Within the groups of two or three students formed in class, get together and pick two or three of the modeling examples shown here or here and figure out how you would create a computer model of the desired shape with the kind of graphics and modeling tools that you are familiar with -- or at least aware of. Assume that making one of these models is not a one-time job, but that the "customer" will want to make incremental improvements to the model (e.g., change the number of teeth on a gear ) or create several other similar models with the same approach. Thus you should break down your plan of how to make one of these models into several generic steps that can be reused subsequently. Indicate what the individual steps towards model construction should achieve. Specify what the individual programs or tools that carry out these steps should be able to do, so that the task could be given to a skilled programmer to develop such tools.
Each one of the students in the group should do ONE of the write-ups for one of these tasks, but the other members of the team should also sign these reports to indicate their participation in the discussions and decision-making and their approval of the final proposed plan.
These write-up need not be long; 1/2 to 1 page per design is enough; but please be fairly specific in describing the individual steps and how you would carry them out. Please bring a copy for me that you hand to me at the beginning of the class on 9/7/11. Write the names of all discussion participants and of the student in charge of the final write-up on this page.
Also be prepared to describe your design plan to the class in about 2-3 minutes.