Emily Danchik

23 Jan 2014

A parametric pawn by @EmilyDanchik using #OpenSCAD

For my object, I created a pawn with several parameters. In my first sketching class, we created our own chess pieces to practice drawing and rendering 3D shapes. OpenSCAD automates part of this process, so I recreated several of my old sketches here:

A pretty pawn

A pretty pawn

Plain pawn

Plain pawn

Pin with a teensy head

Pin with a teensy head

This pawn's collar is higher than it's small head, so it has a cool diamond shape thing going on.

This pawn’s collar is higher than it’s small head, so it has a cool diamond shape thing going on.

I’m not sure what the proper terminology is for the parts of chess pieces, so I made my own in my sketch:
Photo on 1-23-14 at 2.41 AM

 

Here is the code for my pawn:

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// Change any of these!
headWidth = 50;
collarHeight = 10;
collar1Width = 80;
collar2Width = 30;
bodyHeight = 40;
bodyWidth = 40;
legHeight = 30;
baseWidth = 70;
baseHeight = 10;
 
// The head
sphere(headWidth/2);
 
// The collar-looking thing
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2]) 
cylinder(h=collarHeight, r1 = collar1Width/2, r2 = 0);
 
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight]) 
cylinder(h=collarHeight, r1 = collar2Width/2, r2 = collar1Width/2);
 
// The body-looking thing
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight-bodyHeight]) 
cylinder(h=bodyHeight, r1= bodyWidth/2, r2= collar2Width/2);
 
// The leg
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight-bodyHeight-legHeight]) 
cylinder(h=legHeight, r1= baseWidth/2, r2= bodyWidth/2);
 
// The base
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight-bodyHeight-legHeight-baseHeight]) 
cylinder(h=baseHeight, r1= baseWidth/2, r2= baseWidth/2);

This code is available at Thingiverse and GitHub. I would consider the design to be useful and interesting, and perhaps beautiful in its simplicity.

In class, Andrew showed me a way to make the piece look more smooth. Thanks! Check out how good it looks now:

Thanks bro

Thanks bro

The updated code looks like this. I may update the GitHub & Thingiverse to reflect this, giving Andrew credit:

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// Change any of these!
headWidth = 50;
collarHeight = 10;
collar1Width = 50;
collar2Width = 30;
bodyHeight = 30;
bodyWidth = 40;
legHeight = 30;
baseWidth = 70;
baseHeight = 10;
 
smooth=100;
 
// The head
sphere(headWidth/2, $fn=smooth);
 
// The collar-looking thing
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2]) 
cylinder(h=collarHeight, r1 = collar1Width/2, r2 = 0, $fn=smooth);
 
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight]) 
cylinder(h=collarHeight, r1 = collar2Width/2, r2 = collar1Width/2, $fn=smooth);
 
// The body-looking thing
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight-bodyHeight]) 
cylinder(h=bodyHeight, r1= bodyWidth/2, r2= collar2Width/2, $fn=smooth);
 
// The leg
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight-bodyHeight-legHeight]) 
cylinder(h=legHeight, r1= baseWidth/2, r2= bodyWidth/2, $fn=smooth);
 
// The base
translate([0, 0, -1*headWidth/2-collarHeight-bodyHeight-legHeight-baseHeight]) 
cylinder(h=baseHeight, r1= baseWidth/2, r2= baseWidth/2, $fn=smooth);