Spiral Revisited

This grasshopper project builds on an earlier exercise that built a spiral using simple transformations. While it is relatively simple to define a spiral mathematically, it is difficult to modify the strict form using the expression. If you are interested in the expression for a spiral, here is a link to the Google group posting.

The goal for this project was to have the first few points lay flat before changing elevation. The thought was this would give it a stable base.

Projecting the shape flat then allows for the creation of the "V" column at the termination of the spiral. A split, subset, and interval are used to create spokes between different parts of the spiral.

Here is a link to the grasshopper file.

Intro Rhino Tutorial 005 - Output: Maxwell Render

This is the 5th and last of the Rhino Intro Tutorials. The intro tutorials were completed for the incoming 3G1 studio for their second assignment. Additional Rhino Tutorials will deal with more advanced issues.

This tutorial takes the model from the previous tutorial and creates a simple exterior rendering. A sky and people are added with a couple of simple tricks in photoshop.

Here is a link to the 25 minute video tutorial.

Spiral Structure - Grasshopper

While it is very easy to make a spiral with an equation, I took the approach to make a series of points that build (and translate) from the previous point. Once a series of 10 points have been created, an interpolate curve connects them and then these curves make surfaces. Dividing the curves a series of pipes connect points to form an in between structure.
As more rotation occurs between points, the curve must interpolate, creating oblong cuves.

While the file is not as elegant as I would like, the file includes shift and interval as a way to connect the various divide points. If anyone has a better idea how to repeat the multiple actions of the spiral, I would be open to hearing about it. As far as I know there is no loop function which would do the trick.

Download the grasshopper file here .

Rhino Tutorial Output: Vectors

The fourth tutorial models a simple massing and takes it through make2D and into Illustrator.

Here is a link to the 40 minute video.

Illuminated Surface

Here is a small project that I have been working on for part of an installation. The surface (about 3'x3') will act as backdrop and light for a small table in a gallery. A series of back lights will be controlled interactively through interaction with furniture in the space.

Two splines are used to control a series of surfaces and the toolpaths used to mill the surface.


Here are the lines overlaid on the surfaces. At various points the surface splits to allow a small aperature to move from behind. The various iterations of the line drawings are made through the movement of the two splines. Digital Project was used to define the relationships and only after everything was worked out, the splines were modified to approximate the final proportions of the splines and aperatures.

The two renderings show the light from behind as trapped between the two surfaces. The final piece will be milled from plywood.

This series of models is more of a proof of concept for the aperatures. A new model will be developed using the splines, but using a different method to create a model with thickness. The current iteration is only one surface.

Rhino Tutorial 003

The third tutorial deals with the construction of curves and surfaces through many of the various creation tools.

Here is a link to the 45 minute tutorial video.

Rhino Tutorial 002

The second Rhino Intro. Brief explanation of layer, properties, join, group, and construction planes.

Here is a link to the tutorial video.

Rhino Tutorial 001

As a means to try and capture some of the work that I tend to do every year, a series of software tutorials will be added to the site. This tutorial is the first in the rhino series and explains issues of interface, simple operations, and navigation.

Here is a link to the tutorial.

Digital Project Honeycombs

The post for today is an excert from a project that used digital project to build responsive honeycomb structures. The main goal was to work with rules (rule firing in digital project). In this case, as the cells are stretched, the average cell size is computed. The light gray shows the geometric constraints for the cells.

Then as the individual cell is made larger or smaller than the average size, it is made deep/shallow or thick/think. This variation is visible in the iterations below. This level of analysis adds a level of removal from the designer. One cannot be sure where the depth will shift.

Variations are rendered to give some sense of the range of variation possible. I will be gearing up for class in the fall and will post tutorials on document templates and rule firing, check back.

Point Distance Surface

Building on a couple of the Grasshopper tutorials and trying to include a couple of new commands I developed a surface that responds to a location of a point. The video shows the interactions of the various sliders.

For a bigger video click here .

Making a few tweeks with the sliders and then baking each, the variations from a screen shot below. Unfortunately I could not find a way to trim in grasshopper so this task is completed once the geometry is baked.

When selecting the point, make sure "point" is selected in Rhino. If "coordinate" is selected you can make a point, but you will not be able to move it around.

Revised file based on some feedback from Gabe. My trim is a bit messy because I could not get it to subtract the correct side. I exploded the surfaces to get the final trim. Here is a link to the grasshopper file.

Grasshopper Surface Studies

As a way to explore the potential of Rhino Grasshopper, I started working on a series of milled panels. Each panel varies through the use of a few simple variables (grasshopper uses slider bars). These values are fed to a random number generator so the behavior is somewhat unpredictable.

The loft surface is built through a series of sin and cos curves, where the frequency is controlled by the variables (detail of the relationships below).Here are 4 sample surfaces made through slight modifications of the slider bars.

The surface is then contoured to approximate a milled pattern.

As a variation of the simple surface, it gets slightly submerged into the stocck material, leaving a flat surface on the top with the remaining surface being milled. This reduces the material thickness and milling time.

Polar Array Framework

Inspired by a series of dome structures by Nervi, this project explores the use of a polar array for a framework. The model uses a few simple parameters to control aperature size and depth.

The crossing points of the framework are used as the input points for the cell. A central point is used to control the polar array and distort the framework.

Sheet Metal Screen Wall

As a means to get things started, I am posting an early parametric project that was designed for a gallery installation. Using unrolled surfaces, I developed a wall in which each part would be specific to its location in the assembly. Two surfaces could work to brace one another, giving the system an accumulated rigidity.

The parts spread as they move horizontally and thin as they move vertically.

Another key aspect of this research is in the investigation of material efficient form that can be completely nested on a flat sheet. While this project is not zero waste, one can see the potential of cutting such forms from a flat sheet.