LunchBox - New Rationalization Nodes and Panel Improvements

"Planarize Points" node will project a collection of points to a common plane.

A new release of LunchBox for Dynamo has been posted to the package manager.

In this release, I made modifications to the paneling nodes so they can better support a range of Dynamo lists and nested lists (no easy task with Python nodes in Dynamo!)  I have also included a few basic "Rationalization" nodes that let you create collections of planar points and rationalize splines into arc segments.

LunchBox is featured heavily in CASE's Dynamo training curriculum.  We are running workshops during the month of April, so be sure to sign up if you are interested!

Using curve parameters to describe co-tangent arcs.

Rationalized spline curves using co-tangent arc segments

Here I am using "planarize points" to define projected flat panels

University of Nebraska - Computational Design with Dynamo & Revit

UNL - Computational Design with Dynamo.  A 3-session 'mini-course'

This spring semester, I taught a 3-session mini-course at UNL focused on computational design with Dynamo and Revit.  Like the professional workshops I instruct at CASE, I focused this academic course on a real-world design study:  the design of a parametric tower.  The course started with an overview of  concepts related to data management and geometry creation.  We then proceeded to explore the connections between Dynamo and Revit including element creation and parameter control.  The course concluded with an overview of advanced data management concepts with Excel and interoperability with Rhynamo.

Towers provide a nice framework for communicating parametric concepts.  These buildings possess repetitive elements and opportunities for variation.  Towers also allow for clear workflows for how Dynamo's abstract geometry can map to architectural BIM elements and use cases.  For example, an abstract "Number Sequence" can easily be conceptualized as a driver for building Levels.  Curves can be mapped to floor boundaries.  And so on...

I also like how the tower typology allows students to explore ideas with Dynamo.  In the class, a few basic workflows were introduced and the students could then develop these concepts into their own design ideas.  This makes the class less about 'training' and more about being a design 'workshop'.  I have found this to greatly improve knowledge retention and keep classes engaged.... especially with architects.

If you are interested in these kinds of workshops for professionals, here are some links you might find to be of interest:

• CASE offers classroom-style training for a wide variety of technologies
• CASE is running a Spring 2015 Workshop Series in NYC.  Sign up!!!
• Check out my CASE blog post about how we like to approach professional training.

Here is some of the output from the class...

Student: Salem Topalovic  

Student: Alec Eastman  

Student: Leul Yoseph  

Student: Michelle McCullough  

Student: Sarah Hitchcock  

Student: Xiaoyu Wu  

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.

Rhynamo - Refactored and Data-centric

The new version of Rhynamo exposes new data from 3DM files 

There is much more to Rhino files than NURBS geometry.  This latest release of Rhynamo extends the users ability to access different data and objects within a Rhino file from Dynamo... from general file information, to layers, or materials.  Geometry conversions will also return other important information about the object including GUIDs, layers, colors, and names.

In order to better develop this new functionality, the Rhynamo library has been refactored Rhynamo's for better organization... this will almost certainly break existing definitions that use older versions, but this is an important evolutionary step for this tool.  Older versions are still downloadable on the package manager for legacy use.

Visit the Rhynamo source to get the latest...

Geometry converters also return information about object GUIDs, names, layers, and colors.

Materials, layers, linetypes, hatch patterns, and camera view data is now available.

Parametric Forms for Dynamo with LunchBox

I have had a long standing fondness for parametric forms and surfaces that I thought it was about time I re-introduced some of them into the LunchBox package for Dynamo.  The Grasshopper plug-in already had many of them implemented so it was a matter of migrating some of the code to the Python nodes.  Dynamo is a bit touchy with self-intersecting surfaces and there is currently no way to establish "preset" parameter inputs for a node.  With that in mind, I have also included a few sample definitions in the latest package so you can check out some of the parameters.

Have fun.... oh and Happy New Year!