APPROACH: Advanced Parametric Design with Grasshopper

APPROACH: Advanced Parametric Design with Grasshopper | 2012 June 23-24

Description:
This two-day intensive Parametric Design Workshop will introduce participants to Advanced Topics in Grasshopper for Rhinoceros. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment,  participants will iteratively engage a diverse set of Parametric Approaches to case-study design scenarios, each requiring advanced creation and manipulation of Data Structures and/or the extension of Grasshopper’s Parametric Workflow. The collection of case-studies will furthermore provide a mechanism to critically assess the value in each Approach relative to Workflow, Best Practices, Linear versus Non-Linear Design Processes, and opportunities for Modular Re-Use in other design contexts.

The workshop curriculum will track through a series of iteratively executed case-study design problems that will create, manipulate, and manage Data Structures through the suite of Data Tree Objects. The case-studies will also include sequences in which a solution is first defined with objects native to the plug-in and subsequently through the logic of one or more Add-On for Grasshopper, including Kangaroo, Galapagos, and Weaverbird. Additionally, the curriculum will address topics that deal with the Coordination of Data and Geometry into and out of Grasshopper by way of Rhino and Excel.

APPROACH will focus on the Advanced usage of Grasshopper and will consist of a series of instructional lectures, open work sessions, and guided exercises. Workshop participants will receive a digital workbook containing all lecture content. This workshop, particularly well-suited for intermediate/advanced users, offers an in-depth and rigorous introduction to Data Structures, Simulation, Genetic Algorithms, and High-Order Topological Modeling. As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, this workshop provides participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

Attendance will be limited to provide each participant maximum dedicated time with instructors.

Topics:
- Data Structures :: Advanced Data Trees – Creation, Manipulation, and Management
- Modularity :: File Layout and Organization, Custom User Objects, and File Distribution Protocols
- Coordination :: Objects In + Out, Geometry Pipeline through Attributes, and Data Connection to Excel
- Extending Grasshopper :: Kangaroo, Galapagos, and Weaverbird
- Kangaroo :: Physics-based Simulation
- Galapagos :: Genetic Algorithms
- Weaverbird :: High-Order Topological Modeling