Auahatanga - Creative Spaces
Where everyone can learn, make and design.
Our creative and learning spaces welcome everyone. It does not matter if you have just got started, or are reigniting a creative passion. We have some amazing technology available around our Christchurch City Libraries. Find out more about each piece of gear, where you can find it, and how you can use it to help exercise your creativity!
The purpose of our service is to support prototyping and printing small quantities, as we are a non-commercial organisation.
Laser Cutting
A laser cutter provides a fast and accurate way of cutting a variety of materials, such as paper, card, acrylic, wood, laminate and fabric. It works by firing a high-powered carbon dioxide laser through a series of mirrors and a focusing lens to produce a beam that burns very precisely through the media. The laser is controlled by computer numerical control (CNC) which moves the laser head by following a vector design. Create designs using Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer.
Available at South
Vinyl Printing and Cutting
A vinyl cutter contains a very sharp blade that is controlled by a computer. The blade can move precisely to cut shapes out of materials such as paper, card, adhesive vinyl and heat transfer vinyl. Some cutters are integrated into inkjet printers, allowing many more options for printing and cutting designs. Create designs using Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer or Silhouette Studio software.
Available at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre, South Library and Tūranga
3D printing
You can design and print 3D designs at Christchurch City Libraries. We have several 3D printers that can be used to make small objects out of plastic.
Available at: Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre, New Brighton, South, and Tūranga
*Shirley currently unavailable.
Sewing, Overlocker, and Embroidery Machines
Construct your own projects from fabric using our sewing machines and overlockers, embellish with stitched designs using the embroidery machine.
Available at New Brighton, South, and Tūranga
Heat Press
A heat press is a large type commercial iron. It has controls for pre-set temperature, time and pressure, making it ideal for the application of heat transfer vinyl to fabric, garments (such as T-shirts) and other media.
Available at New Brighton, South, Tūranga and Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre
Badge Maker
A badge maker allows you to make custom wearable button badges. The badge design can be hand-drawn or designed on a computer using software such as Inkscape, Affinity Designer, or Adobe Illustrator.
Available at: New Brighton, South, Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre, and Tūranga
Craft Cutter
A Cameo 4 cutter contains a very sharp blade that is controlled by a computer. The blade can move precisely to cut shapes out of materials such as paper, card, adhesive vinyl and heat transfer vinyl.
Available at: New Brighton, South, Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre, and Tūranga
DTG Direct to Garment Printing
A DTG or Direct to Garment printer allows a digital image (such as a PNG or JPG) to be printed directly onto fabric. It works similarly to an inkjet printer by using ink in cartridges that are especially designed for fabric. The printer prints directly onto the fabric and then using a finisher, heat is applied to the fabric to set the ink. You can create custom t-shirts, hoodies, wall hangings, tote bags, and more.
Available at Aranui, New Brighton and South
Photo, Slide and Film Scanner
A photo scanner can create high quality digital files from your physical photo, slides films, or other paper documents.
Available at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre and Tūranga
Can't make it to a Creative Session or require expert guidance to kickstart your journey?
No problem! "Book a Creative" session with one of our Creative Specialists, who will provide you with valuable support and insights.
AV studio and cosplay resources
Taupuni Oro/Ataata – Audio/Video Studio: Tūranga
Cosplay and creative costuming
Ngā Kōrero Auaha Creative Stories: Frank
Ngā Kōrero Auaha Creative Stories: Terry studies at Linwood
Ngā Kōrero Auaha – Creative Stories: Mako Design
Ngā Kōrero Auaha – Creative Stories: Indrani Bedi
What have you made at the library?
FAQ
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Christchurch City Libraries have two Graphics Tablets available to use at Tūranga.
Talk to our team members if you’d like to borrow one while you are visiting Auahatanga | Creativity, Level 4.
The Graphics Tablet can be borrowed for up to 2 hours for in-library use only.A Graphics Tablet (also known as a pen or drawing tablet) is a device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus. Our Wacom Intuos Pro Creative Pen tablets can be connected to computers in our Creative Space to use with creative software such as Adobe Photoshop or Affinity Photo.
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Software available in Computer Lab 1, 4.22 Auahatanga | Creativity, Level 4, Tūranga.
Your library membership gives you access to Linkedin Learning which has tutorials on some of the following software.
In addition to the software available on all public computers the following software is installed on PCs in Computer Lab 1:
Animation, Effects and 3D Modelling
- Adobe Animate 2D Animation.
- Adobe Character Animator 2D animation with camera based motion capture and audio. Capable of live animation of characters.
- Adobe After Effects (including Cinema 4D Lite) Layer-based digital effects, compositing and motion graphics.
- Blender 3D modelling, animation and compositing.
- Da Vinci Resolve Fusion (packaged with DaVinci Resolve) Node-based digital effects, compositing and motion graphics.
- FreeCAD Parametric 3D modeller.
Audio Recording and Editing
- Adobe Audition
- Audacity
- Reaper
- Vital Digital synthesizer.
Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design
- Adobe Illustrator Illustration and vector graphics.
- Adobe InDesign Desktop publishing.
- Adobe Lightroom Classic Photo organizer and editor.
- Adobe Photoshop Image composition and editing.
- Affinity Designer
- Affinity Photo
- Affinity Publisher
- Krita Digital painting.
- Wacom Tablet and Inkspace App – for use with the borrowable Wacom Intuos Pro creative pen tablets
Video Editing
- Adobe Premiere Pro Video editing.
- DaVinci Resolve (the studio version is available in the AV Studio)
Games
- Kerbal Space Program: Physics-based aerospace simulator and planetary exploration sandbox, including craft construction and robotic parts.
- Simple Planes: Plane building and flying with procedural parts.
- Simple Rockets 2: Rocket building and launching with procedural parts.
- Universe Sandbox: Physics-based space simulator
Other
- Handbrake Audio and video file conversion.
- OBS Studio Screen capture software.
- Musescore – free music composition and notation software
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Software available on the computers (Macs Studios) in the Audio/Video Studio at Tūranga and the Auahatanga - Creative Space at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre.
Your library membership gives you access to Linkedin Learning which has tutorials on some of the following software.
Animation, effects and 3D modelling
- Adobe Animate 2D Animation
- Adobe Character Animator 2D animation with camera based motion capture and audio. Capable of live animation of characters.
- Adobe After Effects (including Cinema 4D Lite) Layer-based digital effects, compositing and motion graphics.
- Blender 3D modelling, animation and compositing.
- Da Vinci Resolve Fusion (packaged with DaVinci Resolve) Node-based digital effects, compositing and motion graphics.
Audio Recording and Editing
- Ableton Live 11 Suite
- Adobe Audition
- Audacity
- GarageBand
- Logic Pro X
- Reaper
- Vital Digital synthesizer. Audio Plugins: Vital (also works as standalone application); Native Instruments
Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design
- Adobe Illustrator Illustration and vector graphics
- Adobe InDesign Desktop publishing
- Adobe Lightroom Classic Photo organizer and editor
- Adobe Photoshop Image composition and editing
- Krita Digital painting
Video Editing
- Adobe Premiere Pro Video editing.
- DaVinci Resolve Studio
- Final Cut Pro X Video editing.
- iMovie Basic video editing.
Other
- OBS Studio Screen capture software.
- Handbrake Audio and video file conversion.
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Public use library computers have the following software installed:
- Windows 10
- Pharos Account Balance: View the balance on your Pharos account.
- Microsoft Edge: Web browser
- Firefox: Web browser
- Google Chrome: Web browser
- PDF-Xchange: Open, read, create & edit PDF files
- Adobe Digital Editions: eBook management software
- Microsoft Office: Suite of programs including word processor, slide-show, spreadsheet and more.
- Libre Office: Suite of programs including word processor, slide-show, spreadsheet and more.
- Māori keyboard and dictionary
- Multiple keyboard languages supported
- 123D Design*: 3D modelling
- Minecraft: You’ll need your own Minecraft subscription to log in
- SketchUp Make: 3D modelling
- Gimp: Drawing programme
- Inkscape: Drawing programme
- Paint.net: Drawing programme
- Skype: Internet based phone and video calling
- iTunes: Music library software.
- Audacity: Audio editing software.
- VLC: Multi-format video player.
- Windows Media Player: Media player for video, audio and images.
- Notepad++: Text tool for programmes
- Magnifier: Microsoft screen magnifying software.
- Narrator: Microsoft light-duty screen reader utility.
- NVDA: Non Visual Desktop Access: Free, open-source screen reader software
- Google Earth: a 3D representation of Earth based on satellite imagery
*Autodesk stopped supporting 123D in 2016. Because it is no longer developed and supported at some point it will no longer run on newer versions of Windows 10. Therefore we recommend you check out free or trial alternatives to 123D, such as:
- Onshape Design online, register for a free account, designs are public
- Tinkercad Free online modelling
- Fusion 360 Download a trial version on your own computer.
Learning Centre computers
The following software applications are used during Learning Centre programmes (i.e. available during organised classes and creative drop-in sessions).
- Affinity Designer: vector graphics editor Adobe Illustrator alternative
- Affinity Photo: raster graphics editor Adobe Photoshop alternative
- Affinity Publisher: desktop publishing application Adobe InDesign alternative
- Arduino IDE: coding for Arduino boards
- Blender: 3D computer graphics
- Discord – VoIP & chat alternative to Skype
- Krita – digital painting
- League of Legends – eSports
- MakerbotPrint: 3D printing design
- mBlock: block-based programming
- Minecraft Education Edition
- OBS Studio: Desktop video recording and live streaming software
- Sculptris: 3D digital sculpting
- Silhouette: crafting tool
- SimplePlanes: 3D sim – build airplanes by snapping parts together
- SimpleRockets: 3D space sim - build rockets, airplanes, rovers and explore
- Vital: Create your own custom sounds with Vital, a digital synthesizer.
See also:
