Simulating Deployable Structures with GH

Hi all!
My thesis is handling about deployable structures.
I would like to use grasshopper to simulate the deployment of my structures.

My structures are based on grids formed by equilateral triangles.
I developed a deployable module that forms an equilateral triangle in the deployed state.

In a next step i want to place the module on all the equilateral triangles of the grid.
Now here is my problem. After opening a structure in Rhino I managed to place just one module on the grid. (deployment.jpg)
But i want all the triangles of the grid covered with my module.

So, very briefly. What i want to achieve is this. The equilateral triangle grids (they are just 3D lines) I simply open in Rhino. (I have different grids with different forms that I want to make deployable)
After inserting this grid in GH I want to place my module on every triangle of the grid.

I hope my explanation is somewhat clear.
If not, don't hesitate to ask more info.

I would be very grateful if someone could help me with this.

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Permalink Reply by Jon Mirtschin on November 22, 2009 at 8:35am

Hi Tripira,

Looks interesting. I'll throw in my initial reaction and 2c as a response and we'll see what ideas others might suggest.

I assume the difficulty you're having is how to identify the "panels" within your network of 3d curves.
I've written a traversal routine into my structural plug-ins that can compute this that might be of benefit to utilize (if it's the most convenient way). However I'm wondering of the best way to exchange this information. The routine isn't a grasshopper component, however it would be a command to run once for each configuration of curves you have derived. It can be tailored to just produce a triangle planar surface (that you can identify the corner points of in Grasshopper to be your 3 point input). Assuming all elements deploy at the same time, you could then transform your unit around the network based on each orientation. By the same token, I could tag the surfaces with 3d point identified or similar if of interest.

Feel free to get in touch if you want to pursue this line of thought, else I'm interested if there are any other suggestions or methods of achieving this.

Cheers,

Jon

Permalink Reply by tripira on November 24, 2009 at 7:04am

Dear Jon,

Thank you for your interest .

You are spot on! I have indeed no clue how I have to identify the triangular panels of my structures.
Your line of thought was the same way I was thinking (searching for the triangular panels, identifying the cornerpoints and placing the module on each of the surfaces) but I don't know how to code that in GH.

You say you have a routine for that. Are you willing to share that? If not, are you willing to run that routine on some of my structures when i send them to you? It would be very kind of you.

Also it would be handy if the cornerpoints and the centerpoint of each triangular plane are identified.

Tripira

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