From 26th to 29th of June, 2009, I participated in the 1st Parametric Workshop at the HTWK in Leipzig. It united more than 40 people from all over the world to play around with parametric design using Grasshopper and fabrication techniques.
It was my first “deep” experience with Grasshopper, as I had already messed up with the plugin before, but just superficially. This time, we chose the most difficult topic (dealing with movable components), and I dived into it to produce my first full-working definition.
We did a surface composed by small components which open and close in a system, allowing several regulations of openings. Here are some images of the process:
Grasshopper definition: complete mess
Detail from the GH definition: basic parameters to control the components' variation along the surface
Final surface
Final surface: detail
Open state: positive shearing
Semi-open state: positive shearing
Closed state: positive shearing
Components ready to be assembled
Single component
Component: no shearing
Component: negative shearing
Component: positive shearing
First prototype: folding elements
Putting the assembled components into place
Finalizing the structure
Detail
Final surface: note the variation on the components
This project was realized together with Dorothea von Rotberg and Alex Mitxelena, under the supervision, among others, from Luis Fraguada (LaN), Dimitrie Stefanescu, Ioulietta Zindrou, Maite Bravo and Verena Vogler (all from Iaac in Barcelona).
Resources:
GH definition file: just keep in mind it is my first ever GH definition!
Base .3dm file: you basically need two surfaces, one planar where the components will be applied to, and another one defining the thickness of the components
Great stuff! The whole night shift was worth it to finish the thing. Stay cool aight! Patrick