with this machine.
As Jason says, Rhino and Grasshopper are mainly single-threaded, so I prioritized single core speed and got an i7 4790k, which comfortably overclocks to 4.7GHz (with a decent air cooler, but no fancy liquid cooling).
The Kangaroo2 solver is actually multi-threaded now, but the difference this makes is not great as you might imagine. Using 4 cores is certainly nowhere near 4 times faster, because although parts of the calculation are easily parallelized, everything still needs to be recombined at each iteration, and this is usually the bottleneck. I think there is still room for some improvement in how it is multi-threaded, but I wouldn't hold your breath for any massive changes on this front soon.
I'd be interested to know how the performance scales with the Xeon chips (more cores, significantly more expensive, but relatively low clock speeds). At the time I made the guess that they weren't worth it, but it would be good to really test this out.
RAM is relatively cheap these days, so I went with 32GB of it at 2133MHz. It does seem that the speed of the RAM matters, as enabling XMP in the BIOS (to make it run above the default 1333) seemed to make a noticeable difference.
Graphics-wise my personal feeling is that the gaming oriented GTX cards offer better value than the much more expensive 'professional' Quadro range - and have read that the hardware between the 2 has historically been very similar or even identical despite the Quadros being several times the price, with the difference being mainly in the drivers. There are some threads on discourse.mcneel.com about this, and it seems that recent GTX cards like the 970 do very well in Holomark (the Rhino performance benchmarking tool).
I got a GTX 770 (this was just before the 900 series came out), which is probably way overkill just for Rhino/Grasshopper, as they don't use the GPU for more than display (Though some of the render plugins do, and I think for those more CUDA cores is what matters, so there GTX is probably still better value.)
Probably swapping this for a much cheaper card wouldn't make much difference to Rhino/GH performance anyway (though if you want to use the PC for other stuff like gaming or virtual reality it does).
I don't have much experience with AMD cards, so can't comment on how they compare to Nvidia.
Eventually I do hope to make Kangaroo run the physics on the GPU, and potentially this does have a big speed impact. Nvidia recently released some impressive demos of their FLEX engine, which really fly with a decent graphics card. That is very much game-physics, and not suitable for most of the things Kangaroo is used for, but theoretically Kangaroo could also be adapted to use CUDA (or OpenCL), though it involves a lot of big changes, and I don't have a timeline for this yet.
In the much shorter term there are some things in the pipeline that should speed up Kangaroo for certain things like collisions between large numbers of objects, just by using some different algorithms.
Altogether my machine was still well under €2K, and I've been really happy with it. That said, the difference in performance between this and my 4 year old €700 i5 laptop is actually not that huge in day-to-day Grasshopper usage. It does seem that there is a strong case of diminishing returns with buying a PC - I'd hazard a guess that even spending 3 times this amount (as another thread on this forum was discussing recently) you'd be hard pushed to get anything that made a really significant difference to the experience of using it, and if you really want to spend more money, you would be better off just upgrading more frequently (and getting a nice monitor(s)).
Anyway, a long ramble, I hope some of it is useful. As I said, I'm no hardware expert, and would be interested to hear different opinions.
I also think it will be nice to make a simple benchmarking tool for Kangaroo and have people run it on their various machines and report back results (as with Holomark), to help others make informed decisions on these things. I'll try and put something together for this soon.
…
lysing and assessing sustainable performance of buildings and structures, called sustainability-open. Yes, open-source: that means everybody can use it as much as they want. We hope that this will give designers and engineers to make more sustainable buildings and structures in the future. And you can take a look at our code - to learn or improve it if you like! The framework is still in early stage and doesn't do a lot yet at the moment, so this is your chance to become an early-adopter.(By the way, very soon new components will come out that will early let you do more.)
The framework is linked to Grasshopper and Rhino - as soon as we have a little bit more, we will add some links on this site too.
At the Design Modelling Symposium Berlin (September 28 - October 3)we will host a workshop over the weekend which will show you everything about the framework and its components, our future plans, etc. We will also teach you how to develop your own components. Not everything will be purely related to the framework as we will be doing a lot of .net development related to Rhino/Grasshopper and other parametric applications. If you would like to know more about the framework, take a look at: http://www.sustainability-open.com or follow us on Twitter: @sustainableopenIf you would like to sign up for the workshop in Berlin or would like to know more, go here:https://www.design-modelling-symposium.de/frontend/index.php?folder...Regards,Jeroen…
lysing and assessing sustainable performance of buildings and structures, called sustainability-open. Yes, open-source: that means everybody can use it as much as they want. We hope that this will give designers and engineers to make more sustainable buildings and structures in the future. And you can take a look at our code - to learn or improve it if you like! The framework is still in early stage and doesn't do a lot yet at the moment, so this is your chance to become an early-adopter.(By the way, very soon new components will come out that will early let you do more.)
The framework is linked to Grasshopper and Rhino - as soon as we have a little bit more, we will add some links on this site too.
At the Design Modelling Symposium Berlin (September 28 - October 3)we will host a workshop over the weekend which will show you everything about the framework and its components, our future plans, etc. We will also teach you how to develop your own components. Not everything will be purely related to the framework as we will be doing a lot of .net development related to Rhino/Grasshopper and other parametric applications. If you would like to know more about the framework, take a look at: http://www.sustainability-open.com or follow us on Twitter: @sustainableopenIf you would like to sign up for the workshop in Berlin or would like to know more, go here:https://www.design-modelling-symposium.de/frontend/index.php?folder_id=180Regards,Jeroen…
register, please contact Miss Roula Homsi Tel: 06/218400 ext:4007email: r.homsi@bau.edu.lbTOPICS: Parametric design , Algorithms, Kinetic Architecture, responsive facades, interactive design, smart buildings, generative design, NURBS modeling, parametric modeling, architectural design algorithms, form finding algorithms , and Environmental Adaptive Dynamic ArchitectureComputational skills: Rhino3D – Grasshopper 3d – Paneling tools - Kangaroo plugin - fields grasshopper -Digital Fabrication- Arduino micro controllers - lighting and temperature sensors - Firefly plugin - gHowl – mobile controller - Wi-Fi controllersWORKSHOP PROGRAM: PHASE ONE: Day 01- opening lecture on Algorithmic Added Design - tutorials and introductions to NURBS modeling with Rhino 3d- Parametric modeling tutorials with grasshopper 3d- Grasshopper processes, algorithmic logic and data management-Essential mathematical functions and logical operations- Projects assignments, groups divisions, project phase’s scheduleDay 02 - Form finding methods and theories for architecture - Training on physical algorithms using Kangaroo plugin-Catenary systems on curves, Catenary on surfaces, and mesh relaxation- Algorithms and design inspirations- Subdivision algorithms, paneling tools- Responsive materials, structural optimizations- Project phase one submissionDay 03- Envelope pattern optimizations for natural lighting- Kinetic Architecture introduction and projects examples- Responsive material analysis and design systems- Kinetic facades and dynamic pattern - Training on Arduino & preparing digital models for kinetic simulationPHASE TWODay 04- environmental Sensors, design reaction- lighting sensors, temperature sensors-Responsive envelop responsive simulations to sensors.-Smart and embedded systems for Architecture- Architectural models movements and mechanisms Day 05- Wireless controllers for grasshopper- Mobile controllers - Projects final submissionDay 06 -Finalizing students projects,-Models fabrications and sensors installations, documenting reactions-Final project ourcomesFEES for the 2 phases __ fees is 420 $ per participants( 360 for BAU students) Fees includes all teaching materials, software kit, lectures kit, laser cutting, Arduino microcontroller boards, sensors and using equipment. Students need to bring their own laptops, digital equipment and model making tools.PREREQUESTSThis program is open to current international Engineering, architecture and design students, masters, PhD candidates and young architects and professionals. Software Requirements: basic knowledge of 2D and 3D modeling software.…
Rhino Trainer), Davide Lombardi, Maurizio Arturo Degni
tariffa EarlyBird per gli iscritti entro il 28 Marzo 2015
INFO: http://www.arturotedeschi.com/wordpress/?project=form-finding-strategies-avanzato
La simulazione fisica interattiva, integrata nell’ambito della modellazione parametrica consente di indagare nuove soluzioni formali ottimizzate per l’architettura ed il design. Il workshop approfondirà le strategie e le principali tecniche di FORM FINDING utilizzando il motore fisico KANGAROO integrato a plugin di analisi strutturale (MILLIPEDE e KARAMBA). Le tecniche saranno applicate a diversa scala: dall’architettura (modellazione di superfici e coperture a semplice compressione) al design del prodotto, dove la simulazione digitale sarà integrata a tecniche di refinement (WEAVERBIRD). Il workshop e rivolto a studenti e professionisti con conoscenze base di modellazione algoritmica con Grasshopper.
Il programma approfondirà le metodologie e gli strumenti atti ad individuare soluzioni strutturali ottimizzate (es. superfici a semplice compressione) attraverso un’ampia trattazione di casi studio (Ponte sul Basento, Copertura British Museum) e l’applicazione di tecniche digitali basate sul form-finding gravitazionale e l’analisi FEM (Finite Element Method). Nella seconda parte del corso gli studenti affronteranno lo studio di innovative tecniche di ottimizzazione (Evolutionary Structural Optimization ed Extended Evolutionary Structural Optimization) basate sulla eliminazione della materia ridondante per una geometria assegnata, caratterizzata da un determinato sistema di vincoli, sottoposta ad una specifica condizione di carico.
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ing basic concepts for personalization in footwear design and fabrication in order to send afterwards to CNCs, laser cutting equipment, 3D printers, etc.
Note: Previous knowledge in Rhinoceros and footwear design is not necessary.Content:1. Personalization in footwear upper(Working with a digital shape from a 3D scan)2. Shoe sole creation3. Using Grasshopper to create women's heels4. Nesting and using the work area5. Basic programming for a mold and/or a mock-up for CNC - RhinoCAM
Requirements: 1 PC or LaptopSoftware: Punto3D, provided by a CD which includes necessary demo programs, as well as the files that will be used for the session. Rhinoceros 5.0 for WindowsGrasshopperRhinoCAM 2014RhinoNEST 2014NOTE: You have to bring your own computer with Rhino 5 installed.
Register:
http://www.mcneelmiami.com/inc/sdetail/1727
//
Diseño y fabricación digital de Calzado
Lugar: Sala Ejecutiva 4
Precio: $95.00 USD
Idioma de curso: Español
Profesor: José de Jesús López Martínez. Punto3D, ART (Authorized Rhino Trainer)
Descripción: Compartir conceptos básicos para la personalización de cortes de calzado y el diseño de accesorios. Para su posterior envío a dispositivos como CNC's, equipos de corte láser, impresoras 3D, entre otros. Nota: No es necesario tener conocimientos previos de Rhinoceros, ni de diseño de calzado.
Contenido:
1. Personalización de corte de calzado (Trabajo sobre horma digital, la cual proviene de un escaneado 3D)
2. Creación de una suela
3. Grasshopper para la creación de un tacón para calzado de dama
4. Nesting y el aprovechamiento de áreas de trabajo
5. Programación básica de un molde y/o maqueta para CNC – RhinoCAM
Requisitos: 1 PC o Laptop
Software: Punto3D, proveerá un CD que incluirá los programas Demos necesarios, así como los archivos para trabajar en la sesión
Rhinoceros 5.0 para Windows
Grasshopper
RhinoCAM 2014
RhinoNEST 2014
NOTA: Tienes que llevar tu computador con Rhino 5 ya instalado
Regístrate:
http://www.mcneelmiami.com/inc/sdetail/1727…
content from the "bin" folder to the "c:\ladybug\terrain shading mask libraries 64-bit" folder:
So not the very bin folder, but its content.Just do this and the component will work.
Hi Abraham,
But just want to remind that Marios Tsiliakos developed a component for unblocking the LB_HB components and libraries (Unblock All and Unblock).
Thank you for the suggestion. I am aware of that component. I shared an article about it on my facebook account last year, at the time when it was released. It's a great component!There are still two issues with it: It edits the windows registry.I order for it to edit the windows registry it requires an account with administrator's rights.To unblock the file manually you do not need to have an account with administrator's rights.
BTW i installed the release-1800-x64-gdal-2-1-0-mapserver-7-0-1.zip without issues (just unblocking).
Yes, the GDAL 2.x.x and MapServer 7.x.x versions will also work. But I can not install them on my PC, therefor I can not provide support for them. The GDAL 1.x.x and MapServer 6.x.x are sufficient for what the component does.If you intend to seek support for any future issues, please install the latest GDAL 1.x.x and MapServer 6.x.x version as said by the component installation instructions.…
I am not knowledgeable about google maps nor google maps api, but from what I read the two components will definitely show a bit different results due to different topography sources.If it is judging by this 2010 article, your Terrain Generator component offers much higher precisions for USA. Precision goes up to a couple of meters, which is amazing!!On the global scale it offers either SRTM 1 or 3 arc-second data or 30 arc-second GLOBE data. Again this is from the mentioned article, I couldn't find this information by searching the Google Maps website.Terrain Generator 2 component always uses SRTM 1 arc-second data from opentopography.org, and it is limited to 60 degrees north and does not have data for Antarctica. It does not come with satellite image either which is another very convenient feature that you have!I couldn't find information about the allowed radius provided by the Google maps api free account. I limited the "radius_" input to 100 000 meters, even though opentopography.org provides more than that (I successfully downloaded 300 000, but Rhino 5 was not able to create a topography on my PC from such a large amount of data).Even though I couldn't compare the results from two components, by looking at your upper example_LB_terrain_generator.gh definition: set the "I" input of "Surface from points" component to True. In this way the surface will be interpolated through points, which is what we want.
Again thank you for the permission, and I look forward seeing those high precision topography that Google maps offers!!…
diseño paramétrico con Grasshopper: días 16, 17 y 18 de noviembre. Curso de iniciación a Grasshopper. Para seguirlo no se requieren conocimientos previos específicos. El objetivo de este curso es tomar contacto con Grasshopper, entender cómo funciona y empezar a fabricar y editar geometría con él. Más información y programa detallado del curso. - MÓDULO II: curso de diseño discriminativo con Grasshopper y análisis ambiental con Ecotect: días 23, 24 y 25 de noviembre. Se tratarán componentes avanzados de geometría y gestión de datos, así como soluciones evolutivas de optimización del diseño con Galapagos, y conexión con Ecotect. Más información y programa detallado del curso. - MÓDULO III: curso de diseño iterativo: scripting con Grasshopper en C#: días 30 de noviembre, 1 y 2 de diciembre. Curso de "scripting" con Grasshopper y Processing, donde se tratará de modelado recursivo con C# y RhinoCommon en Grasshopper. Formadores Los cursos están conducidos por Authorized Rhino Trainers: puedes comprobar nuestros tres años de experiencia, más de 30 cursos de Grasshopper y 300 alumnos en nuestra página web. Material El material de los cursos ha sido elaborado íntegra y exclusivamente por nosotros para estos cursos: - Manual de ejercicios de Grasshopper nivel I - Manual de ejercicios de Grasshopper nivel II - Manual de ejercicios de scripting en Grasshopper con C# Formato Cursos intensivos con duración de 18 horas con el siguiente horario: - Viernes: 17-21h - Sábado:10-14h, 16-20h - Domingo: 11-14 h, 16-19h Grupos El número de asistentes está limitado a un máximo de 10 personas para garantizar la calidad de la enseñanza y a un mínimo de 4 personas.…
Added by Miguel Vidal at 8:40am on August 30, 2012