The Year 7, 8 and 9 Computing Science classes have been tasked with creating their own 3D models with the only limit being their imagination. They are then able to print them on the printer and see them come to life!
Kajsa Andersson in Year 9, who has really been enjoying learning about 3D modelling and design, tells us about what she chose to model, why and how she’s gone about it.
What did you decide to make and why? I decided to make a Canon camera. I decided to do this because I love photography. I enjoy taking photos of nature, like Australian beaches, African animals and so on.
How did you make it, describe the steps? I started by sketching using my Mum’s camera as a model. I took a photo and edited it in InkScape. Once my design was complete I transferred it to Blender and then extracted the lines to make it 3D. The next step is to finalise the model for printing and then I will get to print it out and hold my model of a DSLR!
What do you think about having a 3D printer in school? It's very exciting. This is the first time I've used one and it's something I've really enjoyed. I hope other students get the chance to try it out to make their own 3D prints.
Emma Makin, Head of Computing Science is really excited about the opportunities that the printers can offer to our students:
“I believe that exposing our students to new and emerging technologies is crucial in developing their understanding of the world around them. Furthermore, it is incredible to see just how creative our students can be when tasked to design a 3D model which will be printed. So far the students are just learning the necessary 3D modelling skills needed to construct and then print out their designs. However, I envision in the future that several uses can be made for the 3D printers such as in History, students could print out accurate models of historical artefacts and study them. Or in Geography, students could print out maps showing the topography, population or demographics of an area.”
If you can think of any other interesting uses for a 3D printer please tell Miss Makin all about it, and see if you can make it happen!