During the Renaissance, artists and illustrators developed the representation of truthful three-dimensional forms into a highly skilled art. As reliable illustrations of three-dimensional subjects became more prevalent, they also influenced the ways in which disciplines developed: architecture could be communicated much more clearly, mathematical concepts and astronomical observations could be quickly relayed, and observations of the natural world moved towards a more realistic method of depiction. Through essays on some of the world's greatest artists and thinkers--such as Leonardo da Vinci, Luca Pacioli, Andreas Vesalius, Johann Kepler, Galileo Galilei, William Hunter, and many more--this book tells the story of how of we learned to communicate three-dimensional forms on the two-dimensional page. It features some of Leonardo da Vinci's ground-breaking drawings now in the Royal Collections and British Library as well as extraordinary anatomical illustrations, early paper engineering such as volvelles and flaps, beautiful architectural plans, and even views of the moon. With in-depth analysis of more than forty manuscripts and books, Thinking 3D also reveals the impact that developing techniques had on artists and draftsmen throughout time and across space, culminating in the latest innovations in computer software and 3D printing.

Effective strategic thinking requires a clear understanding of one's external environment. Each organization has a unique environment, but as Ross Harrison explains in Strategic Thinking in 3D, any environment-whether in the fields of national security, foreign policy, or business-has three dimensions: systems, opponents, and groups.

This book offers a structured framework for critical thinking and decision making that shows how to use hindsight, insight, and foresight to navigate through complexity. Every organization and every person faces rapid change and complexity. Contextual intelligence – understanding fully the context in which one is operating – teaches the reader how to navigate that complexity and respond appropriately in the face of change (expected and unexpected). The Three-Dimensional (3D) ThinkingTM framework helps structure critical thinking by showing how to appropriately bring past experience, present intuition, and future ambiguity– in other words: hindsight, insight, and foresight – to bear on any given problem. Kutz offers a way to rationally organize difficult concepts such as complexity, tacit knowledge, and synchronicity into usable and understandable language, but more importantly teaches the reader how to apply these concepts in a very practical and meaningful way with measurable and tangible outcomes. The book also describes in detail 12 behaviors associated with contextual intelligence. Four behaviors are associated with hindsight, four behaviors are associated with insight, and four behaviors are associated with foresight. The book takes the reader through the 12 behaviors and how they relate to 3D Thinking. Cases and anecdotes are used generously to provide examples. Chapters are followed by critical thinking questions and questions related to the cases in the chapters. Furthermore, questions and practical tools are introduced that help the reader assess and determine their level of contextual intelligence.

A new interdisciplinary perspective on architecture and geometry—from Athenian Ruins to the Chrysler building The geometric foundations, forms, and patterns in today’s architecture, design and, decorative arts can trace their origins in past cultures. From humankind’s first path-like doodles on cave walls through to the higher abstractions developed to make accurate measurements and predictions, the three-dimensional forms we design and build have always been dependent on available materials, human needs, and the limits of our imaginations. 3D Thinking in Design and Architecture tells the story of the intimate relationship between geometry, mathematics and man-made design throughout human history, from the Neolithic period through the Indian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Chinese, Greek, Celtic, Islamic and Renaissance cultures, to the present and the possible future. Presenting key principles that can be applied across all design disciplines, design expert Roger Burrows relates how geometry as a visual language has evolved to meet our needs, initiated new technologies, and changed the way we think about the world around us. With a wealth of original artwork by the author to explain his ideas, this book will be an essential reference and source of inspiration for students and design professionals.

The first book to explain mathematics using 3D printed models. Winner of the Technical Text of the Washington Publishers Wouldn’t it be great to experience three-dimensional ideas in three dimensions? In this book—the first of its kind—mathematician and mathematical artist Henry Segerman takes readers on a fascinating tour of two-, three-, and four-dimensional mathematics, exploring Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries, symmetry, knots, tilings, and soap films. Visualizing Mathematics with 3D Printing includes more than 100 color photographs of 3D printed models. Readers can take the book’s insights to a new level by visiting its sister website, 3dprintmath.com, which features virtual three-dimensional versions of the models for readers to explore. These models can also be ordered online or downloaded to print on a 3D printer. Combining the strengths of book and website, this volume pulls higher geometry and topology out of the realm of the abstract and puts it into the hands of anyone fascinated by mathematical relationships of shape. With the book in one hand and a 3D printed model in the other, readers can find deeper meaning while holding a hyperbolic honeycomb, touching the twists of a torus knot, or caressing the curves of a Klein quartic.

Describes ways artists can use traditional animation techniques with computer technology.

Cody Wilson, a self-described crypto-anarchist and rogue thinker, combines the story of the production of the first ever 3D printable gun with a philosophical manifesto that gets to the heart of the twenty-first century debate over the freedom of information and ideas. Reminiscent of Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman, Cody Wilson has written a philosophical guide through the digital revolution. Deflecting interference from the State Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the story of Defense Distributed -- where Wilson's employees work against all odds to defend liberty and the right to access arms through the production of 3D printed firearms -- takes us across continents, into dusty warehouses and high rise condominiums, through television studios, to the Texas desert, and beyond.