In this "warm-up" representational exercise, students apply a range of techniques related to orthographic projection, digital modeling, fabrication, and rendering.

In their studio course, students cast plaster forms using a flexible latex media. In this 200c exercise that drives the first few digital media workshops, these "balloon animals" form the muse for the exploration of a number of forms of media:

• The forms are "measured" by digitally modeling them in Rhino. Students are introduced to two ways to create digital representations of 3-dimensional complex physical forms cast in plaster, and are expected to be able to construct and manipulate three-dimensional forms with precision.
• The forms are fabricated in laser-cut media to roughly re-re-present the complex 3d forms modeled in Rhino.
• The forms are visualized using ray-traced rendering techniques.
• Finally, the forms are documented using traditional orthographic projection techniques, and are analyzed for their formal and spatial properties.