Using a previous step's data

Hi,

I'm new to grasshopper, and I've been trying to do something without really getting anywhere because I'm not sure how to think it in terms that grasshopper can work with.

Basically, I am trying to create a network and define rules for its growth. The first set of branches (stemming from the center points) is arbitrarily generated by grasshopper. What I would like to do is, at the endpoint of each one of these lines, use the angle between the lines before and after it to determine a new range of growth within which the secondary set of branches can grow.

I attached a sketch of this, I hope it makes sense and can be done on grasshopper...

Thanks!

Monica

Attachments:

rangedefinition.jpg, 5 KB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Tietjen on April 8, 2011 at 5:43pm

Grasshopper is able to use the lines 'before' but using the lines 'after' introduces recursion which isn't something the basic components handle.

Chris

Permalink Reply by Andy Payne on April 9, 2011 at 6:38am

Actually, it isn't that hard to remember the data... you just have to store it in a variable that doesn't automatically get destroyed when the solution is recomputed. There are two components in the Firefly toolset which I think could be of use to you. There is one component called the Data Log which just starts to record values each time something changes. This component adds each new value to the end of the list... and you can specify how many values you want to record or if you just want to record indefinitely (set length to 0). However, I think the component that would be most useful to you would be the Buffer component. Basically, this component also stores data (according to a domain value), but it adds each new value at the beginning of the lists and pushes the rest of the list down. In the example below, I'm telling the buffer to store two values. The first one in the list will always be the most current value and the second in the the list will always be the value that just occurred previously. From there you can just use a List Item to extract whichever value you want and keep on working. Is this what you were thinking of?

Permalink Reply by Michael Roberts on October 5, 2012 at 7:29pm

The FF Data log approach seems to be a great one for changes to one variable, and capturing the effects to another which can be logged as a "coordinate" with that input variable, to keep them together for plotting or broken down as needed. Helps to either enter the changed variable, or use a scroller to control the variable in. Very cool either way! Great tools!

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