Computational design
I have continuously developed my knowledge in computational design over the years. Through Rhino's Grasshopper & scripting, parametric modeling unlocks function driven shapes that are impossible to design by hand. I use Grasshopper & AI to create plugins that speed up my modeling workflow significantly. This page features some examples of this work:
Wave generator
I created the wave generator to simulate water in the Rhino Viewport, allowing the creation of waves via mouse interaction with selected geometry.
The plugin simulates liquid ripples on any 3D shapes. A 'spring' force slowly pulls the overall water level down to the original shape, avoiding bloat. The final result is then smoothed and exported to SubD.
Here are some artistic example renders where I use this plugin on musical instruments to 'liquify' their geometry:
mesh morph
Created a C# Script for Rhino that allows for morphing any mesh to another. Complex point clouds with millions of points get computed and morphed with Rhino's shrinkwrap functionality turning them into 3D geometry.
Each frame in the clip is a 3D printable object;
Nature inspired geometry
In a quest for form finding I came across the Superformula by Johan Gielis. It opens up the possibility to create nature inspired 3D geometry that is purely driven by maths.
With the additions of seeds and parameter randomization this Python script allows for the rapid exploration of various nature inspired shapes.
Custom array
This plugin expands the functionality of Rhino's rectangular array by adding the capability to sort randomly, by gradient or via image sampler.
The Array can also sort any geometry in 3D, for example filling out the mesh of this dancer. A light calculation sorts the four array items based on light intensity:
Productivity enhancement
Alongside custom buttons for Rhino, Grasshopper has proven a valuable tool in creating more efficient modeling processes that I could share with the team.
Finding common, repeatable work steps can lead to automations that skip them, with the streamlined workflow allowing the user to focus more on their creativity.
GRASSHOPPER
Flat2ring
FLAT2RING automates the curling up of flat geometry into a 3D circle inside Rhino. This custom plugin calculates a bounding box of the flat geometry that is used as the basis of transforming the geometry into the circular shape.
This allows rapid iteration on e.g. ring designs, as seen below:
The Grasshopper function that powers this is elegant:
CHAIN Generator
I wrote this Grasshopper plugin to significantly speed up our jewelry display visualizations. It allows parametric curves to be selected in Rhino that then have customizable chains automatically applied to them.
This plugin combines the jewelry focused Peacock Plugin with Human UI, allowing ease of use to non-Grasshopper users through an intuitive interface:
The interface distills down the Grasshopper function to an interface directly usable in Rhino.
The complex function behind the plugin starts to look a bit like a modular synthesizer:
Examples of the resulting geometry:
thoughts
The projects showcased here are only a tiny subset of what is possible through computational design. This offers an opportunity for lifelong learning - it enables a new view on design projects. Complex designs can be explored and repetitive tasks automated.
AI represents a new and exciting frontier, which will have great impact. Currently, my focus is on staying ahead of the curve and scouting out and applying advancements that enhance productivity, output quality and create new opportunities to explore.