Sample Return From Hypothesized Surfaces Visualization
Paige Manley
Major: 3D Digital Design
Genre/Medium: Digital 3D; Blender and Substance Painter
About the work: This project was completed in collaboration with a Multidisciplinary Senior Design (MSD) team at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) who are developing a prototype for a future mission to Psyche that will store samples collected from the asteroid. The purpose was to create a highly realistic and accurate 3D visualization of their system while also allowing it to remain visually interesting through lighting, materials, and cinematic shots.
To complete this project, I began by converting the team’s CAD model into a more optimized 3D object in Blender and then created materials in Substance Painter. Based on screen recordings supplied to me by the team and guidance from them on additional movement, I animated the system, including the opening and closing of the clamp. To further illustrate the system’s purpose, I included a simple simulation of metallic rocks being deposited into the capsule.