“Thinking only goes as far as that which it can understand.”
Lao Tzu
So, we’re about halfway through this last semester, and this is my first chance to really reflect on things. Overall, I would say it’s been an interesting experience; certainly a new one. When I took the project, I didn’t actually know that much about it. The description on the project’s page wasn’t particularly robust, but there was enough to pique my interest. Plus, it was with an external company, which, coming from someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to do internships due to work/life commitments, was something I jumped at!
What I didn’t realize at the time – and would have had no way of knowing – was the task that lay ahead of me: 3D modeling. I can’t get too into the weeds, unfortunately, as I’ve signed an NDA, but it’s safe to say I had absolutely no experience in this area. It’s actually why I chose the above Lao Tzu quote for this blog post, which happens to be one of my favorites – so much of these first few weeks have been spent absorbing what is a complex field, just so that I can conceptualize the best way to go about implementing this project. It’s sort of a one step forward and two steps back situation, but that’s actually what I love about engineering, and i’ve found it rewarding getting to hold the reins and just figure stuff out! So what have I enjoyed the most? Well, again, I can’t talk in too great detail about the project, but I’ve had the opportunity to get my hands on many new software products and libraries. My favorite so far, and probably the hardest to learn, has been Blender. What is Blender? Well, pulled directly from their website: Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation. If all that isn’t enough, it’s entirely free, and anything you create can be used for any purpose, including commercial projects. One thing you learn fast in the animation/art space is that there are very few genuinely free products that provide an excellent set of tools. But there are no catches with Blender; it’s just free. You just download the software, install it, and it gives you everything you need to create pretty much any 3D objects or animations. It’s been cool to learn, and I hope it’s something I keep working with in the future. I certainly never saw myself being interested in this area of engineering, so it’s been a rewarding experience in that regard.
Outside of the actual day-to-day work, I’ve been fortunate to have an excellent team. The project mentor, Dr. Kadish, is incredibly knowledgeable in their field and passionate about our work. My teammate, Matt Fredericks, has also been a pleasure to work with; responsive, proactive, produces good work, and is always happy to help.
So, to conclude, it’s been a fun and challenging first few weeks. I’m looking forward to the next blog post where I hope to be writing about wrapping up a successful project.
Cheers!
-Oscar
