Psyche Inspired: Paige Manley

Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology

Major: 3D Digital Design

Psyche Inspired Class: 2023-2024

Reflections on Psyche Inspired

Reflections on Project 1: Story of Psyche

Story of Psyche

Paige Manley

November 1st, 2023

Major: 3D Digital Design

Genre/Medium: Digital 3D; Photoshop, ZBrush, Substance Painter, & Blender

About the work: This piece explores Psyche’s past, present, and future as an asteroid through three separate panels inspired by metal engravings. The first panel on the left is Psyche’s past, where another asteroid is colliding with Psyche, creating an explosion of molten metal. While the exact formation and appearance of Psyche is still uncertain, the asteroid was most likely part of multiple collisions when the solar system was forming, which created many craters. In the second panel in the middle, the asteroid is as it currently is, existing in the asteroid belt among other asteroids. The final panel on the right is the future of Psyche, where the Psyche spacecraft has arrived and is studying the asteroid. To create this piece, I began by drawing a grayscale alpha that was then utilized as a mask on a 3D model to “pull out” the design. I created a material that looks like metal and then lit and rendered the model.

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Reflections on Project 2: Orbits of Psyche

Orbits of Psyche

Paige Manley

December 13th, 2023

Major: 3D Digital Design

Genre/Medium: Digital 3D; Blender, Unreal Engine 5, & After Effects

About the work: “Orbits of Psyche” visualizes the various orbits that the Psyche spacecraft will be taking around the asteroid once it arrives in 2029. The animation is inspired by vintage astronomy and astrology posters, which typically include a minimal color palette as well as value and texture through cross hatching. As the spacecraft completes each orbit, information about the orbit appears, including the focus of the orbit and its expected duration, as well as information about the different instruments used to study Psyche.

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Reflections on Project 3: Sample Return From Hypothesized Surfaces Visualization

Sample Return From Hypothesized Surfaces Visualization

Paige Manley

April 2nd, 2024

Major: 3D Digital Design

Genre/Medium: Digital 3D; Blender & 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.

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Reflections on Project 4: Blueprint of Psyche

BluePrint of Psyche

Paige Manley

Major: 3D Digital Design

Genre/Medium: Cyanotype (Sun Prints) on Fabric

About the work: This piece explores the different aspects of Psyche through images created on fabric using the cyanotype process and then combined in a collage using a needle and thread. To represent the mission, I included images of the asteroid and the spacecraft. To represent the mythology, I included images of statues of the goddess Psyche and butterflies, which are the main symbol of the goddess. Additionally, I included images of various plants as well as of the solar system.

To create the cyanotypes, I began by creating and printing digital negatives onto transparent paper of all the images I wanted to print (see photo 1 in the process image). I then cut pieces of fabric to match the size of each image (2). After this, I mixed together the chemicals needed to create a cyanotype and painted them onto the fabric in a dark room in order to not expose them too early. Once the fabric was dry, I placed the negatives on top of the fabric on a board and then held them in place with a piece of glass (3). I took the fabric outside and let it sit in the sun, with exposure times varying between groups (4-6). Once exposed, I rinsed out the chemicals and let the fabric dry (7). When the fabric was dry, I sewed the pieces together using a needle and thread.

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Psyche Inspired

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Psyche Inspired