3D-Printed Surfing Zoetrope

I made this as part of a group class project, which meant that I had access to both a laser cutter and a 3D printer for this project. However, with a little creativity, I'm sure you could find some low-tech solutions, such as sculpting your surfers with air-dry clay or using a craft knife to create your paper slits. Zoetropes are a cool way to learn about all manner of cinematic techniques, history, and theories, and I think the surfing theme is very fun!

Digital drawing/animating software (optional)

3D modelling or sculpting software

3D printer and filament

Flat wooden round (to use as a base)

Heavy paper or cardstock

Laser cutter (optional)

Craft knife

Craft glue and/or hot glue

Acrylic paint

Turntable to display your work

I found that it was helpful for me to sketch out how I wanted the wave to move in a 2D animation software before I started modelling the frames, just to make sure everything was moving as I wanted it to. Here, I used Procreate.

Our wooden base had a 12-inch diameter, so we created 12 different "frames" of the wave animation. Looking at video of existing waves was a big help for me. We used TinkerCAD-- a web-based software that's free to use if you have an existing Autodesk account.

The easier way I found to model this was to create a trapezoidal base that all of the different wave shapes to sit on, then using TinkerCAD's "scribble" tool to form the more organic shape of the waves. The consistent base makes sure all the waves sit flat on the base and all take up the same amount of space.

Make sure your wave is moving in towards the center of the base. It's helpful to do lots of checks before you give the pieces their final coats of paint and glue to make sure the animation is visible through the slits and looks as you imagined it.

When you print, you'll most likely have to add supports and a brim to help out the 3D printer. Every 3D printing software is different, so check the manufacturer's website if you're not sure the best way to do this. Once your prints are done, these supports can easily be removed with a craft knife.

We used the laser cutter for this, but scissors or a craft knife will work just fine. The slits create a "blink" or "flash" in the image which reduces the appearance of blurring in the illusion of movement that the zoetrope creates. A strobe light, popular for larger zoetrope installations, does the same thing. The triangle shapes made it easier to glue onto the base. Your paper should wrap all the way around the base with slits at regular intervals.

If your base isn't already prepped, now would be a good time to do so. We used the laser cutter here as well-- cutting the wood into a round shape with a hole in the middle to fit with the turntable we used.

Now is the time to get creative! We made our surfer an alien and his board shaped like a coffin, but use your imagination to create the coolest surfer you can dream up! Remember to use supports and bed adhesion (like brims) if your print needs it. Print enough surfers and boards for every "frame" of your wave animation (we had 12), plus extra in case of printing errors.

An easy way to check scale is to place a wave in the 3d printing software environment to use as a reference to size your surfer. Make sure to delete it before you print to make room for all your surfers and boards, unless you need an extra wave for any reason.

Have fun with color! The inside of your paper will act as the background of your animation, so feel free to get creative. We chose a blue sky and clouds, but perhaps your surfer is braving a dark storm.

If you like, you can sand and prime your prints before painting, but we found that ours were small enough that the acrylic paint helped smooth some of the surface texture.

Make sure your waves are moving in the direction you like, then use glue to attach them permanently to the base. Glue your boards and surfers to each wave in a position that appears like they're naturally riding the wave. Finally, glue your paper to the base to form the viewing "cage."

Balance your finished zoetrope on your turntable, and look through the slits to see the illusion. Your surfer should appears to be surfing the waves as they rise and fall. Great work!