Project Template

Team Name

Knell Labs – Knell Graphics Educational Aid

Timeline

Summer 2023 – Fall 2023

Students

Adam Khalaf
Alfredo Gutierrez Garcia
Nathanael Browning
Tu Ngoc Tran
Xavier A. Portillo-Catalan

Abstract

3D modeling serves an essential role in architecture, product design, creating visualizations, simulations, and real-world prototypes. Despite how important this skill can be, there is a significant barrier to entry as well as a steep learning curve for those interested in utilizing 3D modeling. Current tools in the market are either too complex, expensive, or sometimes demand high computational resources that might not be available to every user. This complexity limits the creativity of beginners, students, and hobbyists.

With this in mind, we concur that the main problem is the lack of an easily accessible and user-friendly modeling tool that can cater to beginners and professionals. This project’s purpose is to bridge this gap by providing web-based 3D modeling software that is intuitive and easy to use.

Background

The current market for 3D modeling software is dominated by high-end applications such as Maya, AutoCAD, Blender, SketchUp, and Revit. These applications often require extensive training to master, even with online tutorials and resources. For beginners, the steep learning curve and complexity of these tools can be daunting. Furthermore, the cost of licensing these professional-grade tools as well as the high computational power required to run the software smoothly narrows their accessibility. 3D modeling can be used to enhance the understanding of complex concepts. This is a vast market that is currently under-served.

Project Requirements

User-Friendly Interface ~ Vital for ensuring ease of use and accessibility for a broad audience, including educational institutions, hobbyists, and professionals.
3D Modeling and Interaction ~ The core functionality that allows users to create, interact with, and edit 3D models within a web browser.
Importing and Exporting Models ~ Essential for compatibility with widely used 3D model formats, crucial for user flexibility in using the tool.
Web-Based System ~ Ensures broad accessibility and compatibility, aligning with the product’s aim to be widely accessible without software installation.
Device Compatibility ~ Critical to ensure the tool works effectively across various devices and browsers, particularly those supporting WebGL.
Account and Login Feature ~ Critical for personalizing user experiences, managing 3D models, and enabling collaboration.
Open Source ~ Facilitates community contributions, long-term maintenance.
Web-Based Real-Time Collaboration ~ Although a future priority, this feature is significant for distinguishing the project from similar tools and enhancing collaborative capabilities.

System Overview

Knell Graphics Educational Aid is a web-based 3D modeling software that will feature a user-friendly interface and intuitive controls. In order to lower the barrier to entry for those new to 3D modeling, the software will be built to manage complex modeling tasks efficiently, making it a versatile tool for a wide range of users.

The system will consist of several major components:

1. User Interface: This will be the primary interface that users interact with. It will be designed with simplicity and intuitiveness in mind, with straightforward tools and controls for creating, editing, and manipulating 3D models.

2. Rendering Engine: This is the core of the system, responsible for generating the 3D models from user.

3. Online Connectivity: The tool allows multiple users to collaborate in the same project.

Users will primarily interact with the User Interface to create and manipulate 3D models. The Rendering Engine will turn these user inputs into what the user sees.

Results

The development of the Knell Graphics Educational Aid primarily achieved its goals through a strong focus on accessibility and usability. By leveraging modern web development frameworks and standards, we were able to create a user-friendly interface that caters to a diverse user base. The implementation of key features like 3D modeling and interaction, account management, and .STL file import/export functionalities was carried out with an emphasis on performance and compatibility across various devices and browsers. Although some features like real-time collaboration are slated for future development, the core functionalities were successfully realized. The following video is a short demonstration of what the current version of the project is capable of.

Future Work

Some members of the current team wish to continue their work on the Knell Graphics Educational Aid, focusing on implementing features that were not delivered in the initial version. A notable feature we were very close to completing, but not included in the current release, is the ability to create holes in models as part of a sculpting tool. This functionality would allow for more intricate and detailed model designs. The team’s future development plan includes several critical features we weren’t able to get to.

The introduction of real-time collaboration would be a major upgrade, allowing multiple users to work on the same scene together.
The addition of undo and redo functions will give users the ability to correct mistakes and experiment more freely.
Grouping and ungrouping capabilities for better model control.
Improved and more precise sculpting tools.
Animation features to add motion to models.
The development of a plugin system to enable user-driven customizations and extensions.
Integrating a 3D model slicer to facilitate the transition from digital models to 3D printing.