How to create a twisting tower

Hi guys.

I want to create a twisting tower like the image I uploaded (I don't know the proper name for it), It's kind of a tower that has waves on it which they rise from the ground and go up and not in an exact way, I searched but I just found definitions for simple parametric towers like the ones that rotate in one direction, Do you have any idea how can I create this ? Any tips would be appreciated .

Thank you

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joseph Oster on December 7, 2015 at 9:08am

Many ways to do this using standard GH components, depending on the details you want.

This method works with any number of circles (three shown) that can be set at arbitrary heights. The final shape is hugely dependent on the diameter and height of the circles.

Attachments:

tower_2015Dec7a.gh, 20 KB

Permalink Reply by Joseph Oster on December 7, 2015 at 11:01am

Here is a variation of the same idea. The circles are lofted to create a surface that is used to pull the 'IntCrvs' to it before they are lofted as panels (like before):

Note that prior to these two efforts, my first attempt tried to do the same thing with 'Curve on Surface (CrvSrf)' but that failed due to some bizarre behavior taking curves off the visible surface.

Attachments:

tower_2015Dec7b.gh, 21 KB

Permalink Reply by Kiana M on December 7, 2015 at 2:46pm

Cool !! THANKS !! Yay

Permalink Reply by Kim hauer on December 7, 2015 at 12:23pm

Joseph: that's very nice. I have one question see attached pic

Permalink Reply by Joseph Oster on December 7, 2015 at 12:34pm

I don't know what values you changed but can't replicate any missing sections? Are you sure that's not just an optical illusion due to the preview rendering? Try baking that element and check the 'Shaded' view in Rhino?

There are combinations of parameter values that result in unwanted anomalies but any problems usually go by modifying params (rotation, spacing, etc.).

Permalink Reply by Kim hauer on December 7, 2015 at 1:42pm

There is a problem with the pipe component not following all the ribs, simply add a pipe to your script like I did Joseph. :)

Permalink Reply by Joseph Oster on December 7, 2015 at 1:57pm

Oh, "pipe". I thought that was a typo. And I don't read icons so didn't notice that you hooked a 'Pipe' component to the 'EdgeSrf' output?

I wouldn't think of hooking 'Pipe' to a surface (it expects curves), though it does work for me when I try it, so I haven't replicated your report. Did you try 'Bake' to make sure it's not a preview problem? I can see that you changed the number of "ribs" from what I uploaded... maybe some param you changed caused the glitch?

Try attaching 'Pipe' to 'IntCrv C' in the first version or 'Pull' in the second version.

Permalink Reply by Kim hauer on December 7, 2015 at 3:37pm

Pipe comp has it problems. Firstly its very cpu demanding, and Second it overruns the start and finish ends of the curve. Is there a better alternative?

Permalink Reply by Joseph Oster on December 8, 2015 at 4:57am

Here is an interesting and useful variation of the code I posted yesterday. Instead of simply dividing the angle knob value by the number of circles, like this (yesterday; note that the middle circle angle of 109.15 is exactly half of the top circle angle, regardless of height):

Today's code calculates rotation angles proportional to the height of each circle. So in this case, the middle circle rotates more as 'Height' is increased:

WARNING!!! I modified both versions I posted yesterday and am attaching them to this post but the one using 'Pull' (tower_2015Dec8b.gh) behaves badly as 'Height' approaches either end of the slider. At one point, it completely froze my laptop, requiring a power cycle reboot (bad GH!!!). Be careful.

Attachments:

tower_2015Dec8a.gh, 16 KB
tower_2015Dec8b.gh, 20 KB

Permalink Reply by Kiana M on December 8, 2015 at 11:56pm

I have a question Joseph, the control knob you put there has a counter clockwise direction, I wanted to add a clockwise direction to it so that I can have both of them together and reach my sketch, so I added another control knob in the opposite direction but the surface disappeared, how can I do this ? ( so that I can have a diagrid structure)

Permalink Reply by Tim on December 9, 2015 at 12:52am

Must watch for any beginner tower twister XD

Permalink Reply by Kiana M on December 9, 2015 at 5:01am

Thanks Tim but unfortunately I can't reach those videos since I'm from Iran and I don't have a visa card to become a member of that site ...
Can't you tell me how to do so ? (creating the opposite direction with control knob while it keeps the previous direction)