intelligent sorting a point list

hi, this is my first post on this forum. first i would like to say hello and thank for grasshopper in general. i am trying to learn grasshopper for quite some time after doing some beginner rhino scripting. as i am an architect student, i prefer to have some visual feedback like in grasshopper.

i am playing around with rabbits cellular automata plugin right now. i would like to build a pixelated structure like the structualists in the 1960`s. i managed to make an alpha for telling the ca where to grow. this works well.

now i would like to sort the point list at the end of my definition. in order to put modules, i would like to know if for example there is another point right in front of it. the same for right, left , back, and so on. the goal is to have branches with constellations of point groups, sorted in different tree branches.

a simple example would be, a branch with all points, where no neighbor is in front ( Y-1 ). to create modules with a panorama window or so.

i really got stuck here and would be very happy to get some hints, in which direction i should continue to go.

i have attached 3 images.

thanks.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by P. Casey Mahon on April 6, 2010 at 8:24am

I am currently working on some interesting CA stuff as well, and saw your post...The alpha chanel appropach is very interesting and I am curious as to how you went about doing it...I have done some of the point constellation testing your speaking of and would be happy to share the definitions with you.

Permalink Reply by yougop on April 8, 2010 at 6:42am

hi, i am still very interested in your approach of sorting your list. or a a hint what way to go. i guess it will only work with a scripted vb component. but still i dont really know what to compute. the question would be, if there is another point with the same coordinates with y-1 for example. maybe i should ask this in the vb corner?

cheers, volker

Permalink Reply by P. Casey Mahon on April 8, 2010 at 9:52am

Volker,

Sorry for the delay...Check out the definition I posted and let me know if that was along the lines of what you were thinking you would need to script...its a little buggy and I haven't written out any explanation but its a start at least.

- Casey

Attachments:

CA_Surface Sort.ghx, 453 KB

Permalink Reply by yougop on April 10, 2010 at 12:23pm

hi casey. very interesting approach. i learned a lot. did not know, that grasshopper is able to do this. but i would like to stick to the point list, instead of putting boxes, exploding them to faces. and what happens when it gets more complex...sorting all others also..but very interesting. i tried my self in scripting a vb component. almost works also. i posted a it in the vb corner:

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/beginner-problem

as soon as it works completly, i will post here...
volker

Permalink Reply by yougop on April 11, 2010 at 8:35am

hey casey. my vb component seems to work now. searches all the points from the cellular automata output. outputs two lists. one (A) with all the points with a neighbor directly in front, the other one (B) without neighbors in front. should be easy now to add all the other possible point constellations.

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Permalink Reply by yougop on April 6, 2010 at 9:03am

great!!! i attached the definition and an alpha image. you have to adjust the image sampler to the grid. the grid is setup to 390 x 390. so double click the image sampler and adjust the x and y domain to 0 - 390. it is not the cleanest definition, as i am still working on it, but the alpha and the image sampler works well. you have to install rabbit first:

http://morphocode.com/lab/

the first layer of the ca is a random configuration, based on a grid of the alpha image.
i am very interested in your point constellation definition.
if you have any questions about my definition just tell me.

cheers

Attachments:

image sampler + rabbit CA.ghx, 322 KB
alpha test 07.jpg, 69 KB

Permalink Reply by yougop on April 6, 2010 at 9:14am

i forgot to say...RABBIT is great and thanks for the effort MORPHOCODE !!!
i attached three more images. two structures with different alphas and a render inside the structure.

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