00_Syllabus - entertainmenttechnology/Corn-MTEC2250-Fall2022 GitHub Wiki

MTEC 2250 - D337: FABRICATION FOR PHYSICAL COMPUTING

Emerging Media Technologies (MTEC)
Department of Entertainment Technology
New York City College of Technology
City University of New York
Fall 2022

COURSE INFORMATION

When: Fridays 10:00 AM - 1:20 PM
Location: On-Campus in Voorhees V-225 Modality: Fully In-Person Professor: Josh Corn
Course site: https://github.com/entertainmenttechnology/Corn-MTEC2250-Fall2022
Slack: https://mtec2250-fa22-f.slack.com/
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Wednesdays 2-3PM, Fridays 2-3PM + by appointment Sign up for office hour time slots through the Calendly link: https://calendly.com/jcorn-mtec

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A companion course to MTEC 2280, Ins and Outs, Fabrication for Physical Computing is a project-oriented course that focuses on digital fabrication techniques in emerging media practices. Students deepen their knowledge of 3D design tools for use in CNC, laser cutters, 3D printers and printed circuit boards. Students also explore and experiment with different materials available for the different fabrication machines.

COURSE GOALS

To provide students an introduction to:

  • technical drawing standards and best practices
  • Computer Aided Design (CAD) functions, properties, and standards
  • prototyping/maquette methodologies
  • an array of hand, power, and digital fabrication tools
  • constraints and properties of materials and processes with fabrication and prototyping

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the ends of the course students will be able to:

  • create and read technical drawings
  • produce functional 3D designs and modeled assemblies
  • actualize designs and assemblies with an array of contemporary machines and processes (by hand and by Numerical Control)
  • have a pragmatic understanding of basic material type and their properties
  • correctly apply units of measurement and standardizations within manufacturing/prototyping/fabrication scope(s)

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course combines lectures/presentations, critiques/discussions, and lab/studio time. Typically, students work on technical exercises each week, in conjunction with creative short study projects integrating these techniques. There will be two larger projects during the semester- a midterm and final project- largely independently-driven, with iterative project development.

Our class will consist of on-campus meetings, small-group breakout sessions and labs, and one-on-one meetings. Course materials and assignments will generally be posted to GitHub on Thursdays of each week, due the following Thursday. We will create small peer groups, for extra support during and outside of class hours.

Particularly as we are in these unprecedented times, while trying out new methods for communication and working together, it will be vital to hear your feedback along the way. With your input, we will continue to evolve our plans as needed.

COURSE MATERIALS

  • Digital calipers
  • Tape measure
  • Safety glasses - I recommend these unless you wear glasses in which case you can take a look at these. Please confirm the measurements of your glasses before purchasing to ensure they will fit over top.
  • External storage device, or cloud-based storage, for backing up your work
  • A sketchbook, or paper to sketch with and a pencil with eraser
  • Software and accounts: Slack, Github, Google Drive

EXPECTATIONS

By signing up for this class, you are making a commitment to fully participate, support your classmates as best you can, and do your part in creating a positive working environment. For our course to run smoothly, everyone must:

  • Check Slack regularly for group and private messages.
  • Check class GitHub regularly for posted tasks and assignments.
  • Back up work regularly.
  • Arrive on time, ready to participate and contribute.
  • Reach out to students and your instructor with questions.
  • Push creatively and technically. Stay open and curious.
  • Spend at least 3-5 additional hours a week (outside of class) on class projects and exercises. Midterm and Final Projects may require additional time, depending on your ambition. Budget more time each week than may be needed.

COMMUNICATION

  • To contact your instructor with a brief, private question or message, send a DM (Direct Message) through Slack. This is preferred over email.
  • If you have a question that may be relevant to the group, post in the #general channel on Slack for all to see and comment on.
  • Use Slack for easy communications with your classmates as well—you can DM individuals or selected groups.
  • To discuss a longer matter with your instructor, DM to set up an appointment for office hours.
  • If you have a tech support question, post in the #techsupport channel or DM our CLT for assistance.

PARTICIPATION POLICY (The Rules + Regulations for Keeping the Ship Sailing)

  • As our work is interdependent, it is critical for everyone to be fully present, participating, and engaging in the course.
  • If absent from class, this will impact other students and lab activities. If you will be late or absent, DM your instructor via Slack ASAP.
  • Absences may be excused in the following cases: illness, religious observance with advanced notice, and on a case-by-case basis for other critical events and extenuating circumstances.
  • In the case of an absence, check GitHub and contact a classmate to catch up on what you missed. Contact the instructor if you have additional questions.
  • Each student is asked to play their part in supporting our class, by contributing regularly to peer groups in class and on Slack, for feedback and technical support.
  • Midterm and Final Project critiques are mandatory and cannot be made up. Missing a critique will result in a deduction of one letter grade for the corresponding project.

GRADING

COURSE GRADING

  • Participation: 25%
  • Weekly assignments: 30%
  • Midterm: 20%
  • Final: 25%

Participation will be graded out of 3 points:

3 = full participation: fully present, on task, and supportive of classmates throughout the class session.
2 = partial participation: late arrival or early departure, on task for some of the time.
1 = minimal participation: absent from the class for more than 30 minutes, minimally on task.
0 = no participation.

Weekly assignments will be graded out of 10 points, based on completion of requirements. Midterm and Final projects will be graded on a standard A-F scale, according to criteria detailed in the final project assignment.

All work must be submitted on time. Any late assignment will drop one letter grade per class session that it is late. Please contact your instructor if there are extenuating circumstances, in which case lateness may be excused on a case by case basis.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalogue.

Instructor’s note: all borrowed text, code, or media used for this course must be attributed to the original creator. Any direct text quotes from another source must be specified with quotes and appropriately cited. Code borrowed from another source at more than four lines in length must be attributed as a //comment within the code itself. If you are unsure of whether or not your work may constitute plagiarism, please check with your instructor before submitting. Any instance of plagiarism will be reported to the MTEC Program Director, the Chair of ENT, and City Tech’s Academic Integrity Officer.

COURSE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Accessibility. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Center (phone: 718–260–5143). If you have already registered with the Center, please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation.

A NOTE ON CITY TECH'S COUNSELING CENTER

The Counseling Services Center supports the educational, emotional and career development of City Tech students by providing opportunities for skill development,

counseling and referrals that address obstacles to success. The Center is currently available to students remotely. For questions and appointments, contact the Center at [email protected] or 718-260-5030.

INCLUSIVITY

Part I. Name + Pronoun Usage This course consists of individual work and group discussion. We must therefore strive to create an atmosphere of inclusion and mutual respect: all students will have their chosen gender pronoun(s) and chosen name recognized. If the class roster does not align with your name, gender, and/or pronouns, please inform the instructor.

Part II. Inclusivity Statement It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that the students bring to this class be viewed as an asset, resource, strength, and benefit, rather than a checklist item or worse, a hindrance. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups. Feel free to reach out to me via email or Slack at any time about any issues concerning you or with any such ideas.

COURSE SCHEDULE / CALENDAR

The topics and schedule are subject to change as needed. Assignment details and requirements are announced in class and posted to our GitHub Wiki each week.

WEEK 1: F 08/26
TOPIC

  • Introductions
  • Why are products designed the way they are?
  • Dimensions and precision

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Ensure you have all materials for next week's class
  • Toy documentation

(NO CLASS ON 09/2)

WEEK 2: F 09/09
TOPIC

  • Basic prototyping techniques and materials
  • Assembly methods
  • Introduction to fasteners and adhesives

LAB

  • Chipboard prototyping
  • Form exploration

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Toy disassembly and hand drawing

WEEK 3: F 09/16
TOPIC

  • Vector graphics and CAD tools
  • Adobe Illustrator introduction
  • Fabrication drawings

LAB

  • Adobe Illustrator lab

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Illustrator tutorials
  • Digital transposition and drawing

WEEK 4: F 09/23
TOPIC

  • Laser cutting techniques

LAB

  • Laser cutting lab visit
  • Materials and methods

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Design laser cut chipboard box using tabs, folds, other techniques in Illustrator

WEEK 5: F 09/30
TOPIC

  • CNC fabrication techniques
  • Fusion 360 for CNC design
  • Tolerances
  • Midterm project introduction

LAB

  • Fusion 360 demonstration

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Fusion 360 tutorials
  • Develop midterm project concept

WEEK 6: F 10/07
TOPIC

  • 3D printing techniques
  • 3D design in Fusion 360

LAB

  • 3D printing lab visit
  • Fusion 360 lab
  • Midterm work

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • 3D design assignment

WEEK 7: F 10/14
TOPIC

  • Project management
  • Attachment methods deep-dive (adhesives, mechanical, welding, etc.)

LAB

  • Midterm working session

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Midterm project work

WEEK 8: F 10/21
OPIC

  • Midterm Project Critiques

WEEK 9: F 10/28
TOPIC

  • Electronics basics
  • Printed circuit board (PCB) design
  • Integrating PCBs into physical objects
  • KiCAD Introduction
  • Final project overview

LAB

  • KiCAD lab

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • PCB design assignment

WEEK 10: F 11/04
TOPIC

  • Working with wood
  • Shop tool introduction

LAB

  • Wood shop training

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Final project concept

WEEK 11: F 11/11
TOPIC

  • Making things move
  • Mechanical movements (cams, gears, ratchets)

LAB

  • Mechanical movement lab
  • Final project concept review

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Chipboard prototype of final project

WEEK 12: F 11/18
TOPIC

  • Manufacturing techniques
  • Molds and casting demonstration

LAB

  • Molds and casting lab
  • Final project work

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Work on final projects

(NO CLASS ON 11/25)

WEEK 13: F 12/02
TOPIC

  • Finishing your project
  • Sanding, painting, staining

LAB

  • Soldering PCBs
  • Final project work

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Work on final projects

WEEK 14: F 12/09
LAB

  • Final project progress review
  • Project work

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT

  • Work on final projects

WEEK 15: F 12/16
FINAL PROJECTS DUE: Project Presentations / Critiques