Hi,
I would like to create a structure that “grows” composed by a tessellation of squares. Do you have any suggestion of how to achieve it? Maybe a particular plugin that can make it easier?. I am attaching a photo of what i would like to achieve. I would like to have the “roof surface” flat.
I found this video that explain what I want to achieve, but I can not recognise which plug-in he is using! do you know it?
Thanks, Any advice are welcome!
Maybe this gets you started? The linework is rather simple… and there’s plenty of examples for “waffles” in the forum if you’d like to go there.
tree_re.gh (18.3 KB)
thanks for your replay,
I was thinking to use a form finding plug in to design the column. Do you think something like millipede can work?
I have no experience with Millipede & no idea what you’re trying to achieve (that goes beyond the example above), so I can’t really help you. Try to be a little more elaborate & detailled if you wish to receive helpful answers.
Millipede has an example regarding this in the example files of the installation. I am not at my PC atm, but if I recall correctly, you define all available geometry possibilities, and then it can “size” them based on loading (much like Karamba’s optimise cross section component).
I do not think it can create smart geometry from scratch though. It would be worth locating this file in the examples of millipede.
Topological optimisation may be useful. depending on what form finding optimisation you are undertaking.
Another route, one I used for my thesis, was to create a parametric model of the form and use something like Octopus to find the optimal solution: https://www.karamba3d.com/tag/octopus/
Hope this helps!
Thanks for your reply,
Do you have the link where I can download the plug-in and the examples? because when I downloaded it I did not find examples.
Thanks again
Click on millipede on the side bar. Examples should be in there too iirc!
In relation to the below, I am not at my main computer at the minute so I can’t really look into this too much, but I hope this helps. This is done through memory - so may not be 100% acc. I am not an engineer!
To form find the column I think you need to ask whether the construction method used is best used in compression, tension, or can be either.
In terms of optimal form finding - I’ve been having a thought about this. I think you could break down the form finding of the column into the following steps:
Shell optimisation for compression
If the structure is great in compression, you can apply a negative gravity force to it with karamba. This form finds a structure purely in compression. Whether this is what you want or not is debatable (material used etc). I believe you should be able to do this with Kangeroo or Millipede too! From here, you could look at creating some kind of lattice that is optimal for the shape.
https://www.karamba3d.com/tutorials/tutorials_basics/form-finding-shell
Topological analysis
One of the ways you can quickly explore the form of an object is topological analysis. I believe millipede offers both 2d and 3d topological analysis. You could use this on your shell, prior to latticing, to help you explore the lattice pattern of the column. Should you fancy a challenge, you could link this to octopus to “evolve” through options, but that is rather hard!
Put a design ethos in a parametric model
If you have an idea for what you want your lattice to look like, but are not sure of the final result, you could program the lattice arrangement with parametric inputs and simply assess it’s structural performance using the parametric inputs with a structural model in millipede. Once again, you could use octopus or Galapagos to achieve an optimal result.
I hope this helps, feel free to clarify what you are after in regards to the column design challenge and we could take it from there!
