Clay 3D Printing Workshop: Grasshopper Toolpaths

Name: 3D-Printing Clay Mastery
Price: 93.50 EUR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5.00 (6 reviews)

Details to know

Sep 20-21, 202514:00 - 18:00 (GMT)
IntermediateSkill level
50 seatsClass size
EnglishLanguage
Keep the recordings foreverRewatch after the live days
Shareable certificateIncluded with enrollment
Live workshopJoin the session in real time
10 lessons6h 20m
2 toolsRhinoceros 3D · Grasshopper 3D

About the Course

This workshop is designed for artists, architects, designers, and digital fabricators interested in deepening their understanding of clay 3D printing. Over two intensive live sessions, you’ll explore technical and material-driven strategies for generating optimized toolpaths using a newly developed custom plugin for Grasshopper 8 by LYT Studio, based on a decade of accumulated research.

Rather than treating the digital model as a static object, this course approaches design as an active, material-aware process, where the toolpath itself becomes the object to design. Participants will learn how to design for gravity, extrusion flow, and drying behavior, developing forms with both technical precision and experimental potential.

Whether working with simple forms or 3D scans of the body (optional), you’ll leave with strategies to print smarter, cleaner, and more intuitively with clay.

What You Will Learn

Design optimized forms for additive layering with extrusion constraints in mind.
Understand how line thickness, overlaps, cantilevers, and nozzle sizes affect real-world prints.
Use the LYT.Studio Grasshopper 8 plug-in to generate custom G-code for clay 3D printers.
Export toolpaths directly from Rhino without using an external slicer.
Develop surface textures and clean a base for your model using parametric control.
Integrate body-inspired geometries as a framework for sculptural experimentation (optional)
Consider the full clay workflow: from recipe to print to drying and shrinkage.
Troubleshoot issues related to scale, material stress, and deformation during printing.

Software & Tools Used in This Course

Rhinoceros 3D

Grasshopper 3D

Instructor's Professional Works

Methodology

Workshop Format

This live workshop follows a hands-on, exploratory approach featuring live demonstrations and walkthroughs in Rhino and Grasshopper using a custom plug-in. Participants engage in design exercises that emphasize toolpath-based thinking.

Technical Content

The course covers technical strategies for clay extrusion, including managing cantilevers, overlaps, and understanding geometry behavior during printing.

Case Studies and Applications

Real-world case studies from modular sculpture and architectural ceramics illustrate practical applications of the techniques taught.
Participants may explore optional body-scan workflows for hybrid digital-organic design experimentation.

Support and Accessibility

An open Q&A session offers individualized troubleshooting support.

Knowledge Requirements

What you should already know or have ready before you start, experience, tools, and any baseline skills the instructors expect. Scan the list below so nothing catches you off guard.

Prior experience with Rhino and/or Grasshopper is recommended but not required—concepts will be
clearly explained.
You do not need a clay 3D printer to follow along; the course is focused on simulation and design
preparation
A body 3D scan (or simple 3D scanned object) may be used optionally for experimentation, but is not
mandatory

Course Curriculum

10 Lessons6h 20m

Session 1

Session 2

Important Notes

You do not need a 3D printer to attend. This workshop is accessible to remote participants who want to understand, simulate, and prepare digital toolpaths in advance of fabrication.
Please ensure you have all the software installed before the workshop starts. Software installation is NOT a part of the workshop.

What You'll See Inside

Instructors

Instructor

Lili Yas Tayefi

View profile

5.0instructor rating1course

Lili Yas Tayefi is an Iranian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, educator, and designer working across computational design, digital fabrication, and sculptural ceramics. Her practice explores the space between bodies, buildings, craft, and code—translating softness, modularity, and movement into tactile form. Since 2015, Lili has worked extensively with 3D-printed biomaterials, beginning at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), where she specialized in large-scale clay 3D printing and bio fabrication techniques. Her projects include Spain’s first 3D-printed earthen dwelling and numerous international collaborations bridging material experimentation and digital craft. As founder of LYT.Studio, she develops custom tools and workflows for clay 3D printing, including a newly launched Grasshopper plugin for optimized g-code generation. Her teaching practice spans architecture, art, and technology, with a focus on intuitive design, hands-on methods, and body-aware fabrication.

Instructor's Selected Works

What students saidReviews

5.066

5.0avg6 Reviews

6 Comments

VinsNov 9, 20255.0

very interesting, congratulations

Ronan BolañosOct 21, 20255.0

The workshop led by Lili was a great approach into 3d printing with clay

Zahra BoustaniSep 29, 20255.0

The workshop was really helpful. Although I was not familiar with 3d printing with clay material, I could learn a lot. Thank you Lili

Gowtham JeyabalanSep 24, 20255.0

insightful

Walter Patrick SmithSep 22, 20255.0

Lili’s 3D-Printing Clay Mastery workshop was both rigorous and fun. She reframed clay 3D printing as an active, material-aware process where the toolpath itself is the design. With clear demonstrations, she showed how to use her custom Grasshopper 8 plugin to optimize G-code and address real issues like scale, material stress, and deformation. Complex topics—extrusion flow, cantilevers, drying behavior—became approachable through her step-by-step guidance. What made the sessions special was the sense of play: Lili encouraged experimentation, created space for questions, and made even technical troubleshooting feel exciting. The balance of precision and creativity left me with practical strategies for printing smarter and cleaner, as well as a renewed enthusiasm for clay as a medium of exploration.

Mazen Ahmed HusseinSep 22, 20255.0

Really Good Workshop

Vins

Nov 9, 2025

very interesting, congratulations

Ronan Bolaños

Oct 21, 2025

The workshop led by Lili was a great approach into 3d printing with clay

Zahra Boustani

Sep 29, 2025

The workshop was really helpful. Although I was not familiar with 3d printing with clay material, I could learn a lot. Thank you Lili

Gowtham Jeyabalan

Sep 24, 2025

insightful

Walter Patrick Smith

Sep 22, 2025

Lili’s 3D-Printing Clay Mastery workshop was both rigorous and fun. She reframed clay 3D printing as an active, material-aware process where the toolpath itself is the design. With clear demonstrations, she showed how to use her custom Grasshopper 8 plugin to optimize G-code and address real issues like scale, material stress, and deformation. Complex topics—extrusion flow, cantilevers, drying behavior—became approachable through her step-by-step guidance. What made the sessions special was the sense of play: Lili encouraged experimentation, created space for questions, and made even technical troubleshooting feel exciting. The balance of precision and creativity left me with practical strategies for printing smarter and cleaner, as well as a renewed enthusiasm for clay as a medium of exploration.

Mazen Ahmed Hussein

Sep 22, 2025

Really Good Workshop

3D-Printing Clay Mastery

Details to know

Details to know

About the Course

What You Will Learn

Software & Tools Used in This Course

Instructor's Professional Works

Methodology

Workshop Format

Technical Content

Case Studies and Applications

Support and Accessibility

Knowledge Requirements

Course Curriculum

Session 1

Session 2

Important Notes

What You'll See Inside

Instructors

Lili Yas Tayefi

Instructor's Selected Works

Earn Your Certificate

What students saidReviews

Questions? We've Got Answers

Do I need a clay 3D printer to participate in this workshop?

What is the LYT.Studio Grasshopper plugin, and will I be able to use it after the course?

Can I use a body scan or scanned object in the workshop?

Is prior experience with Rhino and Grasshopper necessary?

Will I learn how to troubleshoot real-world clay printing issues?

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