Data Trees - How and when is better to introduce them?

Hi all,

I would be great if you could share your experience on introducing and teaching the inherent logic of data trees in grasshopper to your students.

My interest lies primarily in the period during the courses at which data trees should be taught. Personally, I usually make a general introduction on the first times and then explaining them during the next lessons through examples. The thing is that this happens somewhere in the middle of my tutorial structure (always talking about novice level tutorials).

My question is whether something so important for the GH logic can be introduced efficiently during the starting steps of the learning process.

Has anyone tried this? And if yes how, care to share your techniques? Do you think this the appropriate practice?

Best,

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Stasiuk on December 10, 2012 at 4:04am

I find that introducing directly after the UI is the best, developing the first model-based tutorial around the notion of list management and data structure. In particular, I generally work with curve subdivision for starters. I begin with one referenced curve, divide it, and transform the division points to create new geometry. This transformation utilizes some sort of list management in its own right, so usually some sort of graph mapper work is involved. I make sure that the definition will hold with the simple introduction of a second referenced curve, and then using the parameter view walk through each step of the definition, having the students go back and forth between one referenced curve to two (or more) referenced curves in order for them to understand how the data structure keeps their geometry operations localized. In my experience if it isn't in the beginning, things get really out of whack later on.

I also find that probably the single most confusing aspect of it for students is the similarity between the point {x,y,z} and data tree {a;b;c} appearances. I know there's no going back, but damn those curly brackets! How much time spent again and again explaining that no, these don't refer to points.

Permalink Reply by Marios Tsiliakos on December 10, 2012 at 3:59pm

Mmmm,

Never happened to me. But indeed seems like something that could be misinterpreted..You certainly don't want points getting involved with trees.Thanks for the info David.

Best,