Spatial network analysis for the parametric design community

Hi there

I'm here because I write spatial network analysis software (sDNA) and a student introduced me to Rhino/Grasshopper last year. At the time she was trying to load shapefiles into grasshopper so she could create use our algorithms for parametric design. I noticed that Grasshopper includes Python objects so this, among other things, motivated me recently to release a Python API to our software.

Looking now at Grasshopper I see that it's supposed to present a programming free interface so presumably sDNA needs to be wrapped in this (and made compatible with SpiderWeb as the space syntax guys have done?) in order to be useful to Grasshopper users.

Looking at Rhino however I see it has a Python interface, so this begs the question, what is more useful to the parametric design community - direct Rhino support via Python or working through Grasshopper?

Best regards

Crispin

www.cardiff.ac.uk/sdna

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on December 10, 2013 at 9:41am

Hi Crispin,

In general you will get a biased view on a dedicated grasshopper forum as to whether a GH component set is a worth will endeavor.

... programming free interface...

I would not go as far as saying that Grasshopper is programming free. Maybe Coding free where the only language of some people is the grasshopper components.

There are several examples out there where there are Rhino Plug-ins and Grasshopper Plug-ins for the same tool set. e.g WeaverBird and Paneling Tools. But by focusing on getting the Python only approach as a priority allows others to develop user components based on sDNA which might get shared on the forum.

Permalink Reply by Richard Schaffranek on April 17, 2014 at 7:34am