Gothic Chess

thingiverse

Human: To accomplish this task, 37 files are required and it's designed to be a collaborative effort where team members can learn from each other's strengths. Scaling the model uniformly or sectioning it may improve the outcome if the printer is not large enough to print all components in one piece. This project revolves around gothic creationism, which involves building upwards and outwards - the fundamental principle of 3D modeling. The chess pieces have base guides with arrows that indicate each player's capabilities, making learning easier. These guides will alleviate novice players' confusion about how each player moves and coordinates attacks. The middle pedestal should be made from clear crystal, which can be achieved by creating a mold from the included model. The board is elongated and rises at each rank, providing a more realistic game perspective without altering any game rules. Knights attack and defense patterns are circles of the opposite color from their starting point, but in gothic chess, the attack profile is an oval that changes depending on the piece's placement. Queens' and bishops' angles of attack are also more curved and less apparent, increasing competition. I used AutoCAD for the initial models and imported them into 3D Studio Max, which I then exported as STL files for printing. Other formats could be used, but STL is the most commonly used format for printing. I employed simple math to design the board with a logical progression that preserves the game's logic. Teamwork between players is expected from project participants. Objectives include scaling or sectioning the model, testing component fit, and adjusting sizes for a smoother fit. Using different mediums such as making reverse molds for liquid crystal, leather, or cloth for covering, painting the exterior, and blocks of the board can also be explored. Additionally, learning about chess itself is encouraged, as it is considered the greatest math teacher in history. The target audience includes anyone willing to learn chess with icons beneath each piece that teach their moves. Project participants should be intermediate modelers who can address component fit issues and test smaller samples before committing to a larger project. Artistic students will appreciate the simplicity of the math involved, creating something new from something old. In preparation, students should test themselves and others on Staunton chess sets to gauge how easy or difficult this model is. They should consider the cost of leather for binding and crystal for pedestals, as well as improving the design of the cover or outside, and making changes to the step and depth of the design. The size of printers and their precision will vary from class to class, affecting their approach to completing the model. Finding good directors with patience is also crucial. The first step would be to create the chess pieces in one mold (provided), test them on a regular Staunton chess board for sizing, and then make the pieces in three steps as included models of each separate piece. Creating the middle pedestal will require making a reverse mold, as each pedestal is unique to the type of piece and base. Making a Boolean subtraction of the words in the base from the mold of the mid-section would improve fit, but the pieces may need to be glued or connected by modeling male and female fixtures. The board will fold into a book after a cover binding is used, so investing time in design and sizing is necessary. My prototype works well with Velcro fasteners, but I won't include the size of each cover to ensure components are not already completed and simply put together after printing. A plastic hinged connection could work just as well as leather. The playing field sides are identical except for male and female connections that could be designed better, encouraging students to showcase their ingenuity. The board is 16 inches at its longest points, which is out of limits for smaller marker bot systems, so the board will have to be made in components (models included) or sectioned or scaled uniformly to complete the project. I hand-painted my prototype, and making models of people for the pieces is also part of the project. The cooperation of students with different skill sets can produce similar yet distinct results, which are the basics of chess and math. As a result of this project, I hope students learn how easy it is to adapt their own creativity to known artwork and find it fulfilling. Modeling and using different mediums together should teach them that cooperative efforts make the best music. The simple and repeatable math involved can be applied to other projects they will hopefully have in the future. After twenty years of being an architectural draftsman and 3D modeler, I find this project to be the most rewarding work I've ever done.