Pachyderm Acoustic

Pachyderm is a plugin largely used by Designers and Scientists alike to simulate acoustics in buildings, rooms, cities, and other settings.

  • Antonio Treglia

    Hi Arthur.

    First of all, thanks for release me the plugin. I'm trying to install it on rhino 5, but when I drag the .rhp file it shows me this message:

    Error
    Access to 'C:\Program Files\For Rhinoceros\Pach_Setting.pset' denied. Impossible load plug-in 'C:\Program FIles\For Rhinoceros\Pachyderm_Acoustic.rhp' 

    What is the problem? Instead, the plug-in for GH works. Is it a problem if I use Pachyderm v.1 (which works) on Rhino and the v.2 on GH?


     

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Antonio,

    You will need the versions of the grasshopper and rhino plugins to be consistent, as they reference each other.
    The .pset file is generated the first time you run Pachyderm for Rhino. Could you please confirm for me that it is there? If so, please delete it (so that Rhino can make its own). Make certain you have installed everything from v2 in your installation folder. 
    Other than this, maybe your computer has locked the files, and you should go through the properties for each file and hit the 'unblock' button.
    Let me know if you have gotten it working or if I can be of further help. 
    Arthur
  • Antonio Treglia

    I didn't find the .pset file but moving the "For Rhinoceros" folder on the Desktop it works. Thanks.

  • Antonio Treglia

    Hi,

    I'm starting to learn the plug-in, but before going on, I would ask you if it'll be useful for my project: I'm using acoustic analysis to recover the Rotterdam Stadium, changing it in a multifuncional building. I need to create a model of the stadium in GH to simulate the acoustics for different functions (as concerts, motor ride...), so I could use the results to improve the design and optimize the structure for all of these activities.

    By the way, the literature about the acoustics of opened sport facilities is insufficient and I don't know if Pachyderm could help me in this research. Do you know if it works in a building with that dimensions?

    Thanks,
    Antonio 

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Antonio,

    For large spaces like that, Ray-tracing programs like that in Pachyderm are the only practical way to simulate sound. Yes it will work, but you will probably need a very large number of rays to adequately sample the space. What amount of volume are we talking about?

    Arthur

  • Antonio Treglia

    The total volume of the stadium is very huge, around 1,5 million mq. 
    It will be minor than that, because I guess I'llconcentrate on the bleachers and the field, but it remains an high value.

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi,

    Try with 200,000 rays, and please post a screenshot of your impulse response. (You will find this on the third tab of the Hybrid method interface).

  • Antonio Treglia

    Hi Arthur,

    I'm sorry, I'm trying to set the model but I probably do something wrong. I saw that I need a source and at least one receiver for the simulation, but I don't know how to proceed. 

    First of all, I have a simplified model of the stadium, and obviously it's an opened structure (you can see a part of it in the image below). To  the plug-in works, I need to create a kind of closed box around the structure?

    Then, if it's possible, could you send me an example of a model where I can see how it works?

    I'm really sorry but I'm completely new in this kind of software and analysis, and nobody in the department knows how to use this plug-in. Thanks for the patiance and the availability.

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Antonio,

    You do not need a closed box around the structure, though you will probably need a very high number of rays to get a good result from the model.

    It might make sense for you to use the Rhinoceros interrface before you use the Grasshopper interface. (type Pachyderm_Acoustic in the command prompt to get started. Follow the instructions on the Pachyderm website)

    There is an example in the Pachyderm RC12 archive:

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21521713/Pachyderm2.0.0.1%20RC1...

    Again, the Rhino and Grasshopper plugins talk to eachother, so you should have them both loaded, and you should have the Rhino model open before opening the grasshopper model.

    --Arthhur

  • Antonio Treglia

    Hi,

    I followed the instructions on the site, I assigned the material (using one of the default materials) and I use 200000 rays for the simulation, but when I launched it, Rhinoceros crashed.

    I tried to change the number of rays, the materials and other parameters, but the result is the same, the software crashes every time. What do you think is the problem?

  • Antonio Treglia

    Sometimes it works, even if it's very ustable, but when I go to "Analysis" tab I receive this message: "Index is outside the matrix" and I can't see anything. Then, when I select a parameter (for example T-30, the software continues to crash). 

  • Arthur van der Harten

    My colleages at the office and I use the plugin often. It shouldn't be unstable. The only times I encounter this with users is generally if they are running in Parallels on a Mac, and that is a Rhino issue. Another possibility is that you don't have enough RAM to do what you want to do, or you are running in 32 bit, in which case the RAM you can use is limited (try again in 64-bit Rhino). If that is not the case, here are a few things to try:

    1. check that none of the libraries are blocked. (right click all files in the installation and go to properrties, and if there is an unblock button in propertites, click it and apply.)

    2. delete the .pset file in the pachyderm directory. (Pachyderm will make a new one).

    3. Delete your Pachyderm directlory, and install again from the RC12 archive I provided earlier.

    As for the blank receivers dropdown, I had forgotten about that issue. Just click in the white space of the dropdown and type the number of the receiver you want, and press tab. Then uncheck and check a source. That should work as a temporary workaround. (don't put in a number that does not match a receiver in the model, or it will crash). This will be fixed in a later version.

  • Antonio Treglia

    I'm using the 64-bit Rhino in Windows, and I have 16Gb RAM, I don't think that is the problem. I noticed that the crash comes when starts "calculating image set..".

    I'll try to install again pachyderm and also Rhinoceros if it's necessary.

  • Antonio Treglia

    Hi Arthur,

    I'm still working on the model of the stadium, with acceptable results. I would like to know if with Pachyderm I can get graphs of the analyzed parameters (T30, EDT, SPL...)  or I can see just the energy/pressure curves and the values of the other parameters.

    Then, Pachyderm for GH is linked to the Rhino analysis? Or are they indipendent? I don't understand how to use the plug-in in Grasshopper...
    Thanks for the availability.

    Antonio

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Antonio,
    Try the Pachyderm_Mapping command. If you execute the stimulation in there, you can get an area map of the parameters.

    The grasshopper component communicates with the Rhinoceros plugin. You did have received an example file with the grasshopper component.

    Arthur
  • Yasser Hafizs

    Hi Arthur,

    Could I get the example file for Pachyderm? Because your website is down and the dropbox link is dead. Thanks before

  • Daniele Rizza

    Hi Arthur,

    I'm working on a model of multifunctional room but I have a problem with Pachyderm. 

    I have modelling the room and assign the acoustical proprieties of the materials in "Pachyderm Hybrid Models" but when i try to start the "calculation solution" Pachyderm stop working and Rhinoceros shuts off.
    Can you help me please?

    Daniele

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Daniele,

    That sounds like you are either using a very old version, or libraries are blocked.

    First make sure you have the latest:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/ljaz5ky9qc0659p/Pachyderm2.0RC_13f_Instal...

    Let me know if this solves your issue.

    Arthur

  • Jose Giraldo

    Hi Arthur, Do you have an installer for a 32-bit version? I've the same issue of Daniele.

    Thank's

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Jose,

    I don't recommend using the software in 32-bit. There are too many features for which the memory limitation would make it impossible to complete a simulation...

    It is very unusual to need that these days though. Why do you need 32-bit?

    Arthur

  • Daniele Rizza

    Hi Arthur,
    I have the last version of Rhinoceros and Pachyderm so this is not the problem. Maybe my libraries are blocked but I don't know how I can unlock it.
    This evening I tried to start the analysis in a simple cubic room and the "calculation solution" started. Maybe my last model was too complicated. It is possibile? 
    I'll write you as soon as try to remodel the new room.
    Thank you

    Daniele

  • Daniele Rizza

    Hi Arthur,

    Do you have any GH acoustics file that I can study to learn to use parametric pachyderm?
    Thank you

    Daniele

  • daviduburke

    Arthur, 

    I made it through my Thesis project. Thank you for all your help and for creating this tool! You are saving the world...

  • Sean L

    Hi Arthur,

    is there a way to export analyses from simulations in a spreadsheet-friendly (or otherwise parseable) format? 

  • Stracus

    Hi Arthur,

    I am using your software for an acoustic simulation. Everything looks working in the grasshopper system but I have two questions. 

    1. How many surfaces can Pachyderm control in Grasshopper? For now my project is not less then 3800 surfaces and everything is crashing when I am setting a polygon scene.

    2. The parameter ED is always overload for the matrix. Is there any secret to solve this problem?

    Many thanks

    RM

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi,

    There is no limit on the number of surfaces which can be handled, but if any of them cannot generate a render mesh, it may crash.

    You will have to trouble shoot your model in order to make sure that none of the geometry is bad.

    I don't understand your second question. Could you please explain?

    Arthur
  • Daniele Rizza

    Hi Arthur,

    Like Stracus, when I launch my analysis, appears an error that says "Index beyond the matrix limits".
    Where is it possible change these limits?

    Daniele

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Danielle,

    There are no limits, and your problem seems very different from Stracus's problem. His originated in the Scene class, and most likely had to do with his model. Yours, from your picture, occurs after running a simulation, and has to do with composing the Impulse Response.

    I can't tell what is wrong with it from your picture. Please email me your files and I can have a look.

    kind regards,

    Arthur

  • Daniele Rizza

    Can you send me your email to send you the project?
    Or write it at rizza.d@hotmail.it
    Thank you

    Kind regards,

    Daniele 

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi all,

    Daniele and I have worked through the issue. It seems to me that this is not terribly clear in the website documentation, so I will say it here. Your model must be in meters for it to work correctly in Pachyderm. Maybe someday I will fix this, but for now, in order to prevent  an onslaught of bugs, please work in meters.

    Rhino makes it pretty easy to fix this. I can be a little trickier in Grasshopper, but still not overly complicated.

    kind regards,

    Arthur

  • Han Deng

    Hi,I want to figure out how to use it in grasshopper, could you sent me the example file of grasshopper to my email?

    hdeng@iastate.edu

    Thanks very much!

  • Abdulaziz Albasseet

    Where can i download?

  • oneiric

    Hi Authur,

    Thanks for your creation of this plug-in. 

    I have read all the tutorial on the website and the comments & discussions here. I do not see how gh and rhino plugin could work together. Is there any example for me to learn more about it ?

    Or may I know for NURBS Scene component, what should be plugged into GL? What is the integer id of the layer in the description?

    Thank you!

  • Arthur van der Harten

    Hi Oneiric,

    GL wants one integer for each piece of geometry you put into GG. This integer will be the zero-based position of the layer in the Rhino layer dialog. The layer titled 'default' generally appears first in a new document. That would be layer 0. The next layer you add would be directly below 'default' and would be layer 1, and so on.

    What the scene component is looking to do is get the materials you have assigned to that layer in Pachyderm for Rhino. This is the most obvious way, perhaps that Pachyderm for Rhino and Pachyderm for Grasshopper work together. They share resources like materials.

    The connection will be deepened in the future, as I develop certain other tools. Stay tuned.

    Arthur