Friday, December 27, 2013

Return of the Slingshot!

Slingshot! for Dynamo... oh no you didn't!
This past April, I released the source code of this project through GitHub.  Since then, I have been intermittently updating the source code and testing new approaches.  In fact, I am currently re-structuring much of the plug-in under the hood and also introducing different UI elements.  Hopefully, this amounts to a more streamlined and flexible tool.  In addition, I have been porting some of my Slingshot! code over to Dynamo which should add a new dimension to sharing information using database connections.

You can always try this stuff out by building the Visual Studio project on GitHub.  I also plan on regularly posting builds to my repo.

Here are some of the more notable changes...

Grasshopper Component UI

Major components now contain context menus for changing settings related to connecting, querying, and commands.  I believe this allows many workflows to be simplified.  This has allowed me to consolidate the total number of nodes without losing functionality.
Connection string creation form.  The string will be formatted based on the selected RDBMS connector.
Component settings for file-based databases (Excel, SQLite, Access)

Grasshopper Data Trees

Some Grasshopper nodes would have benefited greatly from data tree implementation.  For example, query outputs were a little clunky with the user having to either parse comma separated values or indicate a column.  Now, query outputs come out as nice data trees for easier parsing.  Rhino Pack and Unpack are also supportive of data trees.

Rhino Pack/Unpack components now support Data Trees to preserver structure.

Slingshot! for Dynamo

It is still early days, but the port of Slingshot! for Dynamo has begun.  Slingshot! for Dynamo is a Python-based implementation of the database connectors available in the Grasshopper plug-in.  As of this post, I am supporting MySQL and SQLite connections but more will be added in the near future.  You can get it now from the Dynamo Package Manager.

Slingshot! for Dynamo lets you access databases for use with Revit/Vasari
Slingshot! for Dynamo is now available in the Dynamo Package manager.

Monday, December 23, 2013

2014 Outlook: Interoperability, Performance, and Computational BIM


First off... Happy Holidays to the readers and visitors of this blog!  The Proving Ground has been going strong since 2007 with steady growth in visitor traffic. I have a lot of computational cakes in the oven as we go into 2014... so keep tuning in!

In this past year as a consultant, I observed a trend towards greater investments in technological capabilities among practitioners in parallel with higher economic optimism.  Indeed, McGraw-Hill Construction expects that the BIM adoption rate among architects to hit almost 75% in the US with anticipated 2014 investments in training, interoperability, performance analysis, custom software, and collaboration infrastructure.

So what am I looking forward to in 2014? What can you expect to see from CASE to further the cause of helping architects use technology to build better buildings?

As a preview, here what you can expect to see on this blog moving into 2014...

Interoperability


Getting the tools to work together will continue to be a big piece of the technology puzzle for firms going into the New Year.  New tools will be continue to enter into the process... but how they all fit together as an ecosystem will not always be clear.  Designers are going to need to be equipped with new workflows and expertise in data management to get the most value out of the project information.

2013 was a breakthrough year for CASE on the interoperability front.  We have created consulting-based frameworks to address design to production, reduced rework, and improved cross-platform collaboration.  We have consulted on interoperability-related issues for projects including healthcare facilities, high rise towers, and sports venues.

Next year, CASE will continue to evolve interoperability offerings with support for more software platforms, workflows, file formats, and building systems.  Expect to see the expansion of our Rhino to Revit workflow, innovation with the IFC file format, and novel uses of web services as a Building Information medium.

Performance

CASE's DIVA Daylight Analysis curriculum.
Let's face it... the use of analysis within design practice is still a black art.  Some tools are about as intuitive as a DOS prompt (or are the DOS prompt). Others approach the depth of a cartoon where colors replace tangible results.  In the case of Energy Analysis, models are often built on many assumptions requiring expert domain knowledge.  The rework of models to keep pace with design iteration remains a painstaking and cumbersome task.

Yet the fact remains that analysis is becoming a greater component of design practice.  Clients are beginning to expect better performing buildings with upfront proof and designers are beginning to see the advantages of measurable design attributes to validate decisions.

In 2013, CASE ran numerous analysis-related workshops and rolled out a formal training curriculum for DIVA for Rhino.  A number of our Project Consulting engagements also featured analysis-related technologies as part of the scope of work.  We worked with teams to set up iterative systems to capture and compare solar and daylight results.  We also created data visualization tools to help designers communicate  analysis results to clients and other project stakeholders.

In 2014, CASE's work on the analysis front will continue.  We are now an authorized trainer OpenStudio by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).  You can expect to see Open Studio, EnergyPlus, and Radiance become a larger part of our offerings for architects and MEP engineers.  Alan Jackson and I have also set a goal to establish more streamlined approached for developing energy analysis models for use in the earliest stages of design and engineering.  Working prototypes are already underway for Rhino and Revit and we are looking forward to sharing our approach with you in the New Year!

Computational BIM

Dynamo Workshop at Facades+ in October 2013
There is a growing need within design practices to marry the worlds of Computational Design with BIM.  While CASE has never really thought of these two things as separate domains, there is certainly a conceptual gap in how practices have embraced these categories.  Indeed, it is within this gap that much of my own interoperability interests have been focused.

2014 will see Computational BIM grow into maturity.  We will see uses of computational design where downstream information considerations are much more pronounced.  BIM processes will become less linear, more iterative, and tied more directly to design and performance goals.

Meanwhile, CASE will continue to operate at this interesting intersection of technologies with resources for knowledge and services for clients.  We have recorded an extensive Introduction to Grasshopper curriculum of over 120 Grasshopper learning videos, many of which will be available on Skillshare in partnership with Architizer.

Going into 2014, We are also anticipating that Dynamo will become an important tool within the Computational BIM workflow.  In just the last three months I have workshops for Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, NBBJ, AECOM, and Facades+.  Next year, Michael McCune and I already have TexFab on our calendars and together we will be running Dynamo workshop!

2013 was an exciting year and I hope that 2014 will be even better!

As always, feel free to reach out!


Cheers!
-Nate

Monday, December 9, 2013

AU2013 Thoughts & Dynamo Review

CASE Party @ AU2013.  We had over 500 AU guests packed into the Rockhouse in Vegas!

AU2013 General Thoughts

I have conflicted feelings about large conventions, especially ones that are so focused on the goings-on of one company.  Autodesk University is the end of the year hoopla for a company that is the most influential and pervasive AEC tool supplier in the industry.  For a single week, ~9000 Autodesk employees, customers and fanboys* descend on Las Vegas for classes, product news, conversation, and gambling.

*can something be done about the female-deficiency in the world of technologists?

Through motivational speaking and showy salesmanship, the keynote addresses asked us to consider reaching 'outside' for ideas and expertise (Autodesk Consulting, perhaps?) and to consider the advantages of a cloud-based approach to products (Software for rent?).  However, the Vegas-style showmanship (Penn & Teller) and high volume marketing (disco robot) do very little to address big picture questions about the practicality and vision of the new technological realities that Autodesk is advocating for... and ultimately trying to sell.

With the broad spectrum of parametric tools, iterative analysis processes, and simulation environments now available, are these new processes making a tangible impact on the statistic that 40% of the world's carbon emissions come from buildings?  Have our tools helped us move the needle which shows that 70% of buildings go over their construction budget?   How will the cloud enable us to deliver architecture to the 65% of the world without internet... the parts of the world that arguably needs architecture the most?

However, these questions should also fall on the plate of Autodesk's users as they are the ones putting these slick new pieces of software to work.  We should remember that the goal of a better process is not a better process... the goal is a better decision leading to a better building.

But I digress... as this is a computational design blog and I do want to spend some time reviewing what happening in that space at Autodesk.  For another perspective, I also encourage you to read Daniel Davis's coverage of the Computation for BIM workshop over at DesignReform.


Zach Kron's Introduction to Dynamo class, a 90 minute course packed with architects, engineers, and BIM enthusiasts.

Dynamo - A Canary in a Coal Mine?

Autodesk has not been known to be a purveyor of free and open source software.  Sure, there are and have been smaller, 'low profile' projects in the past.  This year we saw Dynamo make its way into Carl Bass' main stage keynote presentation and affirm a commitment to delivering a computational design tool to the masses.  Dynamo is free, Dynamo is open source, and, based on class attendance, there is a lot of good will and buzz around seeing it succeed.  The significance of having Autodesk embrace open source as a means for delivering a key product can not be understated and I hope it succeeds.

I'm rooting for this canary to make it because the main beneficiary is going to be the design community.

And what a difference a year makes.   We have seen Dynamo grow from a laboratory test in Grasshopper-cloning into a mature graphical language uniquely tied to the Building Information Modeling world of Revit.  That's not only interesting... that's cool.  Designers can control and automate many aspects of the Revit model through the graphical node-based interface to achieve form creation, parameter manipulation, and information interoperability.  Things that used to require expertise in Revit API manipulation can now be more easily achieved with some graphical wire work.

But there is more to Dynamo than just Revit.  The team revealed that DesignScript is in the early days of being merged with the Dynamo core.  DesignScript has long been in development as a scripting language for designers. As part of Dynamo, it will now be used as a means for translating Dynamo's graphic nodes to a code-based representation... and back again.  It's a interesting computer science experiment at this point but I have yet to see a compelling use case for a designer looking to get their project out the door.  I will reserve further judgement on this development until it has time to mature and I have had time to test it out.

Here are something observations about what works and what doesn't... Disclaimer:  Given the pace of development, this review is already obsolete at the time of posting.

What works...


  • Stability:  Dynamo looks and feels solid.  This is a huge development as users need the confidence to be able to try things out, make mistakes, and not worry about their computational ecosystem crumble down when connecting the wrong wire.  Are their still bugs?  Yes... but they have become more and more minor that I can now recommend Dynamo be tried out in a production environment.  If you find a bug, be sure to report it and the team will get cracking on a solution!
  • Revit Elements:  The key advantage of Dynamo is how it is tied into Revit to control model elements and information.  Dynamo's novelty is how you can design systems for placing families and controlling parameters... you can even use it to create a sheet set if your heart so desires.  The tie between design and production is an area I fully expect Dynamo to continue building on.
  • Package Manager:   We all know that a major contributing factor to Grasshopper's success is the plug-in community that is constantly building new tools.  The Dynamo Package Manager let's designers share custom nodes and scripts through a common marketplace that is accessed through the main UI.  There are many packages available here and the workflow for getting new stuff is easy and straightforward.  Be sure to check out LunchBox if you are looking around :)
  • Python:  Designers can code their own nodes using Python.  This is a smart choice as it is a very popular language among designers.  The implementation needs some work (see below), but it is an essential feature that I hope to see grow in the coming months.  You can find some of my older Python samples at The Proving Ground wiki...

What needs work...

  • Units:  This is easily at the top of my list.  Dynamo lacks a good concept for handling units in relation to the Revit document.  This is not uniquely a Dynamo problem because Revit's API is built around decimal feet.  Dynamo simply uses the same assumption which is a potential deal breaker for designers not working on projects in the US.  There simply needs to be a better concept for linking Dynamo to the project units in the active document.
  • Python:  Yes it works... but it could be so much better.  I would like to see better auto-complete for Revit API methods.  Python could be a great way for a user to explore the Revit API but for now it feels like taking a shot in the dark. 
  • VB/C#:  Why not include support for other .NET languages?  Considering that most Revit API SDK samples are in either VB.NET or C#, would it not make sense that the Dynamo nodes also support these languages?
  • DesignScript:  As stated before, I don't have a full opinion on this as it is still early days for its implementation with Dynamo.  In my previous experience with DesignScript on AutoCAD, the language does not feel any more or less 'intuitive' for designers when compared to other scripting languages.  I am happy to have developer Luke Church make a case for me... and he seems perfectly capable.
  • Color:  I am with Daniel on this one... ditch the yellow/orange node look.  This is a purely subjective opinion, of course.  Personally, I could see Dynamo benefiting from a different color scheme.  OR just give users complete control over the look of their canvas.

In 'Conclusion'

Dynamo is going to be a product to watch going into 2014 and CASE is really excited to be supporting it with our clients.  As a consumer, I am pleased to see Autodesk embrace an open source approach to software development.  As a designer, I am excited to have another tool for making cool architecture with BIM.  As a consultant, I am thrilled to explore ways of implementing this tool with CASE's clients.

If you are interested in learning Dynamo or have ideas for how it could benefit your project, please contact us!

EDIT:  Changed a the wish about adding reference to .NET assemblies in Python.  This is certainly possible.

clr.AddReference('Newtonsoft.Json.dll') 
from Newtonsoft.Json import * 
import Newtonsoft

  Easy peasy....

Thursday, November 28, 2013

UNL 2013 - Conceptual Design with Vasari

In parallel with the UNL Dynamo class, I taught an additional 3-session mini-course on Conceptual Design with Vasari.  The course focused on the creation of a parametric tower using massing tools, pattern-based curtain systems, adaptive components, and analysis tools.

Each student created their their own massing concept that included parameters for studying variations.  The students also learned how to model and schedule adaptive components and develop their masses.  Students also explored the analysis tools including solar and the wind tunnel.  Broadly, this short exercise attempted to position BIM as an enabler for design iteration and decision making rather than just a tool for production.

Here are some of the results of the class...!
Student:  Alireza Karbasioun
Student: Sarah Pankow
Student:  Kaveh Alagheband
Student: Elizabeth Goll

Monday, November 25, 2013

AU 2013 - Hackathons, Parties, & Design Computation


Once again, CASE is going to be out in force at Autodesk University this year.  Not only do we have a healthy selection of speakers, we're also going to be running some fun after hours events including a BIM Hackathon and Party!  Here are some CASE-related points of interest to look out for this week...  as always, if you want to meet up, feel free to reach out!

CASE Events
  • CASE BIM Hackathon
    • Where:  Rockhouse at the Venetian. Link 
    • When:  Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM
    • RSVP Here!
  • CASE Party 2013
    • Where:  Rockhouse at the Venetian Link
    • When:  Wednesday, December 4th, 7pm - 10pm
    • RSVP Here!
AU Speakers

  • Design Computation Symposium
    • Who:  Nathan Miller / Daniel Davis
    • When:  Wednesday, Dec 4, 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM– Lido 3103
    • AU Class Link
  • Better, Faster, Stronger: Rebuilding Project Collaboration with Autodesk® BIM 360™ Glue®
    • Who:  Tyler Goss
    • When:  Tuesday, Dec 3, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM– Lido 3101
    • AU Class Link
  • Advanced Techniques for Managing Building Data in Autodesk® Revit®
    • Who:  Mario Guttman
    • When:  Thursday, Dec 5, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM– Lido 3101
    • AU Class Link

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Centennial Chromagraph wins AIA Minnesota Honor Award

Centennial Chromagraph, by University of Minnesota and Variable Projects
You might remember that I co-led a Catalyst workshop this past spring at UMN's College of Design with Adam Marcus.  The goal was to develop a series of computational design and fabrication prototypes which would lead into the design and development of an installation informed by 100 years of alumni data.

Adam and the students continued the good work to develop the design ideas and came up with this brilliant sculpture made up of 8080 colored pencils.  Amazing!

The project has since gone on to win an AIA Minnesota Honor Award!

More Info
Project Credits
  • Design: Adam Marcus, Daniel Raznick
  • Fabrication & Assembly: Adam Marcus, Daniel Raznick, Jordan Barlow, Sam Daley, Kevin Groenke
  • Computational Design (Catalyst Workshop, March 2013): Nathan Miller
  • Prototyping (Catalyst Workshop, March 2013): Will Adams, Philip Bussey, Sam Daley, Matthew Enos, Derek Gallagher, Mohsen Ghanbari, Dantes Ha, Hwan Kim, Benjamin Kraft, Wei Liu, Dan Raznick, Stuart Shrimpton, Christina Smith
  • Centennial Graphic Identity: Kai Salmela
Initial Visualization of the Alumni Data

Sunday, November 17, 2013

UNL Fall 2013 - Computational Design with Dynamo

Building on the Fall CASE workshops...

This fall semester, I instructed a 3-session UNL mini-course focused on computational design techniques with Dynamo and Vasari.  The design prompt was to develop a 'stadium' form and enclosure through the experimentation with different Dynamo workflows.  

Each student devised their own Dynamo system which mixed conceptual form making, adaptive component design, and the parametric logic of Revit.  Throughout the course, students documented their geometric explorations and iterations through diagrams, screen captures, and renderings. 

Here are some of the results...!  Great work, class!
Student:  Kaveh Alagheband
Hasib Momand
Student:  Grayson Bailey
Student: Kurt Lawler
Student: Alireza Karbasioun
Student: Charles Weak

Sunday, November 10, 2013

LunchBox for Dynamo 2013.11.11

I have posted a new LunchBox package for download by Dynamo users.  The intent of the package is to provide a growing list of Dynamo nodes for commonly used computational design techniques and other helpful nodes for data management.  Some of these nodes replicate a key nodes found in Grasshopper that are not yet included in Dynamo's core.  You can find my LunchBox plug-in for Grasshopper here... 

You can access LunchBox for Dynamo by visiting the "Search for a Package" under the packages menu.  As of this release, the package includes the following nodes...  Please note that you may need to get one of the latest Daily Builds of Dynamo for these to work properly.

Domain
  • Domain Variables:  Gets the Min and Max variables from a domain.
  • Get Domain:  Gets the domain from a list of numbers.
  • Remap Numbers:  Takes a list of numbers and maps them to a new domain.
Math
  • Mass Addition:  Adds a list of numbers
  • Mass Multiplication:  Multiplies a list of numbers
Curtain Panel
  • Curtain Panel Collector:  Gets a list of Curtain Panel instances in the document by Family Name
  • Adaptive Component Collector:  Gets a list of Adaptive Components in the document by Family Name
Random
  • Random Numbers:  Produces a list of Random Numbers using a Domain, Amount, and Seed.
  • Random Split List:  Randomly split a list into two lists.
Panel Grids by Face (previously found in the XYZ Cells by Face package)
  • Quad Grid by Face
  • Staggered Grid by Face
  • Diamond Grid by Face
  • Triangle Grid by Face

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Autumn Workshop Recap - Dynamo


It has been an excessively busy autumn season for workshops.  In September, we rolled out a series of workshop curricula for Rhino, Grasshopper, and DIVA.  This October has been a non-stop Dynamo frenzy.  I have had the pleasure of delivering Dynamo workshops to groups at firms including NBBJ, RDGAECOM, and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill.  Finally, I capped off the month with a day long Dynamo workshop at Facades+ in Chicago!

Whew!

So what were those Dynamo workshops all about?  I have had several blog posts in recent months about Dynamo and its potential to be a valuable and much needed addition to the Revit workflow.  Dynamo is still in the fledgling stages of maturity and is certainly far form reaching 'Grasshopper-status' in terms of being a pervasive tool.  But surely that wouldn't stop readers of this blog from trying it out...Right?  It sure hasn't stopped some of the world's top architecture and design firms from trying their hand at it...



Dynamo Workshops

The Dynamo workshops start with the basics and then build towards an architectural application.  The fact that Dynamo sits on top of the Revit application already adds several layers of complexity to the overall workflow that users need to be aware of.  For one, Dynamo can be used in conjunction with Revit projects... or Revit families.  We can also mix and match standard Revit modeling techniques with Dynamo in ways that you cannot do with a look like Grasshopper which is more linear in its relationship to its core platform.

Geometry

The workshops then proceed into the geometric development of Revit elements inside of the massing environment.  During this phase, I walk participants through the opportunities for using Dynamo to develop geometric data and create conceptual forms.
Stadium exterior spline geometry definition.
Conceptual tower form definition.
Components

Following the creation of geometry, the workshops then look at how Dynamo can be used to create and control Family elements such as adaptive components.  As part of this phase, the participants are also guided through basic Adaptive Component creation techniques.  We also made use of my custom XYZ Cells nodes available through the package manager.
Adaptive component panels.
Adaptive component pipes.
More panel craziness...
Parameters

After using Dynamo to create and place Revit elements, we then explored the use of Dynamo to manipulate Family instance parameters.  Given a paneling system, we created a simple point attractor relationship which was used to change an instance parameter for opening size.
Adaptive component panels with a variable instance parameter.
More adaptive and instance parametric goodness.
Workflows

Finally, the workshops addressed several opportunities for using Dynamo in the context of larger project workflows.  Dynamo has a set of Excel components which can read and write information using Excel worksheets.  The workshops used the excel nodes to parse pre-existing information and use the data to re-create complex structures originally derived in other programs, such as Grasshopper.
Space truss reconstructed using Excel data.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Facades+ This Month!!!



The Facades+ PERFORMANCE conference is just around the corner.  Join me and other great speakers and instructors in Chicago on October 24-25 for some fantastic presentations, discussions and workshops!


I will be moderating the Innovation panel discussion on October 24. We will discuss how new information-based technologies are informing the contemporary discourse on building and facade performance.

The Innovation Panelists will be...
  • Franklin Lancaster (Eckersley O’Callaghan) 
  • Matt Herman (Buro Happold) 
  • Jonatan Schumacher (Thornton Tomasetti)
On October 25th, I going to be giving a Facades+ Tech Workshop:

Parametric BIM: Facade Design Using Dynamo for Autodesk Revit

Dynamo is an open source graphical programming language for Autodesk Revit and Vasari. Dynamo can be used to customize a wide variety of computational design processes within Revit’s Building Information Modeling environment. This workshop will explore how Dynamo can be used as a took for studying parametric facades. Participants will learn how to use Dynamo for generating facade geometry, deploying Revit families, utilizing analysis information, and managing complex parameters.



Sunday, September 15, 2013

Porting Panels for Dynamo

Dynamo has introduced a pretty cool way to share custom nodes and graphs.  To give this a try, I ported a few scripts from my Lunchbox plug-in to Dynamo custom nodes.  Users can search and install these scripts by looking for the XYZ Cells by Face package...

Contents
  • XYZ Quad Grid  by Face
  • XYZ Triangle Grid by Face
  • XYZ Diamond Grid by Face
  • XYZ Staggered Grid by Face

Custom user nodes can be installed through Dynamo's package manager.
The new Dynamo package manager... nice concept for distributing custom nodes!

The XYZ Cell nodes utilize some custom Python scripts.  Feel free to re-use and modify :)
A few different patterns made up of Adaptive Component panels

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Crossing the Streams... with more Interop!


So you may have noticed that many of the interoperability studies have been one-way connections from Grasshopper into Revit.  More often than not, we have found that teams are generally following a linear path for design to production with the Revit model and drawings being the final deliverable.  Technically, however, the solutions we have been developing are quite non-linear in nature... data is free to move in any direction through senders and receivers.

Here is an example of moving data from Revit into Grasshopper.  There may be any number of reasons you might want to do this... For example, creating references to key project datums, developing systems in relation to Revit geometry, or even simple data visualization.


The interop process creates a live link between Revit elements and the Grasshopper model.
Once the data is in Grasshopper, it can be used for reference or as the basis of a definition.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Parametric BIM: Facade Design Using Dynamo for Autodesk Revit


The Summer is quickly closing out and the Fall season will soon be upon us!  (...and then winter is coming...)

Join me in Chicago on October 24+25 for another Facades+.  You might remember that Michael McCune and I ran a Facades+ workshop this past Spring on the subject of interoperability.  This time out, I will cover Facade Design using Dynamo for Autodesk Revit and Vasari!

About the Workshop...

Dynamo is an open source graphical programming language for Autodesk Revit and Vasari. Dynamo can be used to customize a wide variety of computational design processes within Revit’s Building Information Modeling environment. This workshop will explore how Dynamo can be used as a took for studying parametric facades. Participants will learn how to use Dynamo for generating facade geometry, deploying Revit families, utlizing analysis information, and managing complex parameters.

Prerequisites

  • Basic knowledge of modeling in Revit and/or Vasari 

Required Software

  • Revit 2014 and/or Vasari Beta 3 
  • Dynamo

Thursday, August 8, 2013

CASE Learning: Rhino + Grasshopper + DIVA Workshops


We have been delivering exciting training and workshop opportunities since CASE first opened its doors.  We are pleased to announce that Sept. 16-20 will mark the first of many new CASE Design Technology Workshops aimed to provide individuals in the AEC industry with the knowledge and tools for a better BIM workflow. This inaugural collection of professional Rhino-based courses is focused on popular design technologies used for conceptual exploration, idea development, and early analysis.

This week-long event will kick off series of courses that can be taken all together (for the hardcore learner) or individually (based on your interest). The workshops will take place at the CASE HQ in NYC where computers and software will be provided. Space is limited, so don’t waste any time to inquire about availability!

Additionally, if you are interested in an exclusive professional workshop for your practice, don't hesitate to reach out and we can work with you to put something on your calendar!

If you’re interested in signing up for one or all of the courses, contact learning@case-inc.com and provide the following info:
  • Contact info (Name, Phone, E-Mail) 
  • Discipline (designer, architect, engineer, etc...) 
  • Organization (company or university) 
  • Course(s) of interest (see list below)
September Courses

RHINO 101: Rhino is a popular NURBS-based 3D modeling tool. This is a 2-day introduction to 3D modeling Rhino 5.0. The course will cover basic modeling capabilities used for conceptual design and schematic development. CASE will cover how to use Rhino to develop architectural geometry in the context of an iconic architectural precedent.  Learn more here....
Duration: 2 days; Sept. 16-17
Cost: $1200 per person

GRASSHOPPER 101: Grasshopper is a computational design plug-in for Rhino. This is a 2-day introduction to computational design with Grasshopper 3D. The course will familiarize designers in how to use Grasshopper as a design development tool. Participants will define geometry, develop architectural systems, and implement data mining techniques. Learn more here....
Duration: 2 days; Sept. 18-19
Cost: $1200 per person

DIVA 101: DIVA is an environmental analysis tool for Rhino. This 1-day introduction will guide designers through the different solar, daylight, and energy analysis capabilities of DIVA. Participants will set up analysis models, create visualizations, and extract environmental metrics on design models.  Learn more here....
Duration: 1 day; Sept. 20
Cost: $800 per person

Tell your friends :)