Rhynamo and LunchBox Updates

LunchBox element collectors now have toggle inputs to better control updates with Revit.

The end of the winter is near (I hope!)... I've already started my spring cleaning by addressing some new features and enhancements to LunchBox and Rhynamo.  This past week, new versions of both Dynamo packages have been published to the package manager.  Be sure to check them out!

LunchBox

• Toggle inputs for all element collection nodes.  This allows the user to turn off collection and also force a refresh to the node if there is a change to the Revit model
• MEP Space collection
• New outputs for various collection nodes.

Rhynamo

• Get Text object data from Rhino models.
• Get User Data from Rhino geometry including User Strings and User Dictionaries
• Set User Data on exported geometry including User Strings and User Dictionaries.
• Check out the Rhynamo repo on Bitbucket to track these changes.
• Read my latest Blog post over at CASE about Rhynamo and Open Source tools.

User String and Dictionary nodes let us read custom user data that is assigned to Rhino geometry.

An example of round tripping Rhino geometry and assigning Revit properties as User Data.

A new node for getting text object data from Rhino.

Slingshot! for Dynamo Update

Introduce some SQL into Dynamo

It was about time something was done about the version of Slingshot! that has been collecting dust on the Dynamo package manager....   A year ago, the Slingshot package was released as a collection of Python scripts and several required libraries for MySQL and SQLite needed to be downloaded separately due to package limitations.

No more!  As of tonight, Slingshot! for Dynamo is distributed as a node library and ships with all the needed dependencies.  So if you are interested in cutting your teeth on some SQL within a graphical programming language, give it a shot!

Interact with relational databases

And just in case you forgot Slingshot! was open source... I have moved the source code to a new home over at BitBucket.org (including both Grasshopper and Dynamo projects)

...Get the source here...!

https://bitbucket.org/archinate/slingshot/

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.

Slingshot! is now OPEN SOURCE

With April Fools day a thing of the past....here is an announcement that is more legit :)

Open Sourcing some of my tools is something that has been on my mind for awhile now.  While it is not quite clear what the primary advantage of doing this will be (they are already free, after all), I see it as a way to continue to promote a culture of sharing computational processes. I also see open sourcing tools as a way for them live on beyond a standard update-release model and give the workflows and concepts the opportunity to become a part of other tools and processes.  Slingshot! hasn't seen a significant update in awhile and I hope that this will give it the juice it needs to go to the next level.

Slingshot! for Grasshopper is now available as an Open Source project on GitHub.  Slingshot! is a Visual Studio 2012 project written with VB.NET.  The Slingshot! code is now licensed under the GNU General Public License which guarantees...

• the freedom to use the software for any purpose, 
• the freedom to change the software to suit your needs, 
• the freedom to share the software with your friends and neighbors, 
• and the freedom to share the changes you make.

The code is going through some general updates at the moment such as code clean-up and other maintenance.  The current compiled version of Slingshot! available on Food4Rhino is still the recommended version to use.  New 'official' builds will be available through The Proving Ground in the near future

...Visit the Slingshot! source on GitHub...!!!

Reading OBJ Mesh Files from K3DSURF in Grasshopper

I have created a custom scripting component that reads OBJ mesh files created in K3DSURF and reconstructs a triangular mesh within Grasshopper. Currently, the component will only read triangular OBJ meshes.

This allows for a more seamless workflow between K3DSURF and Grasshopper by eliminating the need to import the mesh into Rhino and then link the mesh into Grasshopper. If the OBJ file is updated from K3DSURF, the change is immediately affects the Grasshopper script.

Download the definition at The Proving Ground Wiki...

Open Source Spotlight 02: TopMod 3D

TopMod 3D
Click here to visit the Top Mod website and Download.
TopMod3d is a free, open source, portable, platform independent topological mesh modeling system that allows users to create high genus 2-manifold meshes.

While a little buggy and (sometimes) sluggish, TopMod has some very unique tools for creating complex meshes. You begin with a primitive shape (a cube, for example) and then manipulate it to create more intricate, continuous meshes.

The program has many subdivision and remeshing options although I wish it featured a sub-d 'preview' toggle so I could get a better idea of what the smooth result looks like before committing to a permanent operation.

Regardless of its flaws... there is still much fun to be had with TopMod...

Open Source Spotlight 01: K3DSurf

As an ongoing feature, I will spotlight various Open Source design software that I find useful, fun, interesting... and most of all COOL.

K3DSurf
Click here to Visit the K3DSurf Website and Download
From the Website: K3DSurf is a program to visualize and manipulate Mathematical models in three, four, five and six dimensions. K3DSurf supports Parametric equations and Isosurfaces.

As a designer, if you are at all interested in mathematical form finding, definitely check this software out... the simple interface allows you to navigate through a huge library of mathematically derived forms and surfaces. You can manipulate/create equations, adjust mesh resolutions, and output the mesh (*.obj) for use in other programs. Below is the result of some fun I had playing around with a gyroid for 5 minutes....