Belated 2016 welcome!

Hello and welcome to 2016. I realise that by now it is almost 2 months in to 2016, but it has really been my first chance to update this blog since the year began, so please forgive my belated-ness.

This year has started with an increased vigor, excitement and optimism, together with the harsh realities of time and pressures to succeed. Fun fun!

Formula 1 2016 Season Race Review

The 2016 Formula 1 season is almost upon us, with pre-season testing starting yesterday on the 22nd of February. 8 days of testing will go ahead before the season kicks off in earnest on March 28th for the first practice sessions.

Last year I developed a concept for a Formula 1 Season review, with a page dedicated to each race weekend, showing things like practice, qualifying and race results, and some other infographical items such as tyre strategies.

Initial versions of the Race Review for the 2015 British Grand Prix

I didn’t quite make it to finishing it last year as I was still working on the concept and layout, but I have been working on refining the layout and concept, including the splash page, and have come up with the following style.

Current versions of the Race Review, new splash page on the right

To be completely honest, the overall design hasn’t changed too much. The major change to the concept was to reduce the size down to an A3 standard sheet size, for better costs down the track if I were to ever get the designs printed. I toyed with the idea of having the practice sessions lined up at the top as opposed to the side as it is now, but the sizing just wasn’t working very well. So, on the side they remained. Other information from the previous version remains, including visual qualifying results, race history charts and tyre strategy.

One of the new additions to the layout is the introduction of weathr icons to show the weather on a particular day. This will be useful for when a particular session is wet, but will also tell how wet a session was (i..e stormy as opposed to showery). The con set looks like this.

Race Review weather icon set (snow, storms, rain, showers, overcast, partly cloudy, sunny/clear)

I still have to implement night-time icons, including icons for night time rain just in case we get something like that, however i don’t think I’ll be using the snow icon very much at all 🙂

With the 2016 Formula 1 cars having recently been launched, I can also start to develop the car graphics. Last year I developed pixel-art style graphic which have proven to be quite popular. I was not satisfied by the realism they provided and have been experimenting with something a bit more realistic, especially considering that I plan to include team-sheets as well i the Race Review. I have begun developing something based on the newly released Ferrari SF16-H:

Obviously this isn’t finished, but I am not 100% convinced on the style so far, so I may try something a bit more realistic. The good news is that it will serve as the basis of the other cars, but one of the aims of this task was to reduce the workload in producing the other cars by converting to a more realistic approach.

As the F1 season kicks on, I will start to develop the weekends as they come about. Before the start of the season I hope to knock off a chunk of the cars and present them on this blog as soon as I can!

Sunbury International Circuit

The Sunbury International Circuit design continues into 2016. Admittedly i have put this on the back burner a bit on order to concentrate on other projects, which is a shame, however the design of the circuit is really in its last phases.

Since last time I have concentrated on the realistic top down design of the circuit. This design also considers things like circuit access, circuit provisions, and spectator access. The top down view includes grandstands and viewing mounds, as well as the three design features, the train station (completed, to be CADed), the main grandstand (completed, to be drawn up) and the main put building  (incomplete).

The current state of the project is shown here:

 

I plan on developing the car access to the circuit, and I am trying to consider what would happen without the outer ring road  (large road that goes from left to the middle top). I need to develop a way in which cars can get in and out of the circuit without causing major traffic issues (although this may just be inevitable).

Further to this, I need to complete the pit building design, draw up the main grandstand design and implement into the top down view and finish up the layout design for the circuit. The main grandstand currently looks a bit like this:

After this I still would like to develop a design book of the circuit, showing the history of the design, as well as a promo book as a mock marketing for the circuit itself.

Single Seater Racing Car Design

Late-ish last year I started a project to develop a realistic racing car design that was designed to tackle some of the issues currently faced by Formula 1. The main issue today is the inability for cars to follow one another due to the presence of turbulent air – the turbulent or ‘dirty air’ that comes off a car ahead causes the performance of the car behind to drop off, causing the car to be unable to overtake. This leads to fairly processional racing, whereby cars are unable to attack each other because either they cannot get lose enough, or extract too much from the tyres in order to gain time on the car in front, meaning that overtaking becomes meaningless.

One of the ways to combat this is to implement a ground effect to the cars. Ground effect uses the sidepod design as downforce generating devices that are largely free from the effects of turbulent air. The sidepods (which house things like the car radiators for cooling) are shaped like aerofoils, producing downforce. However, in order for these devices to work efficiently, the airflow underneath needs to be effectively sealed from the outside. These seals were known as ‘skirts’. Ground effect was largely popular in Formula 1 in the 80s when the technology was developed, and by implementing the design, Formula 1 cars ended up having their front wings largely removed, such was the effectiveness of ground effect.

The drawback to a ground effect was that when the seal was broken, outside air would enter the underside of the sidepod, and a dramatic loss of downforce would occur. This mean cars would lose control, and an accident would likely occur. This of course was back when circuit safety standards were still a bit primitive, however there remains a risk of accidents occurring with a full ground effect being implemented on Formula 1 cars today.

All that said and done, my concept in development tries to implement ground effect by implementing a limited ground effect. A concept 3 view study design is shown below.

The sidepods on both sides of the driver cockpit (middle grey rectangle on the top view) house the aerofoil shaped sidepods. The skirts in the concept act the same way as the design from the 80s, however I have mandated a 20mm gap between the skirt and the road. This will enable any loss of downforce to be less dramatic. Furthermore, The floor of the car extends out, thus also helping to reduce the risk of outside air entering underneath the sidepod. The design also features scoops to divert air away from the rear wheels, and small venturi tunnels that create downforce and help divert air through the car out the rear rather than along the outside of the moving wheel. The front wing is simplified due to the increase in downforce from the sidepods, which reduces the sensitivity of the car in turbulent air.

The other design factor I wanted to explore (but not necessarily implement) was a closed cockpit. Closing the cockpit on a Formula 1 car is a currently a fiercely debated topic,with drivers, fans and team members divded on what the best thing to do would be. Some are happy for the increased safety, but others say it goes against the sence of Formula 1. Either way, I wanted to explore the options, and explore them properly.

Here’s a (not-so) quick sketch I did of the above concept with a closed cockpit:

I am still working on the engineering side of a closed cockpit, and whether it will actually help or hinder driver egress, but my work continues!

Screen Printing style Formula 1 artworks

While undertaking my Race Review layout design, I developed the Lewis Hamilton Mercedes art piece below. I was really intrigued by the design process, and the reception to it was really great, so I took to trying out another image, this time the Ferrari 641 driven by Alain Prost. check it out!

Vienna 12 Hour Display

A slight aside to the usual work I have been doing. There is a website called fotowebcam.eu that takes photos of places in and around the European alps, mostly concentrated in Austria and Germany, that automatically take photos every 10 minutes. I had this idea, based on a similar idea I saw weeks ago, to develop a ‘timeline’ using these photos.

The above is the city of Vienna from 00:00 to 11:50, with each strip representing a photo every 10 minutes. The timeline shows night time in the early morning, followed by sunrise and the morning sun.

I think this is a really great way to show the passing of a day in a particular location – the way the city looks with all ligths on, during the beautiful sunrise, and when the city is bathed in sunlight thereafter, revealing many more different aspects of the city.

I originally had developed one of these over a 24 hour period, but couldn’t get the nuber of strips to line up, forcing me to start smaller to get the process right. I have also half developed a piece like the above, but having a shot for each day of the year at 13:00. It looks not too bad, if not a bit messy!

That’s it from me for this round!

Welp, that’s all I have to offer this time around, but stay turned as I hope to be able to update this blog a bit more often than the bi-monthly schedule I seem to have made myself.

I will continue to develop the Race Review work, including developing the 2016 F1 cars, and will continue work on the Sunbury International Circuit and Racing Car design, plus whatever else comes in between!

Finally, I now have Instagram! Woohoo! You can catch me at the following places:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stylepixelstudios/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stylepixelstudios/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Stylepixstudios

Email: adam@stylepixelstudios.com.au

‘Til next time!

2014, a year of possibilities and growy growth

So, we are now in 2014.

I like 2014. It’s an even number that seems…strong. Well rounded. Advanced. Optimistic. Maybe that is because it’s all shiny and new. In any case 2014 will hopefully be, and I am trying my best to make it so, a year where StylePixelStudios grows even bigger and better and produce heaps of great designs and content to share with everyone!

But first, the obligatory goals.

From the business side of things, I have already ticked off some of my goals, so I’m off to a pretty good start! First up is the acquisition of a huge monitor to port to my laptop (poor thing having to put up with resource-heavy programs). There are many types out there, ranging from $2,000 down to $150, but I wasn’t looking for anything too specific. I wanted something that was big, as I was tired of staring at my laptop screen, but I also wanted something that would display colours more true to life than my laptop screen. You see, I have since discovered that my laptop screen displays slightly washed-out colours with what seems to be a bluish tinge. Nonetheless, I picked up a Samsung S27C350. It’s 27″ of monitor goodness, and fits snug in my work desk station thing.

I have also started to organise StylePixelStudios a bit more, with a cleaned up work area, physical folders for physical work, invoice templates (and issued!) and thoughts of ways to obtain business growth.

One of my main goals for 2014, especially for the first half of 2014, is to establish a StylePixelStudios website portfolio. In such a case this blog would migrate over there (wherever that is). To do this I plant to learn enough HTML and CSS using the delightfully designed and by all accounts very informative book Learn HTML & CSS by Jon Duckett. Using the book, plus online resources, I plan to develop a website born from the ideas in my own head and plan to manage it. It will include all significant works and will act as a portfolio for the work StlePixelStudios does. This will mean my own domain name, custom email addresses and BUSINESS CARDS!

Enough of the wall of text, on to the work updates!

2MAR ROBOTICS

The robotic arm being developed by the lovely folks at 2Mar Robotics is progressing very well. Before the Christmas break (and my month long holiday) we developed some 3D printing friendly case designs to print for founder Marita Cheng to take with her to CES (only the largest consumer electronics expo in the world!) to show the arm off. Apparently the show was a huge success for the arm with a lot of publicity and interest in the arm. Unfortunately no pictures just yet, but it folds up nicely and looks shapely with inspiration taken from the human arm.

It has been a fantastic learning experience for me, combining my engineering experience in aerospace engineering with industrial and aesthetic design. Sometimes, they do clash!

SPEEDSCENES

SpeedScenes is a company I am revelling at the idea of working with. Started by one man in the UK, the company aims to release floor play mat sized mats containing detailed yet child friendly layouts of real-world racing circuits.

The idea came about after the product was found to be non-existant. Similar products existed, but were either not detailed enough or were not of actual racing circuits. A quick google image search later brought up my Pit Lane View, and we got in contact. A sample later, and meetings with racing circuit personnel and we are currently slated to start selling the first mats later in the year at major international racing events.

This is arguably the biggest, most significant project I have ever worked on. The idea that the work that I have done has inspired this to come about,and my work will be put on display for everyone to see is phenomenal. To top it off, I love doing it! It’s fantastic!

PATHWAYS INTO ENGINEERING

Pathways into Engineering (PiE) is an organisation born out of Robogals. However, unlike Robogals who aim to teach primary school kids about engineering to expose them to engineering and get kids interested, PiE aims to attract older girls and women who may already have careers make the transition to engineering careers (should they choose to do so).

I was contacted to do up a logo for them that would be attractive to women, while also demonstratign strength and promoting the idea of a ‘pathway’ into engineering. After a months worth fo going back and forth, the end result was well recieved and looked like this:

The design was born out of a pathway taking on many directions, and sometimes the path towards a goal may lead you in different directions. The use of the symbol ‘pi’ was suggested at the start of the project, and is a great idea as it reflects the name (PiE) as well as reinforces the engineering side of it. The ribbon idea was born out of a flat idea generated in the conceptual design stage, and was offered as a way for the logo to appear more feminine and softer. The use of deep pinks, reds and purples also provided warmth, softness but also excitement and dynamics to the logo.

The result is a logo that reinforces the organisations aims and processes, while providing an exciting and feminine look to attract the target audience.

Check out the Robogals bog entry!

AUSTRALIAN MOTORSPORT CIRCUIT

Mid last year I started on an ambitious project to design a racing circuit in Melbourne, Australia to replace the temporary Albert Park circuit. The project involved picking a location in Melbourne against a number of criteria, assessing the land and designing a circuit that would comply to all modern circuit design rules for hosting a Formula 1 event.

The project has involved a number of different software items, including GoogleEarth, Excel, Illustrator, Solidworks, and a lap simulator program called OptimumLap.

Since late last year, not much has been done (to be quite honest). I am currently at the stage of the design process where I am weaning out my favourite designs. The current leader is the circuit below, which is the 15th design developed:

I will need to alter it and develop it more to be ultimately satisfied with it, including ensuring the circuit can be considered safe for Formula 1 cars. This includes assessing run-off areas in corners. After this I will need to assess access to pit buildings (as well as pit building size), access roads, barrier placement, which may then lead into even MORE circuit layout revisions. Sheesh!

After ALL this, and once the circuit design is set, I will then attempt to overlay it on the actual location totpgraphy to see how the elevation changes effect the circuit. The location I have chosen (outside Sunbury near Calder Park Raceway) has very little elevation changes, but unfortunately there were not many other options that allowed for great elevation changes.

Now once THAT is done, I will go onto the circuit logo, building designs, and promotional and informational material. For the promo and informational material, I currently think I will do a fluffy overview sort of document showing the circuit layout(s), nice pictures etc. Something like a media release. The other document, likely the last piece of work I will do on the project, will be an in depth look at the circuit, including location scouting, circuit design, location details etc.

Phew!

CLOSED COCKPIT FORMULA CAR DESIGN

A low priority project, this project is to design a potential fantasy closed cockpit, open wheel formula car. This is a response to the undulating idea of a closed-cockpit design appearing in formula 1 cars in the near future. I did a quick sketch of my initial thoughts earlier, but here it is again!

I think this project will be a second-half-2014 project, but we shall see.

PIXEL ART PROJECTS

I have other non design projects too!

The first is an idea I got while in Austria last year. There is a shop called Libro which sells art stuff, but also stationary, dvds, games and toys. It is a bit of a mixed bag I grant you, but within they had little canvases (we’re talking maybe 6cm x 15cm). While looking at them I had the idea of getting 4of them and painting the same scene, but in each different season. The image would be of the same location, but would show the location in summer, autumn, winter and spring. This was spurred by my close watch on the weather in Austria, and the fact that the Austrian landscape changes so much over the seasons (snow in winter with non-snow covered areas dark and gloomy, summer filled with sunshine and greenery etc.). It will likely have all the stereotyical seaosnal things (autumn will have brown leaves, summer full of sun etc.). 

My first thought was to get the canvases and paint them, but didn’t want to bring such fragile wooden cnavases back home to Australia. But then I realised I could do the images in pixel art and put them in a four-series picture frame thingy.

My other other project is similar to the above in that I will want to use pixel art, but this idea came half way through watching f Back to the Future Part III as part of a marathon. My idea was to depict the same location…through time. Starting from the natural landscape, firsts settlement, build up, modern times and then future times. I would love to see that!

That’s it from me for this month. I hope 2014 goes well for everyone, and brings many fantastic times!

Pixels, Robot arms and racing circuits

My sincerest apologies (should it be required, I am not sure if anyone really cares that much) for not posting a Stylepixelstudios blog post for nearly 3 months. I was going so well for putting up a post a month, then it all came crashing down. Sort of.

It depends on how you define ‘crashing’, but nonetheless I have been a busy proverbial bee these past 3 months. So busy apparently, that I haven’t the time to update this blog. I have been dabbling in robot arm design, motorsport circuit design, race car design and pixel art. This is basically going to be a self-appreciating blog post, but if that interests you, let me take you on a short journey.

2Mar Robotics

In my last post I detailed the work of 2Mar Robotics, including their logo design and robotic arm, lead by former Young Australian of the Year 2012, Marita Cheng. I have been taken under as the Industrial Designer for the arm, in close collaboration with Marita in order to produce a user-friendly, configurable, aesthetically pleasing robot arm to help those who have quadriplegia. The arm is to be voice activates through an iPhone app.

The project is coming along in leaps and bounds, and while I cannot show you any photos, renders or sketches, I think the arm looks fantastic (what did I say about self-appreciation?). We have looked at options such as injection moulding, 2 part mouldable foam, clamps and friction locks, just to name a few. Great stuff, and I have learned a lot in the process. Great stuff even.

Pixel Art work

I was contacted a month or so ago to conduct some Pixel Art work similar to my Pit Lane View piece from a couple of years back. Without going into too much detail, the request was for a larger scale piece of an actual motorsport circuit. This would then be used to further the project. I have just finished the piece, which I cannot show unfortunately, and am hoping that it leads on to bigger and better things.

The thing to get out of this work was how valuable your previous online influence can be. This particular bit of work was started based off a simple Google Image search. The individual saw the image, tracked it down to my Behance portfolio, and contacted me for the work. My old artworks and designs still get views everyday from people all over the world on DeviantArt, and have been contacted on more than 1 occasion because of it. Do not underestimate the power of your online presence, and even your past work, whether it be online or not.

Australian Motorsport Circuit Design

In June’s edition of the Stylepixelstudios, I detailed the largest and most ambitious project I have undertaken: fully designing a permanent motorsport circuit for Melbourne, Australia. At the time I was in the location planning stage, looking for places that were suitable for a motorsport circuit capable of hosting a Formula 1 race.

 

Location planning including criteria of built up areas (purple), future planned residential areas (green), major roads (blue), major railways (black), and 45 minute car travel time from the population centre of Melbourne (red).

After assessing 4 different suitable locations (Outer Werribee, Outer Western Suburbs, Sunbury and Outer SE Suburbs), I found the place for the circuit:

Sunbury!!

The Sunbury option is not located in an area designated for future residential growth, is sufficiently away from current and future residential areas, is within 45 minutes drive from the population centre of Melbourne, and is serviced by an electrified railway.

In terms of elevation, the circuit area is not terribly exciting, as can be seen above generated from data from GoogleEarth.

Once I chose the circuit location, I went onto conceptual design stage using current and future circuits as inspiration, as well as thinking about what made great circuits and what fans and drivers usually liked about the great circuits.

After generating 20 odd different and varying designs, I then imported the sketches into SolidWorks and using the powers of geometry, sketched some of the circuit ideas to comply with the FIA circuit regulations required for hosting a Formula 1 race (including a minimum 15m wide Start/Finish straight, and minimum 12m wide circuit in other areas).

Using the sketch, I then sketch out the racing line (expected and to the best of my ability anyway) and place the circuit data into a program called OptimumLap. I use this and a downloaded Formula 1 car set value and ran the simulation. This gives me an idea of lap time, corner speeds, and general characteristics of the circuit.

All great stuff.

The plans for the future are to chose a design and modify it to make it better through detail design. Then I will start designing the layout of the circuit and associated buildings and structure. Then I will develop a brand for the circuit, and present it as a fully fledged, believable circuit design.

Again, ambitious, but all great stuff.

Race Car Design

I have also started a newer, as ambitious project to fully design a new spec series racing car. The inspiration for which started with the ever continuing discussion on whether Formula 1 cars should have a closed cockpit (i.e. a roof). This has expanded to creating an entire base of technical regulations to govern the design, along with a set of sporting regulations which detail how a championship might be run with the car.

Initial ideas for the car are that it will be a a design that relies less on aerodynamics and more on mechanical grip. It will be powered by a small displacement engine working with a regenerative electric powerplant. Here’s a very early, rough and badly taken photo of a sketch I did (taken with a phone camera because we are in the process of moving and it’s all I had).

 

In any case, and all being said, some exciting and enjoyable stuff still to come!