Impression-based Fabrication: A Framework to Reflect Personal Preferences in the Fabrication Process

This study proposes impression-based fabrication, a new framework of digital fabrication that takes into account personal preferences and impressions. Based on users' desired impressions, the two-component framework generates multiple designs for a target product. The first component, a design generation unit, is where the designs are generated. It converts the input desired impressions into physical features. These designs are then subjected to an impression evaluation model where their appropriateness to the desired impression is evaluated. The user then receives the 3D printing data of high-scoring designs. A custom design tool for picture frames was constructed as a case study to demonstrate the feasibility of the framework. A case study confirmed that the design tool was able to create designs that had the desired impression on users.