GenerativeComponents

Main goal of the GenerativeComponents workshop is to guide participants to reach a competency and comfort level with this parametric design system that will allow them to explore their own design challenges; develop parametrically driven solution systems by generating design elements and defining relationships between them; and investigate potential design solutions within or outside of the implicit solution spaces in those systems through parametric manipulation of their parametric designs or modification of the relationships between design elements. This will be achieved by introducing participants to a broad range of functionality in GenerativeComponents and by discussing with participants major ideas of parametric design. The workshop will introduce attendees to two of three main approaches of designing with GenerativeComponents, model-based and script-based. Hands-on participation will be maximized throughout the workshop. The workshop also will provide ample opportunity for attendees to pursue their own investigations with GenerativeComponents while knowledgeable support is at hand.

First Day:

• Introduction to GenerativeComponents principles and interface
• Lunch
• Hands-on introduction to GenerativeComponents model-based approach
• Introduction to parametric design
• Advanced GenerativeComponents model-based topics
• Adjourn 18:30 to attend general plenary presentation

Second Day:

• Hands-on introduction to GenerativeComponents script-based approach
• Lunch
• Participant project work
• Advanced GenerativeComponents topics as appropriate
• Adjourn 18:00 to attend general plenary presentation

Third Day:

• Advanced GenerativeComponents topics as appropriate
• Participant project work
• Lunch break
• Participant project work
• Advanced GenerativeComponents topics as appropriate
• Adjourn at end of workshop day

Grasshopper

This workshop will give students a functional understanding of Grasshopper, allowing them to build on this understanding into
more advanced projects of their own.

• Course outline: inspired in the first, visual programming part of the Grasshopper primer (http://www.grasshopper3d.com/page/tutorials-1)
• Recommended duration: 3 days (24 hours).

First Day:

• An understanding of the Grasshopper interface and the visual programming theory
• Base parameters, large numbers of points and vectors, and small geometrical instances
• Data flow
• Troubleshooting definition problems and solutions
• Know the main component types

Second Day:

• Be able to join, and manage connections and trees
• Expressions for both calculation and boolean creation
• Understand Data Matching and casting
• Managing long lists of objects within Grasshopper
• Have an understanding of the functioning of Grasshopper components

Third Day:

• Experience creating definitions:
  • Parametric geometry examples, like attractors and list culling
  • Re-utilizable modeling examples: colored panelization, surface population, gradient and picture sampling and manipulation, catenary line and weaving
  • Spline animation examples
• Getting ready to prepare own definitions in groups

Open Workshop

In the Open Workshop participants have the opportunity to advance their individual design projects using a variety of software platforms. They will need to be proficient in their chosen platform but can draw on tutor's skills in various technologies -- not only Grasshopper and GC but also such platforms as Processing, C++/OpenGL, and RhinoScript.

Because of the independent nature of open workshop studies, there is no set curriculum. In addition to their experience of programming and modelling platforms, tutors in this workshop each have unique areas of expertise -- including complex geometry, analysis, optimization, and algorithmic design -- and they will respond to participant needs on an individual basis. During the course of the workshop, small working groups may evolve where participants and tutors are all focused on a related set of design issues. In this case short, ad-hoc training sessions in small groups may be offered in particular software, programming, or conceptual topics.