Artistic expression in 3D CAD - is art with a purpose - and, in this case recognition of innovation with a design patent. This one is more than just a design, however, because the complex and artistic 3D CAD in this product gave some unique challenges.
As noted in our Case Study of The Design Department, we do a lot of artistic translation - which is art in 3D CAD. The product must follow the artist intent, but also must fill a number of legal requirements for being on the license plate. It must fit legal and practical spacing (cannot cover certain parts of the license plate and must fit within certain outside bounds).
Plus the new frame must be manufacturable in a cost effective manner. For this product, it is not just achieving the artistic look, but also making it moldable in a simple A-B mold, and it must be assembly friendly.
That is a lot to ask of something that comes from artistic 3D CAD. Yet, that is something Synthesis does well.
A Design Patent
When it rains . . . This is the second patent issued this month. (See the other patent announcement here.) This one is a design patent for the "Queen" license plate frame produced by Cruiser. Yeah, patents are kind of cool, yet for us, it is more about seeing the fruits of your labors become a success. It always feels good to see a customer find success with the things you had a part in designing. And, there is also fun in seeing your work out in the wild on a car passing by. That means people like it, and that is what matters with art.
As noted on the patent, this frame was a group effort. There are several names because it took a lot of eyes and effort to accomplish the desired look and 'feel'. Several iterations bring a design like this from the original art to the fine tuned, legal, and manufacturable product.
If it looks great now, that is because it had a lot of input. The elegant solution often looks simple and easy when done, even though, like this one, it belies the effort to get it there. That is one of the reasons we are proud of it. Hopefully this images do it justice, but if you are really interested, pick one up at the store and have a closer look.
Satisfying all the eyes requires lots of design variations to visually compare - all done in artistic 3D CAD. This design patent shows the final result of work from everyone. We are happy to have a part in it.
Artistic 3D CAD
One great aspect of this frame is the complexity of the artistic 3D CAD work. Modeling for a single manufacturing process, die-cast, that must have the feel of precious metals, jewels and silk fabric. In this case, some of the crystals assemble after the die-casting for the final elegant look, yet, it all comes together in a consistent, pleasant package.
To pleasantly meet the eye, all the curvaceous feature of the front must be first, consistent with one another; and second, curvature continuous in ways that blend for the eye. If not, it misses the stunning effect that is possible.
Other examples of fun and artistic frames are noted in this past post. And, all of them require some nifty tricks to make them seem more 3D than they actually are.
The images here show the frame front, but there is also a back. All the fun decorative art in the front has cores from the back to minimize material, and cost. The complex CAD is a full product proposition, which makes the fun (and complexity) of this frame just that much better.
If this work is similar to things you do, perhaps we can help bring your products to market as well. Call us if you want another hand with the artistic 3D CAD for your new products.
A front view rendering of the Artistic 3D CAD by Synthesis for the "Queen" Frame. Produced by Cruiser Accessories and available in many auto parts stores, and online at CruiserFrames.com.