Grasshopper 0.8.0060 available for download

Dear Users and Userettes,

Grasshopper 0.8.0060 is available for download from the usual location. This is a bit of an experimental release, so if you're on a tight schedule you should stay away for a few days in case nasty bugs do turn up.

The installer for 0.8.0052 can be downloaded directly from our servers in case you need to revert.

Old files should open fine, but you might not be able to open files saved with 0.8.0060 on earlier versions!

Major changes explained:

Grasshopper can now serialize Curves, Meshes and Breps directly inside the gh/ghx file, meaning you can store this geometry inside parameters as opposed to merely referencing them from a Rhino document. You can 'internalise' referenced and generated geometry via the [Internalise Data] item in geometry parameter menus. Also, while picking geometry from the Rhino document, you can switch modes between [Reference] and [Copy]. [Reference] does the same as before, [Copy] will store a duplicate of the picked shape.
Variable Parameters can now be controlled by zooming in on the component in question. This new ZUI (Zoomable User Interface) replaces the old GUI which consisted of a pop-up window that was awkward to use to say the least. In the wake of this new ZUI some of the components that used to have variable parameters have been improved as well (Merge, Sort and Explode Tree most notably), but note that when opening old files you'll still get the old components with the old GUI.
Due to sinister and magic incantations by our .NET SDK head honcho it should now be possible to run on Rhino4 without the new Microsoft runtimes. If this is not the case, we'd like to know.

Detailed list of changes since 0.8.0052:

File format forwards compatibility has been broken. You might not be able to open files saved with 0.8.0060 on earlier versions.
Added new Variable Parameter management (VPM) interface. Zoom in on components to get access to the new UI.
Grasshopper solutions now run (by default) inside a Rhino undo record in case geometry is added to the scene.
Added Solver category to Grasshopper preferences.
Added Enable Solver checkbox to preferences window.
Added Solver Undo checkbox to preferences window.
Added Randomize options to the Gene-List object.
Gene-Lists can now be saved in solution states.
Gene-Lists now have init codes.
Added a Colour Picker object (Params.Special dropdown).
Added Points To Numbers component (Vector.Point dropdown).
Added Numbers To Points component (Vector.Point dropdown).
Added Weighted Average component (Math.Util dropdown).
Added Populate 2D component (Vector.Grids panel).
Added Populate 3D component (Vector.Grids panel).
Added 'Internalise Data' menu item to parameter menus.
Added intrinsic serialization support for Curves, Breps, Surfaces & Meshes.
Curve getter now supports both Reference and Copy modes.
Surface getter now supports both Reference and Copy modes.
Brep getter now supports both Reference and Copy modes.
Mesh getter now supports both Reference and Copy modes.
Vector Display colours are now always affected by the Selected state.
Added Default arrow head size option to the Vector Display component menu.
Added Screen arrow head size option to the Vector Display component menu.
Added Relative arrow head size option to the Vector Display component menu.
Added Screen size scroller to the Vector Display component menu.
Added Relative size scroller to the Vector Display component menu.
Explode Tree component now implements the new VPM for output parameters.
Explode Tree component now has a "Match Outputs" menu item that creates all required outputs.
Explode Tree component now displays the data paths for each output.
Merge component now implements the new VPM for input parameters.
Merge component now automatically adds an additional input when the bottom-most input is connected.
Stream Filter component now implements the new VPM for input parameters.
Stream Gate component now implements the new VPM for output parameters.
Weave component now implements the new VPM for input parameters.
Pick'N'Choose component now implements the new VPM for input parameters.
Sort component now implements the new VPM for input parameters.
Sort component now has improved input/output name matching.
VB and C# components now implement the new VPM for input and output parameters.
It is now possible to zoom in on the canvas to 5000% instead of 1000%.
The middle mouse button no longer deselects anything when it pops up the radial menu.
Rotation transform formatting now includes axes descriptions in case of orthogonal axes.
Exported Help topics would have an incorrect HTML header, this is fixed.
Catenaries wouldn't solve correctly when distance between end-points was large, this is fixed.
Unsolved catenaries would result in a triangle chain with incorrect length, this is fixed.
Mesh Smooth motion limit was reset per smoothing iteration, this is fixed.
Certain types of canvas view animations were jittery, this is fixed.

Enjoy.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mirco Bianchini on November 24, 2011 at 2:49pm

Ok, thank you for the answer

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on November 24, 2011 at 3:04pm

Just added this, now all possible combinations of X, Y & Z are supported and string->mask conversion works as well.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Permalink Reply by Mirco Bianchini on November 24, 2011 at 5:03pm

SUPER!!!
Great stuff!!

Permalink Reply by Steve Lewis on November 24, 2011 at 8:10pm

Am I missing something here? What is this mask coordinates? Is it a new componnet? Why wouldn't u just explode a string using a delimiter and create a pont that way?

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on November 25, 2011 at 4:11am

This component converts a list of points into a list of numbers. There's also one that goes the other way. So this:

{0,4,2}, {6,6,3}, {8,0,3}

becomes this:

{0,4,2,6,6,3,8,0,3}

provided the mask is XYZ. If the mask were ZYX, then the list of numbers would look like:

{2,4,0,3,6,6,3,0,8}

This is useful basically for 4 scenarios I can imagine:

Randomizing point coordinates. This way you don't have to randomize x, y and z individually.
Transposing points (flipping x and y for example).
projecting points (removing all z information for example).
creating a bunch of points using a single Galapagos Gene-List object.

It may well prove to be useful for reading/writing data to files as well.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Permalink Reply by Ángel Linares on November 24, 2011 at 1:16pm

Yepa!

Permalink Reply by Rob Mintzes on November 24, 2011 at 7:37pm

And here I was thinking I wouldn't be getting any Hanukkah presents until December...yet, a whole bevy of amazing toys to play with! Well done!

Permalink Reply by Steve Lewis on November 24, 2011 at 8:15pm

David, one advantage of gh in the past is that the file sizes are small and volatile data can be recreated on the fly once the solution is run. What benefit is there in saving data as persistent data in the file? Isn't it more efficient to create the data on the fly as needed? I. Some of the rhino files I work with at 500mb. I hate it if gh files scams that size

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on November 25, 2011 at 4:15am

Just because I now can store curves and breps etc. into the gh file doesn't mean I do. I only use that new feature when you copy (as opposed to reference) geometry out of the rhino document as persistent data, or when you internalise computed data. So you in effect control whether or not this geometry is stored inside the gh file.

If you copy geometry instead of referencing it, it becomes easier to share files as you no longer have to supply the gh and the 3dm which contains the shapes.

If you internalise data it's sort of like 'grasshopper-only-baking'. Geometry which has been calculated can be converted into locally stored geometry without going through Rhino.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Permalink Reply by Steve Lewis on November 25, 2011 at 1:12pm

Got it. I guess we have the choice to do either

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on November 25, 2011 at 9:38am

Hi David,

Can I just say that ...

Added 'Internalise Data' menu item to parameter menus.

... is fabulous

I was about to wish that you add it to Panels, but now that the Params have the ability it trumps my original wish for the Panel's contents to remain once disconnected. The Panel is just a tool to view whats there.

Also the Tree Explode output has a nice touch for showing the branch path. I was wondering if you could add the same indication to Stream Filter. eg instead of S have S(2)

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on November 25, 2011 at 9:58am

Glad you like it. Actually there's no reason why the Panel shouldn't also have this feature. I just forgot to add it to that menu as well.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia