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

No. The course focuses on simulation, design strategy, and G-code generation. You don’t need a printer to follow along or benefit from the workshop.

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

Yes. The workshop teaches you how to use this custom plugin, developed by LYT.Studio, to generate material-aware toolpaths for clay printing directly in Grasshopper 8. You’ll be equipped to apply it independently in your own workflows.

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

Yes, optionally. If you have access to a 3D scan (of a body or any organic object), you can incorporate it into your design process. It’s not required, but it opens creative possibilities.

Is prior experience with Rhino and Grasshopper necessary?

It’s helpful but not mandatory. The workshop is designed to clearly explain the concepts and workflows, even for those with limited prior exposure to Rhino or Grasshopper.

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

Yes. The course addresses practical challenges like drying, material stress, deformation, overlaps, and nozzle behavior.

Courses 3D Printing 3D-Printing Clay Mastery

3D-Printing Clay Mastery

Name: 3D-Printing Clay Mastery
Price: 93.50 EUR
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

This workshop teaches advanced clay 3D printing techniques using Rhino and Grasshopper for optimized, material-aware toolpaths.

00:00

Overview
Content
Instructors
Reviews

Sep 20, 21, 2025

10 Lessons

Intermediate

8 Hours

Certificate — Learn

English

Unlimited Access

€110.00

€93.50

Gift Course

Introduction of the workshop:

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’ll 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.

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.

What You’ll Use?

Rhinoceros 3D

Grasshopper 3D

Highlights:

Knowledge Requirements:

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

Content

Introduction + PAACADEMY Updates (08:10)

Intro to Ceramic Printing (01:07:46)

Clay 3D Printing Fundamentals Workshop

This session introduces clay 3D printing, covering material preparation, machine types, design workflows, and structural principles for successful fabrication.

Ceramic Printing Guide (32:25)

Printing & Drying Techniques

This session explores various types of porcelain suitable for 3D printing, drying control methods, troubleshooting extrusion issues & strategies to prevent warping and cracking in ceramic prints.

Slicing with Grasshopper (33:24)

Geometry to Printable Code

This session demonstrates the use of slicers & Grasshopper plugins to convert complex geometries into G-code for clay 3D printing, focusing on printability, contours, and cantilever stability.

Custom Clay G-code (31:42)

Spiral Slicing in Grasshopper

This session explains how to use the Lyt Studio plugin for spiral slicing, layer calibration, seam control, wall thickness, and texturing to generate custom G-code for clay 3D printing.

LYT Studio Plugin (35:37)

Spiral Slicing Workflow

This session guides participants through using the LYT Studio plugin in Grasshopper, using it for spiral slicing, understanding geometry inputs, and preparing printable contours while highlighting real-world differences between digital previews and clay printing results.

Texturing Clay Prints (28:52)

Amplitude Control with Lyt Studio Plugin

This session demonstrates how to control amplitude, texture, and wall stability in clay 3D printing using Lyt Studio, including fields, noise, and attractor points, as well as tips on iterative testing and modular segmentation.

Feed Rate & Flow (27:03)

Seam Control & Machine Calibration

This session explains seam placement, skirt offsets, feed rate, and flow calibration in clay 3D printing, as well as printer customization, G-code editing, and live control using Duet interfaces.

Advanced Clay Printing (52:30)

Interstitching & Bottom Design Strategies

This session covers advanced clay 3D printing techniques, including interstitching geometries, handling gravity and cantilevers, customizing bottoms, managing overlaps, and exploring multi-axis and non-planar paths.

Clay Printing Analysis (01:02:23)

Cantilever Analysis & G-code Export

This session concludes the workshop with a deep dive into analyzing cantilevers, generating and exporting G-code using the custom LYT Studio plugin in Grasshopper, troubleshooting geometries, discussing machine limits, and addressing practical questions on clay preparation and workflow optimization.

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.

Instructors:

Lili Yas Tayefi

Biography

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 betweenbodies, 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.