r." I'm sorry to hear that, I take the interface and ease-of-use rather seriously so this sounds like a fundamental failure on my part. On the other hand, Grasshopper isn't supposed to be on a par with most other 3D programs. It is emphatically not meant for manual/direct modelling. If you would normally tackle a problem by drawing geometry by hand, Grasshopper is not (and should never be advertised as) a good alternative."What in other programs is a dialog box, is 8 or 10 components strung together in grasshopper. The wisdom for this I often hear among the grasshopper community is that this allows for parametric design."Grasshopper ships with about 1000 components (rounded to the nearest power of ten). I'm adding more all the time, either because new functionality has been exposed in the Rhino SDK or because a certain component makes a lot of sense to a lot of people. Adding pre-canned components that do the same as '8 or 10 components strung together' for the heck of it will balloon the total number of components everyone has to deal with. If you find yourself using the same 8 to 10 components together all the time, then please mention it on this forum. A lot of the currently existing components have been added because someone asked for it."[...] has a far cleaner and more intuitive interface. So does SolidWorks, Inventor, CATIA, NX, and a bunch of others."Again, GH was not designed to be an alternative to these sort of modellers. I don't like referring to GH as 'parameteric' as that term has been co-opted by relational modellers. I prefer to use 'algorithmic' instead. The idea behind parameteric seems to be that one models by hand, but every click exists within a context, and when the context changes the software figures out where to move the click to. The idea behind algorithmic is that you don't model by hand.This is not to say there is no value in the parametric approach. Obviously it is a winning strategy and many people love to use it. We have considered adding some features to GH that would make manual modelling less of a chore and we would still very much like to do so. However this is such a large chunk of work that we have to be very careful about investing the time. Before I start down this road I want to make sure that the choice I'm making is not 'lame-ass algorithmic modeller with some lame-ass parametrics tacked on' vs. 'kick-ass algorithmic modeller with no parametrics tacked on'.
Visual Programming.I'm not exactly sure I understand your grievance here, but I suspect I agree. The visual part is front and centre at the moment and it should remain there. However we need to improve upon it and at the same time give programmers more tools to achieve what they want.
Context sensitivity."There is no reason a program in 2014 should allow me to make decisions that will not work. For example, if a component input is in all cases incompatible with another component's output, I shouldn't be able to connect them."Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. Whether or not a conversion between two data types makes sense is often dependent on the actual values. If you plug a list of curves into a Line component, none of them may be convertible. Should I therefore not allow this connection to be made? What if there is a single curve that could be converted to a line? What if you want to make the connection now, but only later plan to add some convertible curves to the data? What you made the connection back when it was valid, but now it's no longer valid, wouldn't it be weird if there was a connection you couldn't make again?I've started work on GH2 and one of the first things I'm writing now is the new data-conversion logic. The goal this time around is to not just try and convert type A into type B, but include information about what sort of conversion was needed (straightforward, exotic, far-fetched. etc.) and information regarding why that type was assigned.You are right that under some conditions, we can be sure that a conversion will always fail. For example connecting a Boolean output with a Curve input. But even there my preferred solution is to tell people why that doesn't make sense rather than not allowing it in the first place.
Sliders."I think they should be optional."They are optional."The “N” should turn into the number if set."What if you assign more than one integer? I think I'd rather see a component with inputs 'N', 'P' and 'X' rather than '5', '8' and '35.7', but I concede that is a personal preference."But if I plug it into something that'll only accept a 1, a 2, or a 3, that slider should self set accordingly."Agreed.
Components."Give components a little “+” or a drawer on the bottom or something that by clicking, opens the component into something akin to a dialog box. This should give access to all of the variables in the component. I shouldn't have to r-click on each thing on a component to do all of the settings."I was thinking of just zooming in on a component would eventually provide easier ways to access settings and data."Could some of these items disappear if they are contextually inappropriate or gray out if they're unlikely?"It's almost impossible for me to know whether these things are 'unlikely' in any given situation. There are probably some cases where a suggestion along the lines of "Hey, this component is about to run 40,524 times. It seems like it would make sense to Graft the 'P' input." would be useful.
Integration."Why isn't it just live geometry?"This is an unfortunate side-effect of the way the Rhino SDK was designed. Pumping all my geometry through the Rhino document would severely impact performance and memory usage. It also complicates the matter to an almost impossible degree as any command and plugin running in Rhino now has access to 'my' geometry."Maybe add more Rhino functionality to GH. GH has no 3D offset."That's the plan moving forward. A lot of algorithms in Rhino (Make2D, FilletEdge, Shelling, BlendSrf, the list goes on) are not available as part of the public SDK. The Rhino development team is going to try and rectify this for Rhino6 and beyond. As soon as these functions become available I'll start adding them to GH (provided they make sense of course).On the whole I agree that integration needs a lot of work, and it's work that has to happen on both sides of the isle.
Documentation.Absolutely. Development for GH1 has slowed because I'm now working on GH2. We decided that GH1 is 'feature complete', basically to avoid feature creep. GH2 is a ground-up rewrite so it will take a long time until something is ready for testing. During this time, minor additions and of course bug fixes will be available for GH1, but on a much lower frequency.Documentation is woefully inadequate at present. The primer is being updated (and the new version looks great), but for GH2 we're planning a completely new help system. People have been hired to provide the content. With a bit of luck and a lot of work this will be one of the main selling points of GH2.
2D-ness."I know you'll disagree completely, but I'm sticking to this. How else could an omission like offsetsurf happen?"I don't fully disagree. A lot of geometry is either flat or happens inside surfaces. The reason there's no shelling (I'm assuming that's what you meant, there are two Offset Surface components in GH) is because (a) it's a very new feature in Rhino and doesn't work too well yet and (b) as a result of that isn't available to plugins.
Organisation.Agreed. We need to come up with better ways to organise, document, version, share and simplify GH files. GH1 UI is ok for small projects (<100 components) but can't handle more complexity.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the feedback, I really do, but I want to be honest and open about my own plans and where they might conflict with your wishes. Grasshopper is being used far beyond the boundaries of what we expected and it's clear that there are major shortcomings that must be addressed before too long. We didn't get it right with the first version, I don't expect we'll get it completely right with the second version but if we can improve upon the -say- five biggest drawbacks (performance, documentation, organisation, plugin management and no mac version) I'll be a happy puppy.
--
David Rutten
david@mcneel.com…
A repository of generic or complex examples.
Example 01: Attractor Values
ND_001_AttractorValues.gh
Example 02: Curve Values
ND_002_CurveValues.gh
Example 03: Point Attractor
ND_003_PointAttract
ntrol points in Rhino.
Also, I forgot to mention in part 1 that when doing the directional subdivision, depending on how you drew your input mesh, there is a chance that it gets divided in the wrong direction, and you end up with something like this:
Which is not what we want.
The simple way to fix this is with the MeshTurn component, which rotates the direction of each face by one side:
Now we can use physical relaxation to smooth our mesh. In this example I show a simple tensile relaxation, so it will be negatively curved, but the same principles can be applied to all sorts of surfaces by using different combinations of forces.
The definition for the relaxation is attached below.
There are 3 main groups of forces used:
Planarization
For the mesh to be able to unroll properly into flat strips, we want each of the thin rectangles to be flat.
Springs
I already showed how the WarpWeft splitting can be used to assign different strengths to control the shape of a mesh here. Now because of the uneven subdivision we have very different numbers of edges in each direction, so the strengths have to account for this. Depending on the level of subdivision used and the shape you want to achieve, you may need to set the Weft stiffness to be 10 to 100 times that of the Warp.
Edge Smoothing
Because our subdivided mesh has square ends, we might not want to simply anchor the boundary, so I've shown how we can force them to become more circular, while still staying in place. Each boundary curve gets pulled onto its best fit plane, while also applying bending to round it out, and springs to keep it from shrinking.
(This part could also be achieved in other ways, such as pulling the boundary vertices to a curve)
When we run this relaxation, the shape should smooth out to something like this:
Play with the tensions and boundaries until you are happy with the result, wait for it to stop moving, then stop the timer. (Remember it is very important to always stop the timer once the relaxation has finished, before continuing working with the output, as otherwise Grasshopper becomes very slow, because Kangaroo is constantly resolving, even if no movement is visible).
If you want to try other shapes than tensile surfaces, you could also use forces such as bending, laplacian smoothing, or pulling to some target surface to control the form.
Next - Part 3 splitting and unrolling
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ración de 150 horas divididas en cuatro módulos, arrancando el 22 de Marzo del 2011 y terminando la segunda semana de Junio con sesiones los Martes y Jueves de 18:00 a 22:00hrs y algunos Sábados de 10:00 a 14:00hrs.
El tema central del diplomado es el uso integral de la herramienta digital en el proceso de diseño a partir de la base teórica del fenómeno de la emergencia (entendida como la obtención de resultados complejos a partir de la interacción de elementos simples con reglas de bajo nivel de sofisticación).
El desarrollo del programa se concentra en la aplicación práctica de las reflexiones teóricas generadas mediante el uso de herramientas digitales generativas, principalmente Grasshopper (plug-in de modelado parametrico para Rhinoceros).
Contaremos con la presencia de dos colaboradores internacionales: EL primero será un miembro de LaN (Live Architecture Network) que impartirá un curso sobre programación avanzada en Grasshopper enfocandolo a la realización de un objeto construido, haciendo énfasis en la transición entre lo virtual, lo análogo y lo físico. El segundo es Jalal el Ali, maestro en arquitectura por la Architectural Association, líder de la Unidad de Geometría Generativa de Buro Happold y actual líder de proyecto en Zaha Hadid Architects, quien dará un curso intensivo enfocado al uso de la herramienta digital y la producción digital, enseñando procesos que ha aplicado en la empresa donde trabaja. Jalal pronunciará también una conferencia magistral.
Es un programa promueve el uso de nuevas tecnologías y la integración de procesos de producción desde la concepción del diseño, aplicando los conocimientos teóricos en un objeto físico usando el laboratorio de fabricación de la Universidad Iberoamericana.
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ng in Grasshopper?
As a general recommendation for developers in Grasshopper who are writing a part of their library which is performance-sensitive (please note: often the performance sensitive part is very limited) is to write it in C#, or maybe even C, or maybe even assembly :). Of course, the closer to the machine you will be, the easier it will be to harness all minimal optimizations. However, there is always a compromise between "getting things done" and "making them best" and this boundary is not very easy to catch, right?
If you want to have significant speed improvements for numerical calculations, I would at least recommend developing with C# in a compiled component using Visual Studio or SharpDevelop. The reason is: in order to provide the line number of possible errors, Grasshopper compiles C# scripts in debug mode! They will be much less optimized than what is possible even with today's technology. This does not preclude keeping the project open-source, if that is one of your goals.
Regarding the actual list:
1) Yes, the implied loop will probably be slower than just a simple for loop. This is because Grasshopper code has to keep track of more things than the ones you could be considering with your knowledge of of your very-special case. However, a factor of 10 is simply not acceptable and is likely a symptom of something else. In fact, I think I remember fixing a bug around that in Rhino WIP. However, it appears to be still slower also there. I've added a bugtracking item here.
2) If you are able to do all casts that are involved, and do them as Grasshopper does, please write that code that way. For example, if you supply a curve to an input with number hint, Grasshopper computes the length of the curve. There will have to be an "if" that checks if the input is a curve somewhere (or some similar construct). This aid for designers is what slows down the hint input.
3) Grasshopper has to keep side effects at bay. For example, components B and C are both connected to outputs of A. If you edit data in component B, and that data came from A you of course expect that data to be unchanged in C. This means that, for even lists of numbers, Grasshopper has to perform a deep copy of the output for each input. Otherwise, what happens if B sorts the list and C finds the index of the smallest number? This could be improved if GH components had some way of flagging themselves as non-data-mutating (constant). The fact that, by supplying special types, Grasshopper has no way of performing copies will likely speed things up. But be aware of possibly very annoying side effects creeping in if data is not immutable. Another option is performing the copy "optimally", just where you need it, because you know where your data is used. This is not information that is available to GH at present.
Does this help?
Thanks again for your input,
Giulio--Giulio Piacentinofor Robert McNeel & Associatesgiulio@mcneel.com…
ints. Anyway this is made for AEC purposes (wavy roofs/envelopes and the likes) and is classified as internal (but I could provide a "light" version).
To give you a very rough idea: C# rebuilds first any input list of nurbs > then samples the control points in a tree > then excludes (or not) the "peripheral" points (case: closed in U/V surfaces) > then "picks" some of them according a rather vast variety of options (~30) > then modifies these either individually (that's only possible with code and it's a bit tricky) or via any collection of push/pull attractors or randomly or ... > then "joins" the 2 sets together (modified + unmodified) > and finally does the new nurbs. Only 456 lines of code that one.
With regard the Dark Side: C# would be my recommendation (P is ala mode, mind) for a vast variety of reasons (less than 10% of them are GH related).
If you decide to cross the Rubicon:
How to go to hell (and stay there) in just 123 easy steps:
Step 1: get the cookies
The bible PlanA: C# In depth (Jon Skeet).
The bible PlanB: C# Step by step (John Sharp).
The bible PlanC: C# 5.0 (J/B Albahari) > my favorite
The reference: C# Language specs ECMA-334
The candidates:
C# Fundamentals (Nakov/Kolev & Co)
C# Head First (Stellman/Greene)
C# Language (Jones)
Step 2: read the cookies (computer OFF)
Step 3: re-read the cookies (computer OFF)
...
Step 121: open computer
Step 122: get the 30 steps to heaven (i.e. hell)
Step 123: shut down computer > change occupation/planet
May The Force (the Dark Option) be with you.
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Send Feedback
Defines enumerated values for all implemented corner styles in curve offsets.
Namespace: Rhino.GeometryAssembly: RhinoCommon (in RhinoCommon.dll) Version: 5.1.30000.12 (5.0.20693.0)
Syntax
C#
public enum CurveOffsetCornerStyle
Visual Basic
Public Enumeration CurveOffsetCornerStyle
Members
Member name
Value
Description
None
0
The dafault value.
Sharp
1
Offsets and extends curves with a straight line until they intersect.
Round
2
Offsets and fillets curves with an arc of radius equal to the offset distance.
Smooth
3
Offsets and connects curves with a smooth (G1 continuity) curve.
Chamfer
4
Offsets and connects curves with a straight line between their endpoints.
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he workshops focus on a variety of different advanced digital design platforms related to environmental analysis, BIM, parametric design, GIS, responsive systems, and urban/landscape design.
Eligibility: The workshops are open to all students and professionals in the design fields. Please review the specific experience requirements for each workshop in the full workshop descriptions.
Cost: Each workshop costs $75/$150 for students/professionals. [Registration will be online on Monday, March 1]
Hardware and Software: Attendees must bring their own laptop to the workshop. Workshop instructors will make available trial versions of the software.
Location: All workshops will be held on the CCA San Francisco Campus in the Graduate Center.
Parametric Modeling with Grasshopper I
Date: March 5, 10am-5pm
Instructor: Ben Golder (developer of Finches plugin)
Parametric Modeling with Grasshopper II
Date: March 12, 10am-5pm
Instructor: Ben Golder
(developer of Finches plugin)
Intro to Physical Computing with Arduino
Date: March 5, 10am-5pm
Instructors: Jason Kelly Johnson (CCA/FCL and co-developer of Firefly plugin), with Rip DeLeon (FCL)]
Conceptual Modeling Tools in REVIT
Date: March 12, 10am-5pm
Instructor: Charles Lee (HOK, BIOS Design Collective)
Environmental Analysis in Ecotect
Date: March 5, 10am-5pm
Instructor: Olivier Pennetier of Symphysis
ESRI ArcGIS I: Mapping and Analyzing Urban Information
Date: March 5, 2-9pm
Instructor: Richard M. Kos, AICP
ESRI ArcGIS II: 3D Analyst and ArcScene
Date: March 12, 2-9pm
Instructors: Richard M. Kos, AICP and Mona El Khafif (URBANlab)
Advanced Illustrator for Urban Ecologies
Date: March 5, 10am-5pm
Instructor: David Fletcher (Fletcher Studio, URBANlab)…
he "return" is comment out as shown below?
After restarting Rhino and Grasshopper, I opened the outdoors_airflow demo file, and the first step of creating the case file is ok:
Then the blockMesh component gives the following error: seems I have to manually start OF first..
so, as the error message suggested, I open OF by Start_OF.bat:
Then come back to the blockMesh component, now it can be executed while the OF command line window is also openning:
... and the blockMesh finished successfully:
... so I proceeded to run snappyHexMesh, checkMesh and update fvScheme:
... up to the simpleFoam component, I got the error again:
The warning message is:
1. Solution exception: --> OpenFOAM command Failed!#0 Foam::error::printStack(Foam::Ostream&) in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #1 Foam::sigFpe::sigHandler(int) in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #2 ? in "/lib64/libc.so.6" #3 double Foam::sumProd<double>(Foam::UList<double> const&, Foam::UList<double> const&) in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #4 Foam::PCG::solve(Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double> const&, unsigned char) const in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #5 Foam::GAMGSolver::solveCoarsestLevel(Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double> const&) const in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #6 Foam::GAMGSolver::Vcycle(Foam::PtrList<Foam::lduMatrix::smoother> const&, Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double> const&, Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::PtrList<Foam::Field<double> >&, Foam::PtrList<Foam::Field<double> >&, unsigned char) const in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #7 Foam::GAMGSolver::solve(Foam::Field<double>&, Foam::Field<double> const&, unsigned char) const in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libOpenFOAM.so" #8 Foam::fvMatrix<double>::solveSegregated(Foam::dictionary const&) in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/lib/libfiniteVolume.so" #9 Foam::fvMatrix<double>::solve(Foam::dictionary const&) in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/bin/simpleFoam" #10 Foam::fvMatrix<double>::solve() in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/bin/simpleFoam" #11 ? in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/bin/simpleFoam" #12 __libc_start_main in "/lib64/libc.so.6" #13 ? in "/opt/OpenFOAM/OpenFOAM-v1606+/platforms/linux64GccDPInt32Opt/bin/simpleFoam"
... and the command lines in the readMe! output are pretty long and it is saved in the text file attached here.
So, my questions are:
1. why I have to manually start OF first before I can use the blockMesh component? Should butterfly automatically start OF?
2. what might be the cause of the unsuccessful run of simpleFoam in the end?
Hope you can kindly advise! Thank you!
- Ji
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de in Italy: gli architetti Arturo Tedeschi, computational designer e autore del bestseller “Parametric Architecture with Grasshopper” e Maurizio Degni, i fashion designer Flavia Migani, Simone Bruno e Chiara Cola ed infine dello shoe designer Alessio Spinelli, vincitore del concorso Who’s On Next 2011 nella categoria Accessori.
Frutto della loro energia e sinergia emozionale è un’opera corale che fonde le singole discipline nel rispetto delle loro identità, generando un innovativo manifesto espressivo e produttivo basato sull’integrazione dei tradizionali strumenti di disegno con processi parametrici elaborati al computer, oramai potente sistema d’indagine e sperimentazione formale per ogni disciplina artistica.
L’installazione, composta da quattro abiti completi e due calzature collocati all’interno di una scultura parametrica in costante dialogo con lo spazio espositivo, è il punto d’incontro tra decenni di ricerca teorica e una nuova consapevolezza progettuale. Il contributo musicale di Davide Severi, la documentazione dell’intero processo creativo e i video firmati da Francesco Ricci Lotteringi si offrono allo spettatore coinvolgendolo in un apprendimento multidisciplinare.
__
In the evocative setting of the Cloister of Bramante, from July 7th to 10th, a new project created by Double comes to life: NU:S.
An extraordinary and engaging installation, which examines the contamination between Fashion and Architecture and attempts to break the mold of the Roman art scene taking advantage of the important creative contribution of young and talented members of Made in Italy: the architects Arturo Tedeschi (computational designer and author of the bestselling "Parametric Architecture with Grasshopper ") and Maurizio Degni; the fashion designers Chiara Cola, Simone Bruno, Flavia Migani, and Alessio Spinelli (shoe designer winner of the 2011 Who's On Next in Accessories category). The concept and the creative direction are the undertaking of Antonella Buono. The result is a harmonious work that merges the individual disciplines while respecting their identities creating an innovative expressive manifesto, thanks to the use of a revolutionary architectural language: the parametricism .
Parametricism is a paradigm which utilises digital models generated through new techniques of computer programming, which today can be considered as equally powerful systems of investigation and formal experimentation, as are considered conventional drawing tools.
The installation, which is the culmination of decades of theoretical research and a new planing knowledge, consists of four dresses, complete with accessories, which are located within a parametric framework in constant dialogue with the exhibition space, involving the audience in a multidisciplinary learning process.
The installation soundtrack was composed by Davide Severi, a talented musician with a substantial knowledge of reinassance music and strong digital music background.
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