I’m by no means an expert at any of it but my research has given me a pretty good overall view of what’s out there. In my opinion, generative design (sometimes called parametric design or computational design) is currently following two methodologies: object based geometry population (sometimes called propagation) and scripting.

Object based geometry population starts with a predetermined overall form and uses the software to populate desired geometries over the surface of that form. Good examples of this approach include Rhino’s Paneling Tools and ParaCloud GEM. These programs are easier to learn but their power is limited since the overall form of the design must be created first using conventional modeling techniques. In other words, only the component geometry that is populated over the form is generated by the computer. Note: ParaCloud also has a product called Modeler that can be run with an Excel spreadsheet. It is probably more powerful than the GEM product.

Scripting involves writing code that generates geometry following constraints and parameters. It is used to design systems that generate into complex forms. Good examples of this approach include Rhino’s RhinoScripts (similar to LISP routines), Rhino’s Grasshopper and Bentley’s GenerativeComponents. These programs have a longer offshore pharmacies learning curve but are also more powerful than object based systems since both the individual components and the overall form of the design can be generated by the computer. Note: I have learned that Rhino is transitioning from RhinoScripts to Python scripting going forward.

Both methodologies have their place, but learning how to script is the key to becoming a power user of generative design technology. I’m just now getting my feet wet with scripting after using the object based systems for a while. I would recommend starting with object based methods and working your way into scripting as well.

I highly recommend that you invest in Rhino. It is relatively inexpensive compared to other 3d modelers and all of the GD tools I’ve mentioned are free plug-ins. If you’re an AutoCAD user you’ll find Rhino to be fairly easy to pick up because it is a command line driven interface just like AutoCAD. In fact, Rhino was initially intended to be a plug-in for AutoCAD but ended up being a stand-alone application instead.

I also recommend that you download GenerativeComponents. It’s free and is a stand-alone application that no longer requires MicroStation to run it. Its native file format is DGN (MicroStation) but you can export to DWG format as well. I haven’t learned how to use it yet, I’ve been focusing on the Rhino applications lately, but GC is probably the most powerful generative design platform available today. It also probably has the longest learning curve and therefore you might want to learn other options first like I am!

As an interesting side note, Dr. Robert Aish, the developer of GC at Bentley, recently moved to Autodesk. It was three years ago and Autodesk is just now starting to introduce parametric conceptual design products. Project Vasari is an Autodesk Labs free download that uses the Revit Architecture platform to facilitate conceptual parametric design using adaptive components. Dr. Aish announced another product called DesignScript during Autodesk University 2010 that will be available in 2011 and it will run in AutoCAD. It will be a language based program that supports scripting and plug-ins.

Four things become apparent with this side by side comparison:
1. Rhino has become a major player in generative design technology.
2. There are a lot of free options to choose from.
3. GenerativeComponents and Grasshopper are the only platforms (to my knowledge) that
currently support plug-ins to increase their functionality.
4. ParaCloud GEM and Modeler are excellent choices for SketchUp users.

One other GD platform out there is Digital Project by Gehry Technologies. It’s built on the CATIA modeling kernel and because of this it’s very expensive. In my opinion, the cost of admission will limit the adoption of this tool to only the largest, most prestigious firms and therefore it will not become a mainstream GD product anytime soon.
There is also processing.org. This website allows you to create your own stand-alone platforms for specific problem solving using an open source programming language and environment. Rodrigo brought it to my attention and I plan to look into it.
Well, that pretty much covers everything I’ve learned over the past year or so. I will be posting a second discussion that compares GenerativeComponents to Grasshopper. What do you think about this discussion? Are there some generative design products that I’ve missed?

Nuages is an art space installation designed in collaboration between e+i architecture and nuDance Theater. The objective was to design and build and environment for an artistic dance piece titled “into me see”, which is currently on view at the Lab Gallery on 47th and Lexington, NYC.

The installation was inspired mainly by their request for a vaporous/liquid like environment that could allow interactions as well as creating various levels of visibility.

For the creation of the installation a rhinoscript was created for testing gradient density patterns, you can take a look at the code at Ian Gordon´s blog. prescription drugs online without a prescription

Description:
Over the course of two(+) days participants will examine the cultural as well as technological domains of associative practices within architecture and its related fields. Participants will iteratively develop parametric assemblies with an emphasis placed on material prototyping as a vehicle for design innovation.

The format of the workshop includes daily instructional, design, and fabrication sessions and will be conducted in a fast-paced and hands-on studio environment. Participants will have direct access to digital fabrication equipment, including an industrial CNC 3-axis Mill and CNC High-Force Cutter. An optional third workshop day is offered to those participants desiring further time to develop and prototype individual projects.

As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, this workshop provides participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

Attendance will be limited to provide each participant maximum dedicated time with instructors.

Details:
Instructors | Ronnie Parsons + Gil Akos | Partners, Studio Mode.
All experience levels are welcome.
All participants are required to bring their own laptops. Trial software will be made available.
Registration Pricing (limited enrollment) : $550/$650.
Workshop Location :  modeLab | NYC.
Workshop Hours : 10AM-6PM.
Examples of Previous Workshops.

Infrastructure:
modeLab Workbook | Printed + PDF Documentation
modeLab Exercises | Annotated Pre- and Post-Exercise GHX Files
modeLab Primers | Annotated Primer GHX Files
modeLab Strategies | Annotated Parametric Strategy GHX Files
modeLab Utilities | Custom Parametric Design Workflow Utility GHX Files
modeLab ModeTools | Custom Plug-In Add-On GHA Files
modeLab Fabrication Equipment |  CNC 3-Axis Mill + High-Force Cutter

Topics:
Parametric Design Logics
Computational Geometry
Modularity + Recombination
Pressures + Influencers
Interoperability + Digital Fabrication

Dates:
2010.August.27 | Workshop Announced + Registration Opens.
2010.September.20 | Registration Closes.
2010.September.25 | Workshop Begins.
2010.September.27 | Optional Workshop Session.

To register or get more detailed information please visit this link or send your questions to info@studiomode.nu.

Material Intelligence was a one-week intensive design and prototyping workshop held in New York City during the week of August 16-20.

The workshop brief
The relationship between the designed object and the forces surrounding that object are always present, perceivable, and tactile. These forces span, among others, material, fabrication, economic, cultural, as well as political domains. In this manner, the object can be thought of as simultaneously existing within a charged field of pressures while adding its own charge back into the field. Contemporary tools (digital fabrication) and technology (associative environments) provide a strategic means for navigating the multitude of forces at play, while the prototype serves as the activating link between material research and design innovation.

The methodology of the workshop progressed through a series of focused strategies beginning with material testing, followed by the development of prototypes, and arriving at aggregations of a single topological type. Each prototype was created by simple operations, undertaken through a specific prescription medications online disposition, and evaluated for performative potentials. All assemblies were designed in an associative environment (Grasshopper) and iteratively tested utilizing digital fabrication equipment (CNC 3-Axis Mill and CNC High-Force Cutter). The workshop concluded with a reception that exhibited design prototypes and full scale assemblies built by participants over the course of five days.

Material Intelligence was conceived through a collaboration between Studio Mode/modeLab and Tietz-Baccon.

More details and images of the final prototypes can be found at the following flick sets:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/studiomode/sets/72157624650009405/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/studiomode/sets/72157624757336064/

Glad to see the Firefly initiative is taking a more serious shape today @ale2x72 tweeted about its new version which I have to say looks great they have created a hole bunch of new components also they have moved the project to this this Firefly Experiments website , Something good to share with all of you who are interested in the development of Grasshopper and Arduino.

Description (from the sit)
Firefly is a set of comprehensive software tools dedicated to bridging the gap between Grasshopper (a free plug-in for Rhino), the Arduino micro-controller, the internet and beyond. It allows near real-time data flow between the digital and physical worlds, and will read/write data to/from internet feeds, remote sensors and more. It also includes a Pachube reader.

Firefly Developers:
Andy Payne [LIFT Architects; Harvard GSD - Cambridge, MA]
Jason K Johnson [Future-Cities-Lab; CCA - San Francisco, CA]

Using Grasshopper to Control a Pan / Tilt Servo from Andy Payne on Vimeo.

INFORMAMOS QUE LAS PLAZAS PARA ESTE EVENTO SE ENCUENTRAN AGOTADAS QUEREMOS AGRADECER A TODAS LAS PERSONAS QUE SE HAN INSCRITO Y HAN MOSTRADO INTERES EN EL WORKSHOP, ESTAMOS SEGUROS ENTRE TODOS HAREMOS UN EXCELENTE EVENTO./ WE ARE GLAD TO INFORM THAT ALL THE  SEATS FOR THE WORKSHOP ARE FULL , WE WILL  LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INTEREST, STAY TUNNED FOR NEW EVENTS .

Este taller va dirigido principalmente a arquitectos, diseñadores industriales, diseñadores de interiores y profesionistas o estudiantes afines al diseño. El objetivo ,tanto por la duración como por el método de trabajo que se plantea será mas practico que teórico, se dará a los participantes los conocimientos para utilizar herramientas de diseño parametrico para el desarrollo de algoritmos generativos , para su implementación en procesos de diseño , además de distintas técnicas avanzadas de modelación 3d , edición de materiales, iluminación y renderizado para la producción de infografías.

Bajo la utilización de distintos software se examinaran conceptos y casos de estudio que permitirán a los participantes aprender a utilizar y generar algoritmos que les permitan llevar a acabo distintos procesos de diseño , tanto para exploración de diseños conceptuales, así como para la optimización del diseño para su fabricación además del desarrollo de topologías complejas que respondan a ciertos criterios predefinidos por el diseñador.

Fecha y Lugar
5,6,7  -  12,13,14 de Marzo
Instalaciónes Plataforma de Arquitectura (151-SA)

Cupo maximo
15 plazas

Costo
Estudiantes : $ 2,000.ºº
Profesionistas: $ 2,700.ºº

Importante
*Los participantes deberan traer su propia laptop con todo el software y actualizaciones (originales o verisones de demostración oficiales) previamente instaladas.(se fijara una fecha unos días antes para revisar que todos los equipos esten en orden y listos para trabajar)

Proceso de Inscripción
El participante debera pagar la matricula haciendo un deposito bancario a la cuenta que aparece a continuación.
Banco:Banamex
Nombre:Daniel Camiro Salgado
No.Cuenta:5204 1670 5605 3697
CLABE(transferencia interbancaria):002010437100818177
El deposito minimo para reservar la matricula es del 50% el resto debera ser cubierto por lo menos 7 días antes del inicio del taller.

Una vez que el deposito se haya llevado acabo el participante debera enviar a cualquiera de estos dos correos electronicos: rodrigo@designplaygrounds.com – chidostudio@gmail.com la siguiente información.
-Nombre Completo
-Email
-Telefono
-Institución Educativa u Oficina
-Archivo adjunto de la copia del recibo del deposito bancario

En cuanto se reciban los datos inmediatamente nos pondremos en contacto para especificar los siguientes pasos a seguir.

Organizado en conjunto con:

This is a call out for all rhino user enthusiasts, my friends at RhinoHelp.com have launched an  open competition for all Rhino modellers, a good opportunity to show and to presume your modelling and rendering skills to others ,for more information and submissions of  projects you can go to their  website , have fun.

Design & model a home appliance for year 2050
This contest is solely dedicated to modeling in Rhinoceros 3D modeling software.
In this contest, you are encouraged to try and imagine how would a home appliance look and feel like in a year 2050. It doesn’t have to be fully functionally thought through, but it definitely is a plus if you design into more detail.
Contest deadline
February 1st  -  May 1st
Contest prizes

1st prize

1. McNeel’s Rhinoceros v4.0 NFR (Not for resale)
2. 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator

2nd prize

1. T-Splines, Inc.’s T-Splines v2 for Rhino
2. 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator

3rd prize

1. 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator

General rules

1. By submitting you agree that Rhino3DHelp.com and McNeel can use your submission, for promotional purposes.
2. Any submission must have been created in 2010 and can not have been featured in any other CG competition or awards.
3. By submitting to the Rhino3DHelp.com’s contest, you warrant that you have obtained permission to submit the works for public display.
4. Any attempt to circumvent any of the competition rules or voting systems will result in you and your company being disqualified and permanently banned from all future contests.
5. Judging will be performed by judges selected by Rhino3DHelp.com. Judges will be responsible for selection and scoring of all submitted images. Criteria for judging can be found on the Judging page.
6. Contestants should be registered on the forums, and need to create their WIP thread in the contest forum.
7. Contestants should post at least 1 WIP shot during the challenge and should comment on others work.
8. For final submission, contestants need to submit compressed (zip or rar) .3dm model for judging.
9. Deadline will be after three months from now.
10. All contestants must provide reliable contact information in their profile, if information provided does not allow us to contact you easily then placement and prizes will be adjusted accordingly to the next ranked entry.
11. Usage of 3rd party plugins is allowed, as long as it is in Rhino and contestants must have aprox. 60% of the scene modeled in classic Rhino way.
12. T-Splines plugin usage is allowed.
13. Modeling in Rhino is obligatory, models needs to be 100% created inside Rhino, and all contestants must provide .3dm model to the jury.

Competition Sponsors

A design exercise made to understand the parametric principles that may apply in the design of a tower structure, in this case I took as a reference for this particular exercise the Canton Tower designed by IBA Architects , which characterizes for using curved and inclined structures instead of the conventional straight structures used conventionally for skyscrapers.

The result of the exercise is a tool that allows the designer to quickly generate tower structures that obey a parametric logic between its  components , among the things the user can change are:

• *The Height of the structure

• *Size of the tower core

• *Rotation angle of the upper profile curve

• *Distance Between slabs

• *Height of slabs

• *Number and Radius of Main columns

• *Number of Secondary columns.

This were the elements or properties I thought would define the basic shape of this particular project however , more functions and parameters can be added to make more precise models. Would be interesting for further experiments to  start testing the structures resulting from this kind of  tools using some finite element analysis  I´ll make some tests using Algor and see how it goes.

I have made a Video Tutorial of this exercise I hope to have time this week to Upload it, meanwhile you can download the definition and play with it.

GH Concepts Covered:

*Extracting Profile Curves / Move Component
*Rotation of objects / Function components  to transform angles in radians
*Creating body surfaces and intersection planes.
*Extract Slabs from BRep intersections.
*Extract lines from profile curves and creating pipes
*Create a single dimension list from different curves using Tree Logic Components
*Transforming single dimension list into a matrix and extract a pattern using VbScript.

Grasshopper Definition:ParametricTowerExperiment.ghx

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The experiment represents a tool to create modular structure systems that can be adaptable to different scales and context spaces, The objective of this project was to develop a generative design strategy for architectural design that could be developed under digital fabrication methods. I have to mentions these are the first steps of  this research project  , the constructive unions of the modules , tagging the pieces and extract the information for its digital fabrication.

How it Works
The Grasshopper definition extracts the honeycomb structures from two surfaces, this allows the system to adapt better to a pre established place (interior spaces for example) , once you have selected both surfaces they get subdivided and then a VBscript component extract the honeycomb patterns from the surface , which are then used to create lofted surfaces.

As I mentioned befor these are the first steps, I´m woking in a similar version that generates apprtures depending on a distance to a point , if you want to keep updated with this and other projects you can subscribe to my RSS Feed
Rhino File: Honeycomb Surfaces.3dm
Grasshopper Definition: Honeycomb2surfaces.ghx

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It has been a while since the last time I experiment with rhinoscript ,so this weekend seem to be the perfect time to get hands dirty, In this occasion I keep up with my study of recursive algorithms, I like the complex systems that emerge from very simple rules.
What motivated me to do this was very interesting

So I tried to see if I could achieve this kind of aggregations using a 4-pod element like the one I saw on that project , to do it I revisit a code I saw once at Kokkugia´s wiki about recursive aggregations and tweaked a little bit to adapt it to the 4-pod elementmentioned before. The aggregated component was modeled using T-Splines for rhino as I´ve said in other occasions is great for organic modelling.The code it´s a little buggy and generate some replications in the same places but for a one day experiment I think is ok . If you are curious of trying it out and improve it please let me know.=)

In the next days I will be posting some experiments for surface tesselations on surafces using  Grasshopper if you want to keep updated you can suscribe to my RSS Feed

Script File:RecursiveAggregation01.rvb

Rhino File :Recursive4-Pod.3dm

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