forward to next year’s contest.

Meguru Ito
Michihiro Hayashi