01_Week 1 (8.26) - entertainmenttechnology/Corn-MTEC2250-Fall2022 GitHub Wiki

Getting Started

  • Join our Slack channel if you have not already done so. If you did not receive an invitation, email me at [email protected] . I highly recommend that you install the Slack app on your computer (and optionally on your phone as well), rather than accessing through the browser. Set your notifications to ensure that you are getting alerts to messages. You can modify notifications further and choose to snooze that at specific times.
  • Purchase the course tools to prepare for the assignment for our next class. You will need digital calipers, a tape measure and safety goggles. 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.
  • Review our syllabus and familiarize yourself with the plan and protocols. If you have questions, please send me a DM on Slack.
  • Review your schedule, and allocate blocks of time for our class and time for outside homework, budgeting an extra 3-5 hours per week. I recommend that you schedule these blocks of time for all of your classes, so that you can manage your time effectively, balancing school work with free time and the rest of your life. Be sure to also ensure you mark down which days you are on campus or attending virtually so you don't miss your allotted lab time.

Assignment #1: Mechanical Toy Documentation

Part 1: Find a mechanical toy

Go to a dollar store and find a small, inexpensive toy (<$5) that has some kind of mechanical element to it. It does not need to use batteries but must have some element that can spin, pull, snap, twist, make a noise (through mechanical means, not a speaker), etc. Ideally, this toy is something that can be taken apart (ie. has screws, or is held together by an adhesive but not a permanent fastener like rivets). If you already have a toy you don't mind taking apart in the future, you can use that instead.

The toy must:

  • Be less than 6"x6"x6" in size
  • Include a mechanical element
  • Be something you don't mind taking apart

Here is an example:

If you have a toy in mind and you aren't sure it meets the requirements, you can send a photo of it to me over Slack to confirm.

Part 2: Document the toy

After procuring your toy, take photos of it from all angles. Try not to use a wide angle view as it can distort the image. This is an example of a distorted image - note that the straight edges are angled:

It's better to take a step back and zoom in to take the photo. This should result in less distortion of your object:

Take the following photos of your object:

  • Front
  • Rear
  • Left
  • Right
  • Bottom
  • Top
  • Perspective

Be sure to take your photos of your toy on a clean background without other items in view.

Part 3: Dimension your photos
Using your calipers, measure the overall dimensions, rounded to the nearest millimeter, of your object and note them on your photos. You can make these marks in Preview, Microsoft Paint, Photoshop or print your photos and draw directly on them. If choosing this approach, scan your photos back into the computer for submission.

Dimensions to include are:

  • Overall width, height, and depth
  • Openings, overhangs or other details
  • Anything else you feel is relevant to dimension

At the top of your photos, add your name and save them as "A1_[name]_[view]" (for example, "A1_JoshCorn_Front.jpg"). Send the photos to me as a DM on Slack midnight on 09/08