Digital Design - Module 02 Semester 1, 2019 Maiken Skogstad 978409 Sean Guy + Studio 16
Critical Reading: Kolerevic B. 2003. Architecture in the Digital Age
Kolerevic described three fundamental types of fabrication techniques in the reading. Outline the three techniques and discuss the potential of Computer Numeric Controlled fabrication with parametric modelling.
In the reading, Kolerevic describes the three fundamental types of fabrication techniques called subtractive fabrication, additive fabrication and formative fabrication. Subtractive fabrication is the process where material has been removed from a solid volume. This can be done using electro-, chemically- and mechanically-reductive processes and is determined and limited by the number of axes a milling machine has. Additive fabrication is the fundamental technique where one incrementally layer material to form a solid. The process can be done with the use of liquid polymer by creating a digital solid model and then slicing it in two-dimensional layers. Formative fabrication is the technique of reshaping material forms through the application of mechanical forces, steam or heat. Computer Numeric Controlled fabrication (CNC) allows more accuracy of measurements and forms, can create more complex shapes while reducing the number of people needed for completing the production and complements parametric modelling nicely due to the ability to transfer iterations from the parametric directly to CNC machines.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Surface Creation in Grasshopper
To create two surfaces, one must first start with constructing a cube and extract edges using DeBrep command. Second, four curves are created and selected using ListItem command. The curves are divided into five equal parts and points are extracted. The lines are created using the Line command and the surface is made by Lofting the lines. This created two opposing closed curves with four corners. Furthermore, I used SurfaceDomainNumber to create points along the surface in a 5x5 grid. I used the OffsetGrid command to create offsetting points and then a variation of ptCurveAttractors and ptPointAttractors to allow individual points to be moved by different units in different directions. The original grid, offset grid and panelling unit are the inputs for the 3DMorph command.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Surface Creation - Choosing Panels
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
In the process of making the panels, I followed the content in the workshop and made a box of 150x150x150 to set the boundaries of the panels. The command Rectangle created the base itself while the Extrude command extruded the box with the help of UnitZ. In order to start manipulating and individualising the panels, I used a DeconstructBrep and made eight individual lines. By using EdgeSelector and PointSelector, I was able to tweak the lines to creating various panels. In the process, it was important to create a functional design. For instance, in Figure 1.1, the panels overlap each other and would not make a good final outcome. Figure 1.2 was angled in two awkward directions and got me to question the stability of the structure. Figure 1.3 is made up of two plane panels with no bending to them, so I decided to go with figure 1.4. It has got two panels that communicate with each other without overlapping as well as an interesting mix of angles, bending and space between them.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Creating Units for the Surfaces in Grasshopper
For the 3D units for the surfaces I initially attempted to create and use an extruded triangle, or pyramid, if you will. I created a base with the PlaneSrf command, and to Extrude it with the help of an offset point.
To make the design more intriguing, I decided to add two triangles next to each other, and Join the two Breps together.
For the 2D units for the surfaces I wanted to play around with polygons and also with varying the size of them. The script for the 2D unit is similar for the small and the large one. I created a base surface with PlaneSrf. I also created a polygon with the Polygon container, and booleaned the polygon from the base using the sDiff container.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Surface Creation - Choosing Units
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1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
The first unit design I tried on my panels were simple pyrmids extruded form a square. I made all of these unit designs in Grasshopper and the first design was used in assistance to clearly see how the panels was affected by the point- and curveattractors. I did not use this design as it was too simple.
The second unit design I create is a 2D surface design with a polygon opening in the middle. The task requirements were to design a surface with 50% 2D units and 50% 3D units. I wanted to create an interesting opening to the 2D surface and adjust the size of the opening.
After discarding design 1.1 due to its simplicity, I decided to go for a more complicated approach. I created this design in Grasshopper from a single point, creating rectangles, extruding curve to point and creating two pyramids right next to each other. This gives the overall design of the surfaces a more interesting look.
To fullfill the reqiurements of 50/50 3D and 2D units on the surfaces, I decided to join design 1.2 and 1.3. This created a more intersting design, and with the mix of both point- and curveattractors the units play around their surfaces in a dancing and dynamic way.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Waffle Creation in Grasshopper
When scripting and creating the waffle, it was important that the X contour align with the panels. To do this, I divided the surface with the DivideSurface container and made Polylines for each of the individual lines, a total of eight of them. The contours were to NOT be shown through the openings and that is why a number of four were created on either panel. The next move was to turn the Line into a Curve and use the UnitY command to Loft the geometry. I used SolidUnion to join the X contours together. Initially, I attempted to make the Z contours align with the panels as well, and succeeded, but quickly discovered that they would be impossible to LaserCut, something that was a requirement for this assignment. Therefore, I had to go back to my script and change the Z contours to horizontal contours, which can be seen through the openings of the surface, but are essential to allow the structure to function properly. I created the Z contours using the Contour container, and inserting UnitZ, a NumberSlider as a distance and a DeconstructBrep container. Furthermore, a CullIndex was used to rule out unessential contours and the JoinCurves container completed the task.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Isometric View
Isometric view of the surface on the two panels shows the two unit designs used, creating 50% 3D design and 50% 2D design. Both pointand curveattractor have been used to create variating and interesting designs.
Waffle structure showing X contours aligned up with panels perfectly, and Z contours creating a functionally strable structure.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Exploded Isometric
Waffle structure allows for the interplay of the surfaces without interfering with the various openings. The 3D units of the surfaces on the panels are manipulated and individualised with the help of one point attractor and one curve attractor.
The 2D units on the surfaces of the panels allowing variety in the design.
The relationship between the panels is one of great funtion, as the play on each others features. It varies from being very close together to being very far apart, allowing the structure to have a more dynamic appearance.
Isometric 1:2 0
2
6
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3D units giving the design a more dynamic and individual appearance.
SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Laser Cutting
x4
A25
A21
A23
A22
x5
z6
z8 A24
z0 A17
A16
A18
A19
A11
A20
A15 A12
A13
A6
A14 A10
A8
A5
x0
A9
A7
x1 x2
x6
x3
x7
z7
A4 A1
A2 B21
z2
B17 B22
B23
B16
B20
z3
B11 B24
B25 B18
z5
B14
B12 B19
B13
B8
B15
z4
B10 z1
B3 B4
B6 B1
B2 B9
B5
I chose to unroll all the panels individually to make sure they were all unrolled correctly and also to make the assembly process easier. The image shows all the 50 units Unrolled on the canvas. PtTabs has been used to add tabs to make it possible to assemble them and glue them together. The units have been places as close together to each other as possible to save material and time used in the Fab Lab to laser cut the file. Image is also showing the X and X contours ready for laser cutting, once again laid out closely together. All units and contours have been named accordingly to their position in the final structure, to make it easier to assemble.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Lofts
1.1
1.2 {75,-1,150}
1.3 {75,0,105}
{30,-1,150}
{30,0,105} {0,150,105}
{105,0,150}
{0,0,0}
{75,0,150}
{105,0,150} {150,150,150}
{150,150,150}
{120,150,105}
{120,149,150}
Key
1.4 {0,150,135}
Matrix of Possibilities Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves Grid Points
{0,0,75} {0,150,75} {0,0,15} {0,45,0} {150,-1,60}
{150,0,15} {150,149,60} {150,149,45}
{0,150,0}
{150,150,15} {150,150,0}
{150,105,0}
{0,119,0}
Paneling Grid & Attractor Point
{2,7,6,3,2,7,6,5}
{2,7,5,3,7,4,3,1}
2.1
2.2
{0,30,0} {150,75,0}
{150,150,0}
{2,8,5,4,7,3,6,4}
{105,150,0}
{2,5,5,3,7,3,0,9}
2.3
2.4 {-841,70,0}
{511,482,155}
{646,56,293}
{108,0,41}
{-23,111,0}
{780,608,275}
{156,52,-9}
{157,23,-28}
Paneling
Two Point Attractors
One Point Attractor and One Curve Attractor
Two Curve Attractors
3.1
3.2
3.3
One Curve Attractor and One Point Attractor
3.4
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The ‘Lofts’ row of the matrix shows the various panel designs I created in the process. The points of the corners of the panels have been identified and coordinates in space have been annotated. I chose to work with Figure 1.4 as the relationship between the panels intrigued me and allowed for a more dynamic design. The second row, ‘Panelling Grid & Attractor Point’, shows the process of using point and curve attractors. The matrix shows the offset points and how they were affected by the varied use of attractor elements. It also shows the coordinates of the points and of the end points of the curves. I chose the attractors in Figure 2.4, as it created the most interesting design on the offset grid. The third row, ‘Panelling’, shows the final process were I implemented a geometry to the panels to create a surface affected by the point and curve attractors. I used different geometry such as a single triangle, two joined triangles and open 2D units with a polygon design. I decided to join the designs shown in Figure 3.4.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Photography of Model - Front
Picture showing the front of the assembled laser cut model. The interesting features of this view is how the varied sizes of the 2D units relate to the 3D units. By using a curve attractor, the sizes of the openings in the 2D units have been varied to create a dynamic landscape design of the ocean, with flatlands in the middle and coral in the outer corners. he 3D units are clearly affected by point and curve attractors, and gives the model an interesting design.
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SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE Photography of Model - Back
Picture showing the back of the assembled laser cut model. The interesting features of this view of the model is the variation between the 2D and 3D units on the surface, and especially how various point and curve attractors have affected the dynamic expression of the 3D units. Furthermore, the shadow that the units create is of interest due to the different intensities of the shadows, as well as the transition from the 2D units on the corners to the 3D units in the middle which moves in a natural, “wavey�-like flow.
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SOLID AND VOID
Visual Scripting of Parametric Model in Grasshopper
In the process of making the Boolean Geometry, I followed the content in the workshop. We created a box using the DomainBox container with the help of a NumberSlider of 150. DeconstructBrep > List Item > Surface Domain Number. This created the surface grid. To be able to create various designs, we used a Move container and inserted UnitY vector. This is where I individualised by design and experiments with various point attractors using the PointAttraction container. Furthermore, I used a Cellulate3DGrid to create grids out of the points. The Centroids container of this grid allowed for an individual design and I created several different geometries to use inside the box. Finally, I joined the geometry and the bounding box, baked them and created the rest of the design in Rhino using BooleanDifference and BooleanIntersection.
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SOLID AND VOID
Surface Creation in Grasshopper
Pictures show completed scripted and designed geometries for the boolean volume in ghosted view in Rhino. The geometry was made it by creating a Polygon on the XYPlane and inserted an Expression: (sqrt(((x/2)^2)-z-2)). ExtrudePoint > CapHoles > DeconstructBrep > Scale. The smaller cut pyramids were made with the TrimSolid container. The geometry was very interesting to work with due to its design, which can create so many different spaces within a volume ones it has been cut out of said volume using the BooleanDifference and BooleanIntersection commands in Rhino.
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SOLID AND VOID
Isometric View of Sectioned Volume
This illustration shows a sectioned view of the 150x150x150 isometric volume. By using the geometry I made myself in Grasshopper, you can clearly see an interesting design emerge. It created various openings within the volume which can be used for various fanctions according to its scale. The porosity of the volume various greatly allowing the size of the openings, the permeability, of the volume to have various functions, depending on their size and the scale.
Sectioned Isometric 1:2 0
2
6
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SOLID AND VOID
Isometric view of 150x150x150
Illustration showing an isometric view of the 150x150x150 volume. You can see the design is being affected by the use of point attractors and grid attractors, allowing the geometries to vary in size and placement.
Isometric 1:2 0
2
6
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SOLID AND VOID
Isometric view of 50x50x50
Cannot be seen in the isometric but rather on the physical model: The booleaned fragment has an opening throughout which functions as a pathway and allows movement.
The variation in the height of the various structure gives the fragment an interesting design.
Threshold openings on all four sides of the geometry
These exterior boolean created outdoor area for people to use, either for steps or to sit on. Isometric 1:1 0
1
3
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Illustration showing an isometric view of the 50x50x50 fragment. I chose to send this fragment to 3D printing and to analyse this piece of the volume due to its varying porosity and permeability. The fragment has an opening which goes through the entire fragment, allowing the fragment to be used for multiple functions. For instance, in a larger scale, the opening can be used as a pathway for people. The design is also made up of various sized shards, which can be hazardous in some scales and intriguing in others. In vast scales it may resemble caves with stone drooping down intriguingly from the roof. To summarize, this fragment has many different functions depending on scale, which is what makes it interesting.
SOLID AND VOID Matrix of Possibilities
Grid Attractors
1.1
1.2
1.3
Key
1.4
{0,0,0} {-88,507,72} {-75,408,78}
Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves
{-75,408,78}
{-112,-110,72}
{-112,-110,72}
{10,388,-43}
{100,-55,74}
{10,388,-43}
{-1.0,1.0}
{-0.6,0.7}
{1.4,0.7}
{1.1,-0.6}
Different Geometries
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Scale Attractors
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
{-400,342,27}
{-128,-87,155}
{254,213,0} {-168,4,-130}
The top row of the matrix, ‘Grid Attractors’, show how the grid inside the box is affected by different grid attractors. By moving them around in space and changing their proximity to the volume, the grid changes from one interesting design to another. The coordinates of these points in space are shown. In the second row, ‘Different Geometries’, I have shown the process of using different geometries for the design. I experimented with a sphere, a pyramid, a pyramid with its corners cut off, and a pyramid with its corners cut of in various sizes and placement. I chose to go forward with Figure 2.4 as it as the most interesting design. In the third row, ‘Scale Attraction’, I have shown how the scale attractors affect the placement and size of the geometries, and therefore the overall design of the volume and the boolean fragment.
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SOLID AND VOID Photography of Models
Model 1.1
Model 1.2
Model 1.1 shows the first attempt of creating a fragment of the boolean model. The boolean geometry was made in the workshops using Sphere command, and shows a certain space in the mobel which has spheric openings and curves.
Model 1.2 shows the first attempt of creating a fragment of the boolean model using a different type of geometry. I created the geometry in Grasshopper. The fragment may resemble a cave and therefore allows threshold to be interpreted in may ways.
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SOLID AND VOID
Photography of Models
Model 1.3
Model 1.4
Model 1.3 shows the second attempt of creating a fragment of the boolean model, using a new space in the volume. The fragment is more open than model 1.3 and allows for more movement, but still enables obstacles for possible pathways.
Model 1.4 shows the third and final attempt of creating a pathway through the fragment, which allows the boolean to be used for various function and in many different scales. It has an opening throughout which may function as a pathway, as well as both roof- and floor-like features, making it a friendly space to be used by anyone.
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SOLID AND VOID
Photography of Final Fragment
Fragment 1.4 - Right View
Fragment 1.4 - Left View
Photo showing final model, fragment 1.4, in right view focusing on how it can be used in a semi-small scale where people can use it as simple shelter.
Photo showing final model in left view, focusing on how it can be used in a semi-large scale where people can walk through and use opening as pathway.
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SOLID AND VOID
Photography of Final Fragment
Fragment 1.4 - Back
Fragment 1.4 - Front
Photo showing final model in back view, focusing on how it can be used in a small scale where only small children can access and use the openings properly.
Photo showing final model in front view, focusing on how it can be used in a large scale where people can use all the different levels of it.
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Appendix
Process Creating Surfaces
Creating bounding box to hold the panels using Rectangle > Boundary Surfaces > Extrude.
Creating panels inside the bounding box. Using Edge and Point Selectors to manipulate the panels.
Script showing the four main lines of the panels.
Creating geometry units and implementing them on panels to create surface containing 50% 3D units.
Creating 2D geometry units to create surface containing 50% 2D units.
Script showing how the units were joined with a bounding box before implementing on panels to create surfaces.
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Appendix
Process Creating Surfaces
Using point attractor to vary and manipulate the design of the surfaces.
Using curve attractor to vary and manipulate the design of the surfaces.
Image showing final panels with units on the surfaces. The meshes have been baked.
Image showing the difference between the same design on the surfaces. One where a point and a curve attractor have been used, and the other when no attractors have been used.
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Appendix
Process Creating Waffle
Script showing how I have used DivideSurface to be able to draw contours from individual polylines.
Creating X contours aligning with panel by lofting the polyline curves, and finally, joining the breps together with SolidUnion.
Image showing X contours on both panels joined with SolidUnion.
Image showing Z contours creating a box due to the use of the OffsetCurve and Loft command.
Creating brep intersections and showing all of the contours.
Laying out all of the contours individually to prep them for laser cutting by using ListLength > Series > Concatenate.
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Appendix
Process Unrolling and Assembling Panels and Waffle
Unrolling units on the surface in Rhino using ptUnrollFaces > Flip > ptTabs.
First draft of the unrolle unit surfaces placed on the Laser Cut template. Later on, I arranged each item closer to save material and time used in the Fab Lab.
Contours arranged on Laser Cut template.
All unrolled surfaces laser cut on White Ivory Card.
Assembled each individual surface unit carefully by cutting it out of the Ivory Card, folding it correctly and gluing together.
Carefully assembling all the units together.
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Appendix
Process Unrolling and Assembling Panels and Waffle
One surface panel successfully assebled. Image showing the variation of the design of the panel and the 3D effect.
Carefully gluing all the individual units together using clips.
Both surface panels completely assembled and glued together.
Assebmling the contour laser cut items together. I started using one X contour to properly align all the Z contours correctly.
Waffle structure almost completely assembled.
Attaching the surface panels to the waffle structure showed to be more complicated that initially expected as I had to cut some of the tabs to be able to properly attach them to the waffle structure.
Appendix
Process Creating Boolean Geometry
Creating a box using DomainBox and creating a grid using SurfaceDomainNumber. Furthermore, using UnitY and Move containers to be able to manipulate the grid points.
Experimented with PointAttraction on various points to manipulate the grid. Inserted the points into Cellulate3DGrid.
Creating non-panelling tools and RemapNumbers to vary positioning of geometry inside of the volume.
Creating geometry to create porosity and permeability and to use for BooleanDifference in Rhino.
Aligning geometry to grid points before baking the breps and use BooleanDifference in Rhino to create openings.
Creating a box of 50x50x50, using ClippingPlane to preview the result, and then using the command BooleanIntersection to create fragments of the volume.
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Appendix
Process Creating Boolean Geometry - 3D Printing
Getting fragments ready for 3D printing by laying them on a new sheet in Rhino and saving as .stl.
Laying fragments on Makerbot Print workspace and importing printing settings.
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Checked to see estimated time and material used, and saved as .makerbot and .print.