Digital Clay: An Application for Gestural Modeling
Eric Schweikardt, Mark D. Gross

Due to the convenience and accuracy of several modeling, rendering, and presentation programs, a large percentage of design projects are eventually transformed into digital models, although the accuracy and detail inherent in these modeling programs makes their working timeframe rather prohibitive for initial abstract design exploration.

This rift in media turns design and presentation into disparate processes, and a drastic switch in media is inherently distracting. For this reason, it seems logical to create a piece of software that is currently unavailable. Enter Digital Clay, a sketch-based modeling application.

Digital Clay, though detailed enough to import and export complex files, is much freer and intuitive than the current offerings; in a word, gestural. Input is accomplished through a tablet and stylus interface, and certain commands are carried out through personalized symbols (doodles). This sketchbook-like interface eliminates the intrusion of excessive menus and palletes, and perhaps begins to shift the user's emphasis from computing to general design.