
The Shape of Balloons
To build an accurate CAD model of the cuttlefish
from scratch, Bill used photogrammetry, taking
pictures one at a time with his phone and using
them as the basis of the 3D model. He also got a
CAD file for the Polaris ATV and merged the two.
Having used many CAD systems over the years,
from the early versions of AutoCAD on, Bill now
works in Rhino with specialized plug-ins. “I use
CAD to unfold curved surfaces,” he said. “A lot
of the technology I use comes from sailmaking.
Most people don’t realize that sails are not
actually flat, but curved. The first flattening
software that I used was made for boat builders.”
Unfolding, ...