Dynamic Mutations @Harvard GSD

Autodesk Maya’s vast capabilities have been dominating the film and video game industry for years as the standard in design and CGI work flow. Both entertainment forms require tools to create imaginary spaces that can be parametrically designed to change at any given time, adapting to new ideas. Since its creation, Maya has also been adapted into other major industries such as automotive design, product design, and prototyping fields in general. More and more architectural studios acknowledge its potential in forming building structures, providing new design logic, advanced free-form modeling, and surpassing the boundaries of linear design tools. Maya’s design logic and generative processes achieve diversity and complexity in form generation. Unlike many 3d modeling software, Maya gives the user a more natural modeling environment similar to modeling with clay in your hands. This allows concept phase models to quickly come to life with a better connection between the foreseen vision and the 3d results. The goal for this workshop is to teach students how to model complex geometry in Maya while dynamically mutating it, quickly building up versions of the initial idea. Students will learn the modeling shortcuts used by major design houses to create unique designs in the most time efficient ways possible. Most importantly, students will learn to create models which allow flexibility in design decisions via cataloged history states as opposed to having to re-do a model when changes are needed. The final portion of the workshop will provide students with high quality visualization techniques using Luxion Keyshot. Students should bring their own laptops with Autodesk Maya and Luxion Keyshot installed. Autodesk Maya can be downloaded and used for free up to 3 years under a student license on Autodesk's website. Luxion Keyshot can be downloaded as a watermark free 14-day trial on Keyshots website. Requirements: General understanding of 3D modeling software is a plus. Laptops with Autodesk Maya and Luxion Keyshot installed.

Collaboration: Design Morphine