LunchBox for Grasshopper Returns!

I am pleased to announced that a new version of LunchBox for Grasshopper has been released as a free download in the new ProvingGround.io website. It has been over a year since the last update and there are many new components and improvements in this new release. Features of interest include….

• Data components allow users to translate their data to XML, JSON, and CSV. 
• Sort Duplicate components allow users to better organize their data. 
• User Strings are now supported with “Object Bake” and “Layer Geometry” 
• Unroll Surface has been introduced as a new component.

Download LunchBox at the new ProvingGround.io site!

Unroll Breps!

XML Serialization of DataSets

Referencing geometry by layer with User Strings

Sort Duplicate components let you find unique values with a sorted index map.

CASE Interoperability Update

CASE's interoperability framework makes important design data accessible among different technologies.

It has been awhile since I have shared an update on CASE interoperability approach.  With new technologies entering into the fray, interoperability is as relevant a concept as ever.  In recent months, much of my focus has been on highlighting efforts around the Rhynamo node library for Dynamo. I am thrilled to see that the library has grown in popularity and is currently the second most downloaded Dynamo package.

In the wake of Rhynamo's success as an open source project, I have been actively continuing development of a broad range of CASE interoperability solutions which allow us to consult and support project-wide and firm-wide data management among a broad spectrum of design software.  In recent months, these solutions have found their way into the workflows of firms such as Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill, AECOM, HDR, DIALOG, and RTKL.

The goal of these solutions has been to address the many data transfer challenges as a building proceeds from concept, to analysis, to document production.  Grasshopper, Revit, RAM Structural System, SketchUp, Microstation, 3DS Max, and SolidWorks are just a sampling of the tools that have found their way into CASE's workflow planning services as of late.

Beyond providing technical tools for accomplishing better data transfer, our approach also involves mapping out key use cases for a team and to support the overall pipeline.

Here are some current use cases that I am interested in at the moment...

• Integrated practice... uses of interoperability to enhance collaboration among architecture and engineering disciplines for more seamless bi-directional coordination.
• Analysis workflows.... uses of interoperability as a methodology for model simplification and data extraction in analysis.
• Datafication and BIM migration... uses of interoperability for migrating legacy drawings/data into the BIM ecosystem.  Let's automate 2D to 3D to BIM!

Stay tuned for an extended and detailed CASE Blog post on these subjects... and always feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in these ideas.

In the mean time, check out some of the recent clips below...

Introducing RHYNAMO: Apply for BETA Testing!

Demoing Rhynamo for the Central States BIM workshop

I just finished up a string of presentations at the Central States BIM Workshops hosted here in Omaha.  I announced a private beta for a new Dynamo node library:  RHYNAMO.

Rhynamo is a plug-in that lets you read and write the Rhino 3DM file format within Dynamo.  This opens up a lot of interoperability potential between Rhino, Grasshopper, Dynamo, Revit, and more. I am excited to get more folks to try this out!

Apply for the Rhynamo Private Beta here...

 

LunchBox for Grasshopper Update

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo... here's a modest update to LunchBox for Grasshopper!

The plug-in has not been updated in almost a year and a half so it was about time to ensure the code remained in alignment with the latest Grasshopper versions (0.90075).  The biggest update comes by way of some new Excel components which are leaner, meaner, and faster.

Here is a list of the updates:

• New installer...  be sure you uninstall older versions of LunchBox first!
• General code update for the most recent versions of Grasshopper.
• NEW Excel components for reading and writing workbooks.
• NEW Deconstruct Wireframe to create node-centerline table definition
• Fixed a small bug with the Flatness Check component.

...You can get the latest update here!...

Excel Components

Excel components seem to be quite pervasive in various plug-in packages.  The goal here is the keep them lean and fast.   The new Excel tools allow you to quickly read and write data to multiple workbooks and worksheets at once.  They are also SCREAMING fast and will help you push and pull entire tables of data into Grasshopper with ease.  In addition, I have provided a data viewer for the Excel components. If you right-click on the nodes, you will have the option to preview the tables you are reading and writing.

*If you were a fan of the older components, they are still there :)

Reading Excel table data from a worksheet with a table preview.

Writing multiple worksheets to Excel with a table preview.

Deconstruct Wireframe

This is a simple utility for taking centerline models and deconstructing them into a node list (points) and centerline definition (start/end node index).  I have found this type of tool to be useful for formatting model information for structural analysis.

Deconstructing a structural wireframe into a node definition.

Enough with the fools... let's look at some tools!

CASE Grasshopper tools and workflows to facilitate the energy analysis process.

While many of the tools from this month's CASE announcement showed a lot of promise it may be some time before we ever see renewed interest in t-squares and drafting tables.  But April fools aside, certainly readers of this blog can all agree that information has been at the core of what we do for a very long time...  the tools for leveraging it has just evolved into something far more sophisticated than a red pen (which is still pretty damn powerful!) 

At CASE, we have continued to build tools that are helping us seize new opportunities for leveraging building information.  We build internal tools to help us deliver better services, we build custom apps that meet a client's specific needs, and we build purpose-built workflows for projects.  Interoperability continues to be a serious process concern for designers, building performance is a hot topic for engineers and architects, and computational design continues to blend together with BIM to blur the perceived lines between design and production.

Our growing stockpile of custom digital ammunition has helped us to be agile in our approach and deliver better service to our AECO clients.  Among the many software development efforts, in the past year we have created over 50 new Grasshopper components for interoperability, advanced data management, modeling workflow, and analysis.  In the past 4 months, I  have authored over 42 new nodes for Dynamo.... many of which are available for download right now as LunchBox and Slingshot packages.

On the boards...


Data visualization workflow of daily heating and cooling per zone.
So what's on the drawing boards?  For one... energy.

Energy analysis is a critical task for both architects and engineers during the design process.  As a consultant, I have observed many firms struggle with laborious, time-consuming workflows for transitioning design models into analysis models.  Worse still, reliable analysis models often get constructed towards the tail end of a process when it has become too late to change the design based on the information.  As such, a truly performance-driven process remains an elusive goal for the building industry.

This year, Alan Jackson and I embarked on a process of developing a code base for energy analysis and data visualization tools for iterative design.  We will be presenting this work at the upcoming ASHRAE/IBPSA-USA Building Simulation Conference in September.

 Here are our main interests at the moment...

1. Early-Stage Models:  Analysis isn't very helpful if you can't use them to help inform your thinking.  We want to make it easier for a design professional to create iterative energy models to inform conceptual thinking and early design.
2. Interoperability:  There are many common file types present in the design and analysis process.  We want to design straightforward processes for consuming and exporting energy model data so it can be used in many different environments.
3. Data Visualization:  Analysis is more than a spreadsheet data dump.  We are designing tools and workflows to make it easy to visualize and make sense of analysis results.

Here's a preview of what we're up to... as always, feel free to reach out if you have interest in working with us to evolve the process :)

CASE components for preparing a conceptual multi-zone analysis model.

CASE nodes for charting make it easy to visualize analysis results inside of Grasshopper.

Comparing results between parametric iterations of single and multi-story volumes.

Reading a GBXML created with Autodesk Revit and exporting it as an IDF for EnergyPlus
A short tour of some general analysis workflows...

January closes out with more LunchBoxes and Slingshots!

Cool stuff continues to develop for my plug-ins LunchBox and Slingshot!...  Be sure you are checking the GitHub site and the Dynamo package manager to test out the latest builds and nodes.

Slingshot! (for Grasshopper)

Data grid view for Slingshot! query components in Grasshopper.

Updates continue to trickle into the Slingshot! source code on GitHub.  Users might be interested in this nifty data grid viewer for query returns which provides a selectable data.  There is also some stuff under the hood which should speed up your command and query operations.

LunchBox (for Dynamo)

LunchBox Element Collector components for Dynamo

Don't be shy about pulling in your Revit elements into Dynamo.  LunchBox now provides a growing set of element collectors which let you reference lists and lists of Revit elements that might be existing in your model.  Need to pull in all the control points from your adaptive components?  Do you need to get data about Revit room elements?  It's a snap with LunchBox for Dynamo... get it in the package manager!

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.

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!

• CASE Website
• The Proving Ground on Facebook (help me get to 3000 likes by the end of the year!)

Cheers!
-Nate

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

• Variable Projects
• Design Milk article
• AIA MN Honor Award Announcement

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

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.

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 :)

CASE Learning: Grasshopper 101

Computational Design is the new black in the architectural design world. From powerful automation scripts to iterative design algorithms, computation has given designers the ability to create novel processes to support innovative architecture.

The program that has dominated the computational design conversation in recent years is none other than... Grasshopper!

Contact CASE about the Grasshopper 101 Workshop!

Grasshopper

While Rhino enables designers to freely explore design concepts through a conventional 3D modeling interface, Grasshopper allows the user to create customized tools using a graphical algorithm editor.  Uses of Grasshopper range from production automation, geometric rationalization, or iterative design exploration.  In the past, these processes typically required the user to have a knowledge of programming or scripting.  In Grasshopper, these processes are achieved by wiring together nodes into a visual graph representing the framework of an algorithm.

Like with CASE's Rhino 101 training, our approach to teaching Grasshopper focuses on useful implementations to support design exploration and development  in architectural practice.  As with our Rhino training, we have chosen to focus Grasshopper training around developing a parametric version of the Swiss Re Tower by Foster & Partners.  The tower is well suited for exercises involving rapid iteration and algorithmic frameworks.  For designers who also take our Rhino 101, the Grasshopper course allows us to contrast different methods of working to achieve similar geometric results.

The Grasshopper workshop begins with an exploration of the graphical user interface, component library, and basic examples of data management and workflow.  We then immediately apply these concepts to how to derive the geometric form of the tower.

Grasshopper-based geometric definition.

Exploring formal iterations with the Grasshopper geometry

After defining the tower form, we then proceed to develop some of the architectural elements and extract some data.  For example, we will create a parametric system for slicing floors from the tower mass and report area calculations.

Tower Floors Definition.

Tower floor variations.

After the massing and the floors have been defined, we then explore the exterior facade.  Designers will set up definitions for defining the structural diagrid system and the exterior curtain wall.  Different generative concepts will be explored for developing patterns and modules using popular plug-ins.

Structure diagrid with gradient color.

Attractor-based paneling system with LunchBox.

Finally, workshop participants explore workflows for data extraction.  For example, designers will output data to Excel including floor and facade information.

Excel data output from the diagrid definition

Next up...  DIVA for Rhino!

CASE Interoperability: Structural Workflow

While the majority of my recent posts have shown off some of our interoperability tools from a designer's perspective, they also have massive benefits for engineering workflows.

We have found that our structural engineering clients see a high level of value in using an iterative tool, like Grasshopper, to build models and iterate with their analysis tools.  Using these workflows as a basis, the CASE tools can then help to translate these into Revit-based structural elements.

Here are some screenshots of the process... What do you think?  Let us know!

Structural centerline model with nodes and curve segments

Structural Revit model with framing elements.

Dynamo: Visual Programming for BIM

Dynamo:  Getting Revit to do things that Revit couldn't do otherwise...

We are living in an exciting period for design technology.  New tools are cropping up on a daily basis.  Many of them have exciting potential but it is sometimes hard to discern which ones are going to 'catch on' and ignite a creative shift within the design disciplines.  Grasshopper is one program that has unquestionably caught on and pushed the idea of 'computational design' out of the experimental fringe and into the mainstream discourse.  Of course, Grasshopper was influenced by other software that preceded it (Generative Components, for example) and its success is now heavily influencing the creation of new tools for other platforms.

Computation is now a pervasive part of practice thanks to the proliferation of new advanced tools and supportive communities.  We are now living in a paradigm where this 'computation stuff' is not only for esoteric discussions among academics or only for practices with elite 'geometry' groups.

Designers have spoken... we want extensible tools that let us customize our process.

The best part:  software companies are listening... and designers are winning!  This means more SDKs, expanded APIs, and even more visual programming languages that don't require designers to have to learn those 'pesky' scripting languages.

Enter Dynamo...

A few years ago, I met a fellow by the name of Ian Keough while I was living in Los Angeles.  He had just moved to the area and was working for Buro Happold as a computational expert.  We met up one day for lunch to share some war stories and show each other the kinds of stuff we were working on.  At one point he fired up a Revit add-in called "Dynamo".  He was interested in seeing if a node-based language, akin to Grasshopper, was possible and practical with Revit.  It was an impressive proof-of-concept and I was very interested to see if and how it was going to evolve.  Did a node-based interface have a place in Revit?  What could it be used for?  

Soon after this informal meetup, Ian released Dynamo as an Open Source project on GitHub where it quickly garnered attention and contributions from Autodesk.  Today, Dynamo remains open source and Autodesk has committed serious resources to see it grow into a fully featured extension to the Revit and Vasari programs.  Dynamo has matured a great deal in the past few months.  The node library is expanding exponentially and the program has become far more stable and reliable... and it's all happening through the transparency of an open source initiative.  (Autodesk and Open Source???  Really???)

What can you do with Dynamo?

Dynamo features a very similar node-based interface as Grasshopper.  However, Dynamo is built on top of a very different platform and API... and that fact is the key to its potential novelty and relevance.  Here are some thoughts on where I see Dynamo offering unique opportunities for the design team:

• Customize Revit:  Up front, Dynamo lets users build automation routines for Revit without the need to learn the Revit API (a challenge, to be sure!).  This opens up numerous opportunities for users of Revit to customize their workflow with a significantly reduced learning curve.
• Control Model Information:  As Building Information Modeler, the real power of Revit is not in pure geometry creation, but in how you can track and control model information.  Dynamo lets users design systematic relationships for manipulating model elements and parameters that would be otherwise impossible with conventional Revit tools.
• Design with BIM:  BIM is often put in the box of being only for 'production'... not for designing.  Dynamo has the potential to turn this preconception on its head and allow designers to explore iterative frameworks in the context of a BIM tool.

Here are some things I've been sketching out with Dynamo in recent days...  

Creating a parametric stadium bowl  by controlling Revit families.

Using Dynamo to create a parametric 'rig' for adaptive truss families.

A Dynamo-controlled stadium assembly with bowl and canopy.

Is Dynamo 'Ready'?

Dynamo is growing by the day (sometimes hour) as the developers address the challenge of supporting the intricacies Revit's BIM database framework.  In recent weeks, I have had the privilege of collaborating with Zach Kron and Ian Keough on some new Dynamo content.  The things you are able to do with Dynamo today would have been impossible in earlier builds (even builds from a week or two ago). 

...but as was the case with Grasshopper, it ultimately falls in the hands of the design, computation, and BIM communities to contribute and help Dynamo mature.  Only then will we all fully benefit from another high-value tool in our arsenal.  

I'm game.  Are you?

...Download the Work-in-Progress Build of Dynamo...

...and if you are brave enough, be sure to check out the source code on GitHub...

CASE Interoperability: Syncing Materials

More than just numeric parameters can be coordinated between different models...

This video demonstrates syncing Materials between Grasshopper and Revit. The Revit project contains some pre-defined Materials to display the colors. The Revit family has a Material instance parameter which is synced with the Grasshopper data. The scenario implies that analysis data can be leveraged to inform Revit Materials or be used to coordinate other parametric material applications within Revit.

Interested in working with these capabilities? Contact us at: info@case-inc.com

Spring Workshop Recap: Parametric Workflows

Workflow Rigging workshop, TEX-FAB February 2013

Interoperability
Spring 2013 was packed full of workshops!  Central to the workshop topics was a theme of interoperability and workflows.  Indeed, this subject is reaching a critical mass within the Architecture and Design community.  As a consultant at CASE, I have observed that the need for interoperability has manifested itself most in some variation of the phrase "we just want to be able to connect Program X to Program Y."  (most of the time it seems to be Grasshopper and Revit)

Putting the specifics of digital platforms aside, this is indicative of a larger need for reliable workflows which connect open-ended problem solving with downstream production.

Many tools have cropped up in the last year which are useful in terms of bridging the gaps we see in the design process.  For an overview of some solutions, check out the Collective BIM blog by my CASE colleague Michael McCune. While there are many tools out there, each one approaches the problem from a different vantage point.  In particular, these solutions often carry their own assumptions about anticipated workflow protocols and scalability.  However, in most cases I have found that interoperability is a complex concern  driven by the unique nature of a project, the team, and the deliverables.

A Note on 'Translation'
On a technical level, I sometimes like to discuss interoperability as being akin to the concept of translation.    For quick translations between languages, we might use some form of automation, such as Google Translate.  The translation algorithms used by Google are sometimes great for more straightforward translations where the meaning is not as ambiguous.  For more sophisticated translations, the results tend to get interesting... would we trust Google Translate to automate the translation of a literary masterpiece?  Take for example, this seemingly simple quote from Hamlet:

Hamlet quote translated from English to Chinese

Hamlet quote translated back to English from Chinese

When it comes to interoperability, the technical challenge is overcoming the fact that the two programs might have fundamentally different means of representing and structuring their data.  The structure and representation of the data is the "language".   We will often look for commonalities between programs in order to build bridges which can easily transition the data from one structure to another.  These bridges might come in the form of a file format, database, or other customized API connection.  What is most essential, however, is ensuring that the data is 'saying the same thing' when the process of translation is complete.

CASE Tools
At CASE, we have developed our own set of solutions to the issue of interoperability.  These have most recently manifested themselves as a collection of Grasshopper and Revit utilities that we customize and deploy on projects for maximum benefit to our clients.  In addition to the technical considerations of moving data, there are four main ideas we consider when introducing these tools into a workflow:

• Support:  At CASE, we understand that project needs vary across the board.  We work with our clients to ensure that their project data is 'up-to-spec' for maximum compatibility   Our team brings extensive project experience and we actively work with clients to ensure the best possible process and support structure is put in place:  http://www.case-inc.com/contact 
• Scale:  Different projects, phases, and teams have different workflow requirements so it is important that we have solutions which can scale for different circumstances.  Factors might include the division of labor on a team or the specifics of how information needs to be transmitted downstream.
• Change:  At a technical level, moving data from one spot to another is easy... but managing changes to data that sits in different locations is far more challenging.  A team goes through numerous design iterations, our interoperability solutions utilize strategies for keeping models up to date.
• Ease of Use:  When we work with clients to deploy the workflow, we want them to be able to understand and take a role in actively maintaining the process for their project.  The development of the workflows goes hand in hand with thinking through how the user will interact with the tools and anticipating possible bottlenecks.

Workshops

This past Spring, CASE led a series of workshops on the subject of interoperability.  Each workshop was used to demonstrate the capabilities of our tools in the context of real-world architecture and design scenarios.  TEX-FAB took place in February and focused on the design and documentation of a concept stadium.  Facades+ Performance took place in April and focused on workflows for developing a high rise tower.

Workflow Rigging workshop let by Nate Miller and Dave Fano, TEX-FAB February 2013

Calibrated Facades workshop led by Nate Miller and Michael McCune, Facades+ April 2013

Workshops began with a loosely defined design problem.  We used Rhino and Grasshopper to define the design parameters of the project and develop conceptual systems for features such as floors, seating bowls, and facades.  These building systems were designed to be iterative and change over time.  

Parametric Seating Bowl for a stadium in Grasshopper. (TEX-FAB)

Parametric Facade system in Grasshopper.  (Facades+)

We then implemented workflows which tested CASE's interoperability technology by transferring key features and parameters into Revit.  To capture complex information, participants first learned advanced Revit modeling features for Adaptive Components families and parameters.  The CASE tools then were used to automate  family placement and parameters.  As the workshops progressed, interoperability connections for other important building features such as level datums, structure grids, and floors were also explored.

Adaptive Component Families modeled in Revit.

A system of Adaptive components for a stadium seating bowl. (TEX-FAB)

Facade and Floors describing a high rise tower.  (Facades+)

After several design and workflow iterations, the workshops transitioned to exploring how Revit could be used as a tool to manage and document the design information.  The outcome of the workshop was a conceptual building information model with required linkages to a flexible parametric system used for design exploration.

The broader theme between the workshops was about leveraging the best tool for the job... Grasshopper is an ideal solution for creating a light-weight system for efficient design exploration while Revit is fantastic for organizing project elements and capturing information inside its database.  The right workflow lets users optimize their process to fully take advantage of the capabilities at their disposal.

Revit schedule of Adaptive Components placed from Grasshopper, (TEX-FAB)

Revit schedule of a facade with analysis data.  (Facades+)

Revit sheets with placed views of the concept stadium. (TEX-FAB)