Today I started to work again a bit into Grasshopper, with the initial intent of grasping a bit of the VB.net language. The first task I set up to do was to convert an old Python script to calculate sun position information on a defined location and time. It was initially presented to me by Tobias Schwinn, which in turn based it on an original version from Carlos Lara. The math behind the sun position calculations was taken from this website.

It still does not do much. I will further work on another definition to create a sun diagram in Grasshopper, and later one to work out incident angles on objects. Please, keep in mind these are personal exercises, without much defined goal, and not entirely well written. But it might be useful for some people, so here it is.

Definition: solarPos.ghx

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