Rittai (Japanese for solid&sbquo three dimensional&sbquo or cubic form)

Rittai is a word that obscures the strictness and completeness of its origin&sbquo rippotai (cube). It represents various three dimensional forms and can be defined by width&sbquo height and length. Rittai that is enclosed by several planes and/or curved surfaces is also called tamentai (polyhedron). Plato is said to have defined the strictness and completeness of the cube&sbquo but to redefine it&sbquo it is a three dimensional form surrounded by six squares of equal area. Along with the cube&sbquo the sphere and cone are so to speak strict and complete forms among three dimensional forms. From this&sbquo it began to be used as a prefix&sbquo as in rittai-kikagaku (solid geometry) and rittai-shi (stereophonic vision) that indicates three dimensional visual perception.
It is certain that to design is to create or impart form with spatial existence in a plane = two dimensions and/or rittai and polyhedrons = three dimensions. In three dimensional and two dimensional design&sbquo but more so in the latter in particular&sbquo a method to make designs appear more three dimensional has been sought in pictorial expressions and graphic representations or design plans. In other words&sbquo three dimensional design is a major task in design. However&sbquo despite the fact the concept of rittai is expanding to polyhedrons and manifold forms&sbquo such polyhedron and manifold design and their methods and means are not incorporated in the design of three dimensional forms. As the three dimensional expression has become much easier thanks to the computer&sbquo design has been liberated from the artisan-like skills of conventional three dimensional realism. In light of this&sbquo I've been attempting to expand the concept of polyhedrons as three dimensional forms. This is because three dimensional recognition and design in the fields from solid geometry to topology have become possible owing to the advancement of the computer. We may say that the conventional concept of rittai has been changed radically. Or&sbquo that three dimensional design itself as design technology is changing. Designers should be thoroughly aware of this transformation.

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