Digital Modelling

The first step for the modelling is to create a 123D Catch model. It's quite convenient to download the 123D Catch app on iPhone. 

My first attempt is modelling the flower. There were some holes on the model, and the leaf is adhesive to the base.

 

Then I imported the 123D model into the Meshmixer.

After experimented by Auto Repair and manually filling the holes, it was a failure to fill all the holes on the flower.

Therefore, I've changed from the flower to the bud.

It came out with a successful model captured on the 123D Catch, no holes, no attachments.

 

Next, I've imported it into Meshmixer again, to remove the background and the base shot with the lily bud. And then select the bottom of the stem and fill it. Finally, save the file into stl format, so it could be imported into the 123D Make to make the structure for the aluminum skin.

The following step is to import the stl file into 123D Make. 

 Adjust the unit from inch to mm, then consider the actual size into the real model. My lily bud structure is 184mm H * 203mm W * 129mm L.  

The construction technique that I chose is Stacked Slices. Which would allow the details of the bud to appeal on the model. And I chose the 2mm thick board to cut out the model.

Then save the cutting plan into dxf format and import it into illustrator to change the colour of the numbers into blue and the colour of the outer lines into red which tells the laser cut machine to cut.