Kangaroo

Information

Kangaroo is a Live Physics engine for interactive simulation, optimization and form-finding directly within Grasshopper.

Read about the new release here

The Discussion Forum below is the best place to ask any questions about using Kangaroo.

(Please avoid posting questions on the Comment Wall, as it does not allow organization of replies)

Website: http://kangaroo3d.com
Members: 2814
Latest Activity: yesterday

You can read an introduction to the ideas behind Kangaroo here:

http://spacesymmetrystructure.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/kangaroo/

Kangaroo2 is now available for testing (see full announcement here). Please bear in mind this is still a work-in-progress, and features are still subject to change.

Kangaroo2 is now included with Rhino6, you do not need to install it separately.

You can download it for Rhino5 from here:

http://www.food4rhino.com/project/kangaroo

This thread contains some troubleshooting tips if you have problems getting it installed and working:

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/group/kangaroo/forum/topics/kangaroo-2

The main source of example files for the latest version is here:

https://github.com/Dan-Piker/Kangaroo-examples

Some further example files for version 2.0 can be found here:

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/group/kangaroo/page/kangaroo2-additional-examples

with more to follow - if there is some particular feature you would like more examples of information on please ask there.

The Kangaroo2 solver library is now separate from the Grasshopper components, and can also be referenced and used in scripts, either in the GH VB/C#/Python components, or in RhinoScript/PythonScript in Rhino. Questions about these can also be posted on:

http://discourse.mcneel.com/c/scripting

Kangaroo2 is a complete rewrite, and the main solver/goal/force components are not cross-compatible with the previous version. However, you can keep both versions installed together allowing older definitions to be opened, and for now this is recommended, as there are also several utility and mesh processing functions relevant to both versions.

While v2 introduces many new features and improvements, not all the features from the old version currently have equivalents in the new version, but the plan is to add them all over time.

The links below are for the old version. More documentation and videos for the new version to appear soon.

example files(for version 0.099):

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/group/kangaroo/page/example-files

manual(for version 0.099):

http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddpv

getting started video:

http://vimeo.com/20308963

demo videos:

http://vimeo.com/album/199263

Some more tutorial videos from EXLAB:

http://vimeo.com/exlab/videos

Discussion Forum

K2Engineering: Goals cannot be converted 1 Reply

Hey!I am trying to use the K2 Engineering package. I already have problems with the example files – there is always an error showing up (see screenshot in german), which says the object of the typ „supportgoal“ can’t be converted to…Continue

Started by Marie Pa. Last reply by wenqian yang yesterday.

PolygonArea orientation and accuracy 3 Replies

Does PolygonArea require the polygon to lie on a plane parallel to WorldXY? As far as I can tell, any other orientation causes an inaccurate result, and a plane lined up directly with Z causes it to cease working at all.…Continue

Started by Cory. Last reply by Cory on Saturday.

Membrane Tensegrity 8 Replies

Hi,I`m working on tensegrity structures where as tensile members I`m using membranes (mesh). After few successful tests I have problem with quite simple one, but can`t find a reason why members which should stay in place (anchor points) are shoot up…Continue

Started by RadekS. Last reply by C Gonis Nov 30.

MeshMachine

Hi, I was using MeshMachine to perform some meshing on a surface. I have some discrete points that I want to include in the mesh vertices. I had connected the FixV with those points but the resultant mesh is still ignore it. Am I missing anything?Continue

Started by Thomas Luk Nov 15.

Tensegrity structures 27 Replies

In response to a recent comment on this video: I'm posting the files here. The same grasshopper definition should work with any collection of struts and cables you draw in Rhino. This sort of thing does seem well suited to exploration in…Continue

Started by Daniel Piker. Last reply by Kristen Lu Nov 13.

Zombie Kangaroo Solver Error with Floor Component 5 Replies

Hello everyone,I have been running across an error when using the floor component with ZombieSolver in Kangaroo2. Essentially, the ZombieSolver does not seem to be recognizing the floor as a Kangaroo goal. I am running a tensegrity simulation where…Continue

Started by Sachin Gupta. Last reply by Sachin Gupta Nov 4.

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News and Updates

Force polygons of equilibrium structures

I have recently been exploring some reciprocal force diagrams using Kangaroo. From the 1869 paper by James Clerk Maxwell On reciprocal figures, frames and diagrams of forces : …to construct the Polygon of Forces, by drawing in succession lines parallel and proportional to the different forces, each line beginning at the extremity of the last. If the forces acting at the […]

Minimal surface puzzle

The top row shows three different minimal surfaces from the same boundary curves. The bottom row shows the same 3 surfaces rotated and in a different order. Which number corresponds to which letter?

Orthogonal Clustering

I’ve always aimed to make Kangaroo a specifically architectural physics engine. While it shares many characteristics with similar engines used for other purposes, such as games and animation, it has some features that are uniquely suited to designing buildings. Form-finding and physics-based-modelling often result in curved shapes, with an elegant and natural appearance which is something […]

Variation from Uniformity

All of these triangles are identical and equilateral: In architectural geometry over the last few decades, a common topic of research has been how to build and clad doubly curved surfaces in an efficient way. While computer aided manufacturing has made it possible to make buildings where every panel has slightly different dimensions, there are […]

MeshMash!

As regular readers of this blog will know, I’m passionate about the use of relaxation and force-based methods for optimizing geometry in a very interactive way. There is a great variety of form-finding that can be done by assigning physical forces as interactions between sets of particles. However, in my investigations so […]

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Comment Wall

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Comment by Luca Biselli on October 30, 2010 at 8:04pm: Thanks for the invitation.

Comment by Cristian Luca Atzori on October 30, 2010 at 11:18am: Up and ready to rock :)

Comment by Alexander Kalachev on October 30, 2010 at 10:28am: Thnx for invitation

Comment by Beltrán Fernández Mariño on October 30, 2010 at 9:44am: Thanks for the invitation :]

Comment by Tushar Sharma on October 30, 2010 at 6:30am: thanks for the invitation!!

Comment by Ante Ljubas on October 30, 2010 at 6:27am: Thanks for your invitation giving company to an important development. The book will be out in November and we mentioned your important work along with your renderings. I´m looking forward for more of your stunning developments. Cheers!