ucsd-compfab2

VIS146B: Computer Controlled Fabrication and Art 2 - Fall 2025

Schedule | Description | Resources | Grading | Policies | References

Frank Stella from “Frank Stella: Recent Sculpture” at Jeffrey Deitch - 2024 (link)

Description

This is a second quarter course covering advanced topics in computer controlled fabrication for the arts. There will be an initial phase of technical instruction on advanced comp-fab techniques followed by student-directed research pursuing individual comp-fab interests. Technical instruction inclues CAD/CAM workflows; CNC routing and milling; laser cutting metals and sheet metal folding; digital mold-making, injection-molding, and strategies for scaling production. In the individualized instruction portion, each student will articulate and pursue an individual research topic in advanced Computer Controlled Fabrication. They will deliver results through a fabrication project, poster session, and summarize their process and results in the form of a short white paper.

Details

Course objectives

A student who successfully completes this course will:

Prequisites: VIS146A or permission of instructor.

Resources

Schedule

(Subject to change. Check back for most up to date information)

Week Topic
1 Introduction
- Intro and Course structure
- Discuss Individual Research Directions
- Additivism
- HW (1) #finaid survey and (2) Additivism
2 Subtractive
- Demo: VCarve and CNC Router
- HW CNC Router Complete the Makerspace CNC activity
- HW Futures of 3DP DUE Tuesday
3 Subtractive II
- In-class CNC Time (DIB Makerspace)
- Discuss project 1 ideas
- HW Assign Midterm - Proposal DUE Monday
4 Midterm Check In
- Midterm one-on-ones
- DUE: Project 1 proposal
5 Work Time and Vacuum Forming
- Vacuum Forming in Envision (also exists at MAND, DIB)
- work time/shop time
- HW: WIP on Project 1 for in Small Group Discussions
6 WIP Check-in - Midterm Project
- Technique: Intro to Photogrammetry
- WIP Presentations and Small Group Discussions
- Independent Research one-on-ones
- HW Finish midterm project
7 NO CLASS VETERANS DAY
8 Midterm Presentations
- Technique: Inflatables;
- Work time / shop time
- HW Submit Project 1 Documentation DUE Friday end of day
9 Work Time / Finishing Time
- Technique: Folding - Hands on with metal laser and welding;
- Work in Progress critique
- Introduce final project report
10 Final Work Session
- Individual peer and faculty support on project completion;
- Discuss staging for presentations
Finals
- Final Presentations and discussion - SME 102
- FAH Inkwell together with VIS101B and special guests
- Submit Documentation Final Documentation DUE
- Digital Sketchbook Submit final version

Workshops

In the first four weeks we will do a series of workshops on advanced techniques in the DIB Makerspace. These will be scheduled outside of class hours and have small homeworks attached. Topics include:

These will be scheduled by the end of week 1.

Possible Research Directions

Grading

Graded activities

Work will be evaluated on the quality of concept, the degree of experimentation (both aesthetic and technical), and final realization (again, aesthetic and technical). Prompts and rubrics will be provided with more specific details regarding each assignment and breakdowns

Description of Assignments and Exams

Exercises We will do technical workshops and exercises in the first weeks of class. Exercises will be graded on satisfactory completion with additional credit for creative, technical, expressive extension beyond requirements.

Projects We will do one smaller advanced compfab project in the first 4 weeks (Midterm), and one larger student-directed research project for the second half of the quarter (Final). For each project, students will submit a project archive containing a statement of concept, 3d models, documentation of the work, discussion of results, and future directions. Students will submit a proposal/concept for their project to receive instructor feedback, and then work to complete the project. Projects will be presented and critiqued in class and project archives will be submitted for grading.

Digital Sketchbook For this class you will maintain a cumulative digital sketchbook documenting your exercises and project development. This includes images of sketches, 3d models, textual descriptions, and photos of complete work. There will be periodic graded checks of the sketchbook (beginning, midterm, and end) of quarter for a grade.

Participation Contributions to class discussions and active participation in small group work are essential to both the momentum of the course and the development of your ideas. This requires that you come to class prepared (having completed assigned reading and writing) and ready to participate in class activities. This course is based on project-based learning and you are expected to contribute as a responsible member of the community. See the participation evaluation in the Grading Scale below for more information.

Grading Scale

A+ = 97-100 | A = 94-97 | A- = 90-94
B+ = 87-90 | B = 84-87 | B- = 80-84
C+ = 77-80 | C = 74-77 | C- = 70-74
F = below 70%

Here is a description of the kind of participation in the course that would earn you an A, B, C, etc. Your instructor may use pluses and minuses to reflect your participation more fairly, but this is a general description for each letter grade.

A – Excellent
Excellent participation is marked by near-perfect attendance and rigorous preparation for class work. You respond to questions and activities with enthusiasm and insight and you listen and respond thoughtfully to your peers. You submit assignments on time, adhering to posted requirements, and demonstrate a thorough engagement with the assignment. You respond creatively to any feedback you receive (from both your peers and instructor). You are an active contributor to classroom community.

B – Good
Good participation is marked by near-perfect attendance and thorough preparation for class. You respond to questions with specificity and make active contributions to class. You submit assignments on time, and demonstrate a thorough engagement with the assignment. You respond effectively to the feedback you receive (from both your peers and instructor). You are a regular and reliable contributor to classroom community.

C – Satisfactory
Satisfactory participation is marked by regular attendance and preparation for class. You respond to questions when prompted and participate in classroom activities, though you may sometimes be distracted. You are present in class, with few absences, and have done some of the work some of the time. You submit assignments and make some efforts toward revision proposals and final submission. You are involved in classroom activities, but you offer minimal feedback and you may not always contribute fully to classroom community.

F—Failing
Failing participation is marked by excessive absences, a habitual lack of preparation, and failure to engage in classroom activities and development processes.

Policies

Course-specific policies and rules.

Attendance Late Work Academic Integrity Other People’s Code Accommodations UCSD Course Policies and Resources

ICAM Policies

File naming conventions and submissions. More [TK].

Attendance

On-time attendance is required as well as work inside and outside of section. Please notify your instructor in advance if you must be absent for illness or family emergency. Any absences must be cleared with the instructor, or justified with written documentation (e.g. letter from team, etc.). We do not differentiate between mental and physical health and in either case please be in communication for when you need to take a day off. After a student misses a week’s worth of classes each subsequent missed class will result in the reduction of the final grade by a full letter grade (i.e., A to B, B- to C-). Excessive tardiness or leaving early will also impact your grade and will follow the same rubric.

On-time attendance is required. Lateness or leaving early, when not cleared with the instructor, will also impact your participation grade. Lateness will be counted as 80% for your participation grade for the day.

Late Work

Late Work Grading Policy. Late work will be docked 5% for each day they are late (if an assignment is two days late, the grade will be docked 10%). An assignment submitted after the due date time on the due date will still be docked 5%. The lowest possible grade for late work is 70%, which means that for an assignment submitted more than 6 days late, no more than 30% will be docked, but the maximum grade you will receive is 70%. Details about submission format and due date are given in Canvas.

Excused Late Work. Requests to submit late work for special circumstances must be approved by your instructor at least 24 hours before the due date and time. Any late requests made less than 24 hours before the assignment is due may still be subject to a lateness penalty. We do not distinguish between mental and physical health. Email your instructor, 24 hours in advance, explaining generally the reason you are missing class and your plans for making up any missed lecture, activity, and assignment.

An assignment may receive an F if a student does not participate in every phase of the development of the project and meet all deadlines for preliminary materials (proposals, drafts, etc.). Failure to submit any of the graded course assignments is grounds for failure in the course.

Academic Integrity

Integrity of scholarship is essential for an academic community. The University expects that both faculty and students will honor this principle and in so doing protect the validity of University intellectual work. For students, this means that all academic work will be done by the individual to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind. http://senate.ucsd.edu/Operating-Procedures/Senate-Manual/Appendices/2

Other People’s Code

If you use a piece of code from the p5 reference or another piece of publicly available code, you must cite your use of it at the top of your code file as a comment. Include a link to the original code file, the author, and the date.

This includes generated code. You are allowed to use LLMs, TritonGPT, other Generative AI tools as part of your coding process, however you must disclose this usage. Add comments in your code indicating which parts were generated, and how you asked the system to help.

Students with Disabilities

Students registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities are to provide copies of their AFA letters to both the course instructor and the OSD Liaison of the Visual Arts Department . If you have any questions about utilizing your OSD accommodation, please contact Dept. OSD Liaison at vis-ug@ucsd.edu or 858-534-2860. You may also contact the Office of Students with Disabilities directly at osd@ucsd.edu or 858-534-4382. http://disabilities.ucsd.edu/

UCSD Course Policies and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing the university academic policies and resources found on this page):

Land Acknowledgment

This public acknowledgment serves to honor and respect Indigenous peoples and their land on which our campus resides. UC San Diego was built upon the territory of the Kumeyaay Nation. From time immemorial, the Kumeyaay people have been a part of this land. Today, the Kumeyaay people continue to maintain their political sovereignty and cultural traditions as vital members of the San Diego community.