Blog - Page 5 of 11

Digital Innov8ors Showcase 2020

Thoroughly enjoyed talking at the digital Innov8ors showcase 2020 at Solihull College, about the importance of innovation in business and the current skills gap within Immersive technologies like Virtual reality and augmented reality. Our @Taran3D student collaborators, who we mentor once a week, also showcased the awesome work they are doing on an interactive online marketing tool. A great initiative well done and thank you to the Digital INnov8ors team for inviting us to Solihull College

Hall Green Secondary Careers Fair

Taran3D attended the Hallgreen Secondary school Careers Fair yesterday. Answering questions about routes into emerging 3D and immersive technology industries. We discussed various roles from creative to technical development and we encouraged them to experiment and explore with freetools they can find online.

Students from Hall Green Secondary School asking questions and testing out a Quest VR Headset

Many other companies and organisations attended the vent to inform students about future careers.

Workshop: Making 3D worlds SketchUp Meets Unity at STEAMhouse

This two day workshop is designed for beginners with little or no previous experience of 3D modelling. You will learn the basics of drawing and 3D modelling in SketchUp and use it to create a 3D environment which we will then make interactive using the Unity3D game engine.

SketchUp is a simple to learn 3D modelling software that makes it easy to draw digital 3D objects and spaces. The programme is used for a wide range of 3D modelling applications including architectural design, woodworking, product design, game design, exhibition design and 3D printing. We will use SketchUp Free, which is the no cost version of SketchUp that runs online in a web browser.

In addition to SketchUp, you will also be introduced to the Unity3D game engine, which allows you to import and interact with 3D content in real-time. The Unity game engine has an intuitive workflow and allows you to create interactive environments that you can ‘walk’ around. The Unity Game engine is also free for personal and learning use.

Day One – Introduction to SketchUp

How to draw and extrude shapes
Measuring and inferencing along the correct axis
Modifying 3D geometry – moving, rotating, deleting
Building a space

Day two – Introduction to Unity3D Game Engine

Basic navigation
Importing and manipulating SketchUp models in Unity3D
Creating interactive digital spaces and environments

Royal Armouries (Leeds) – Monarchs – Maharaja Ranjit Singh

A terrific opportunity being invited to the Royal Armouries event, ‘Monarchs – Ranjit Singh’.

Showcasing a range of digital technologies through 3D Touch Screens and Virtual Reality allowing people to view ancient historical Sikh artefacts related to the Punjab Kingdom.

3D Studio Max Live Training

3D Studio Max Live Training – Basics and Getting Started. We will be covering Basic setup, navigation, tips & tricks and basic modelling skills. Feel free to join if your interested or have any questions. Punjabi Speakers are welcome as we usually mix it up a bit !

3D Studio Max is high end 3D production software used in all industries from engineering and architecture to gaming and VFX to produce cutting edge 3D content.

Link to livestream :https://www.facebook.com/taran3d/videos/983758725151647/

Sri Hazur Sahib Frame Digital Design

In early 2018 I was contacted by Inderjit Singh Mann from Abu Dhabi regarding an old frame from Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib which is situated in the main complex. The frame houses the main painting depicting the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The painting of Guru Gobind Singh ji was painted by Hari Singh from Amritsar (circa 1900) who created many masterpieces including a painting of Rabindranath Tagore which presently resides at the Parliment House. The ornate frame was carved out of wood and had become worn and warped over the years due to excessive heat and wear. Inderjit Singh expressed a desire to take on this seva(service) and enlisted my expertise in creating an accurate replica of the frame.

The frame houses the main painting of the 10th Master, Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the main complex

As the original frame was severely warped and damaged we decided that the best way forward would be to replace the frame in its entirety whilst maintaining the original features.

Stage one of the process was to 3D scan the original frame, which was carried out by a local company in India. Once it was scanned and I received the 3D model it became apparent that there was extensive damage to the details due to wear and tear.

My role involved taking accurate measurements from the scan and recreating a base frame that matched the original with the warp corrected. I then remodelled the beading and linear pattern details using the non damaged parts of the scan as a reference.

Thereafter I focused on the ornate flower detail work of the frame. I carefully extracted each detail section and projected them back onto the new base that I had built. It became apparent that the initial scan failed to extract the sharper details of the carving. I brought back the detail by digitally re-sculpting the detail back into each section. This part of the process was extremely time consuming and difficult.

Additional details were requested by Inderjit Singh and Baba Kulwant Singh ji. Primarily some weapons and the hawk of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. in addition to this, semi precious stones were embedded to represent individual sacrifices of martyrs from Sikh History.

The Forty semi precious stones on all the corners of the frame symbolise the bravery of the 40 Muktas. The stones used are all 13 mm in diameter and ar agate, amber, coral, coralina, lapis, malachite, quartz and torquoise. A 54 carat freshly mined and cut stone fixed at bottom is in the memory of Mata Bhago Ji.

It has Four Lioness on each inner corner showcasing the power and strength of Mata Gujri Ji , Mata Jeeto Ji , Mata Sundri Ji and Mata Sahib Devan Ji. In each of the lioness’ mouths are placed four precious 52 carat stones in memory of the 4 sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the sahibzadey – Baba Ajit Singh Ji , Baba Jujhar Singh Ji , Baba Zorawar Singh Ji , Baba Fateh Singh Ji. To represent the Panj Pyarey we have two chaur sahibs, a spear (barshi), a sword (sri sahib) and an arrow.

The frame also has a hawk and horse on the each side both of which were very close to guru Gobind Singh jis heart. The mother pearls around the frame are like a Blanket of Protection “Hind Di Chadar” calm and pious and represents the bravery and sacrifice of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji

Once the Digital Model was approved it was sent to a manufacturer in Italy who then produced the frame from a composite of brass and copper with a gold plated finish. the final Frame weighed in at 140kg. It was installed in the shrine during the Guru Nanak Gurpurb celebrations in November 2018.

The project was a fascinating insight into how 3D technologies can be used to restore and recreate historic relics. I am thankful to Bhai Inderjit Singh ji from Abu Dhabi and Jathedar Baba Kulwant Singh Ji under whose supervision the seva was undertaken. The frame was paid for by the kind donations of Bibi Maninder Kaur Bedi. Additional thanks to the Sachkhand Board and special Thanks to the efforts put in by Bhai Jatinder Singh Ji.

The final frame was installed during the Nov 2018 Gurpurb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

The final frame above the door to the inner sanctum which holds the relics of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

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Takht SachKhand Sri Hazur Sahib

Hazur Sahib, also known as Abchal Nagar, is one of the five takhts (“thrones”, seats of temporal authority) in Sikhism. It is located on the banks of the River Godavari at the city of Nanded in the state of Maharashtra, Western India. The gurudwara within the complex is known as Sach-Khand (Realm of Truth).

The structure is built at the place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru’s encampment was. The inner room of the gurdwara is called the Angitha Sahib and is built over the place where Guru Gobind Singh was cremated in 1708 and holds ancient relics belonging to the tenth master. The gurdwara was built between 1832 and 1837 by order of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji (1780–1839)

Free Intro to 3D Technologies Workshop

I will be teaching these free “Intro to 3D technologies” workshops for the @sikhmuseuminitiative project to raise awareness and provide free skills and training about how anyone interested in 3D technology can start to learn and make use of it in their daily work.

If you have ever been interested in photogrammetry, virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D modelling objects, 3D scanning or Google cardboard then sign up for the workshop. There will be practical demonstrations and advice on software and tools.

It’s totally free and we will be starting off at a basic level so perfect for beginners.

Leicester – 17th November 2018
– Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester LE2 7BY.
Birmingham – 1st December 2018
– Nishkam Centre, 6 Soho Road, Handsworth, B21 9BH.

Limited places – Go to www.sikhmuseum.org.uk to book a place.

Atam Academy Khanda

In September 2018, representatives of the Atam Academy School inquired about creating a bespoke Khanda design for their Nishaan Sahib that would be unveiled at an opening ceremony on 13th October 2018.

The Khanda is a traditional representation of the double-edged broad sword, which has particular significance due its use in the traditional Sikh Baptism Ceremony.

In recent times the khanda used on most Sikh institutions have been cheaply mass-produced and of poor quality.

A standard Nishaan Sahib with Khanda Insignia and a typical mass produced 15 inch Khanda for placing on Nishan Sahibs

As I am an antique weapons enthusiast I suggested a design that better resembles traditional weapons of the 18th century but with a modern elegant design. The school representatives liked the idea. I produced a few different concept designs in 3D.

This was the first iteration of the design I came up with

The second alternate design added some handle guard style flourishes to each side of the khanda and this was the design they ultimately fell in love with.

Once the design was agreed we discussed the potential material and cost implications of producing the khanda. initially, we agreed to have the part CNC milled in metal with an anodised coating, which proved to be not only costly but time-consuming as well. Another issue was that we didn’t have accurate measurements of the pole attachment, so it did not make sense to spend a significant amount of money on a part that we could not guarantee would fit perfectly. compounding the issue was the fact that there were not many companies in the UK that could produce the part on time. The other method that was discussed was to 3D print the insignia in plastic and then coat it with a metallic finish. This seemed to be the most viable way to produce the part in the short time we had, even if it was just a temporary measure for the opening ceremony.

As most common 3D Printers I had access to have small build volumes the part had to be split into 4 parts. we engineered a keying joint that would enable the part to be securely reassembled once printed. As the khanda would be installed externally and subject to adverse weather conditions I decided to print the part in ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic filament as opposed to PLA (Polylactic Acid), which is a more common biodegradable filament, due to ABS being more durable and being able to withstand higher temperatures. The parts took 38 hours to print in total.

The khanda split into four parts with keys

Epoxy adhesive was used to attach the parts and gaps were filled using common wood filler. The parts were printed using FDM printing, which is the process of melting a 1.75mm of abs plastic wire through a nozzle into layers of 0.2 mm. This meant that the parts had a visible protruding line where the layers have been melted on top of each other. These striations on the surface needed to be sanded out to ensure a smooth realistic finish. the sanding process was the most laborious and time-consuming task, due to it having to be done manually by hand. I used a high grit rough sandpaper and then worked my way down to lower and smoother grit sandpaper.

Once assembled and primed I explored various options for the surface finish. We decided on using metallic paint often used by car enthusiasts. Common sprays only give the impression of metal but these paints have actual metal in the paint giving them a durable finish and even a magnetic property.

I had a few problems with the flourish designs, they were too thin and kept breaking off. I secured them, in the end, using a drill and dowel joints to secure the armatures. I am working on a new prototype that will make the structure of the flourish design stronger. I am also working on making them modular so they could potentially be swapped out for different handle designs or replaced easily if broken.

I felt privileged to be asked to design the Khanda for the Atam Academy School Nishaan Sahib. It was a pleasure to do and lovely to meet all the dedicated sevadars making the school happen.

I really believe that we need to start putting the same love, care and attention into the design of our cultural artefacts as was the case in our early history when things were not cheaply mass-produced. I commend the Atam Academy for taking the effort and time to create something that we can all be proud of.

the final finished piece.

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3D Printing Workshop at ASW Exhibition

As part of the Anglo Sikh Wars exhibition project in 2017, we offered three days of creative craft activities and workshops. We thought that the final workshop would be a great opportunity to share some of the 3D technology that we had been utilising as part of our in-house artefact digitisation project. The aim was to get children interested in emerging 3D technologies like rapid prototyping and 3D printing.

3D model of 18th Century arrowheads and resulting 3D print

3D printing is opening up inconceivable possibilities to design and build all kinds of imaginative objects directly from a desktop 3D printer. We explained via demonstration how a 3D printer works and what types of materials can be used. The children were very curious and asked loads of great questions like “how much do they cost?” and “what is the largest item you can print?”. We decided to create some commemorative medals

thought it would be great opportunity to showcase to the children how 3D printers can be used to produce original objects or recreate lost relics. The SMI team also wanted to give the children something they could take away with them. I designed and printed two keyring medal designs for the Anglo Sikh Wars exhibition that children could paint and take away with them as a souvenir.

It would have taken too long to 3D print 100 medals, so I decided to create the copies of the medal using casting techniques. I immersed the 3D printed medal in a liquid silicone rubber which solidified over 24 hours. The silicone mould could then be used to pour in Liquid polyurethane resin which sets within 15-20 minutes and turns into a solid plastic . The resin cast copies were then cleaned up and primed ready to be painted by the children attending the workshop.

During the workshop the children were able to see the 3D printer in action. They learnt about the different types of 3D printers and different materials that can be used. They also learnt how the technology is currently being used by enthusiasts and professionals in various industries. The children really enjoyed the workshop and were fascinated by the 3D printer.

In addition to the 3D printing, the children present had a chance to try out some paper craft activities by creating 3D paper models of the Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar and the first letter of the Punjabi alphabet which is available to download here and here. The children really enjoyed the workshop and were fascinated by the 3D printer. Here are some of the comments we received from families who participated in the event.