Konrad and Mostapha are working on something, and the functionality does not look shrimpy at all. Check it out:
“Mantis Shrimp is a Dynamo (Revit) and Grasshopper (Rhino) interoperability project that allows you to read Rhino’s native *.3dm file type as well as export geometry from Grasshopper. It is written in Python in form of a user objects (on Grasshopper side for exporting) and custom Python nodes (on Dynamo side for importing). It’s an OPEN SOURCE project with all of the source code available on GitHub. At the moment it’s a collaboration project between myself and Mostapha Sadeghipour.
I decided to make this project an open source for multitude of reasons but most importantly because it was written on top of Dynamo (an open source project) using OpenNurbs (an open source project) and inspired by Rhynamo (an open source project to be in December 2014), and finally I was helped along the way by Mostapha who’s almost never written anything that he didn’t like to share. I think i got the “bug” – not Ladybug – for sharing from him.
A recent and very informative post from LMNts describes their experience in moving data from Grasshopper to Revit. Here is just one paragraph: Chameleon appeared a few months ago and has proven to be an effective tool for adaptive components. The interface is intuitive on both the GH and Revit sides and we are yet to find any serious bugs with it. Another recent plugin is named Hummingbird (keep track of all these animals), a similar program which accesses the WhiteFeet Modeler to import adaptive components as well as Revit primitives (this has a lot of potential and will be discussed more in a future post). Take your pick, these are both great plugins.
A lot of you may have heard about it already, but if you haven’t: Chameleon is a plugin for both Grasshopper and Revit with a focus on interoperability, simulation, and efficient practice workflows. Chameleon’s main advantage is its ability to facilitate easy transfer of geometric data between Grasshopper and Autodesk Revit, but also includes other valuable tools to make life easier, both in Grasshopper and Revit.
This latest version includes upgraded the functionality of the Curtain Grid management tools for Revit users. These tools now allow control of curtain panels in addition to the grids and mullions. There is also a preview to show the results of changes before accepting. via CHAMELEON � HIROSHI JACOBS
On a slightly unrelated note: Video showing point based parametric functionality from Grasshopper to Revit Adaptive component (more about Geometry Gym here):
Commonly referred to as a 3D Product Lifecycle Management software suite, CATIA supports multiple stages of product development (CAx), from conceptualization, design (CAD), manufacturing (CAM), and engineering (CAE). CATIA facilitates collaborative engineering across disciplines, including surfacing & shape design, mechanical engineering, equipment and systems engineering.
So, how do we go from CATIA to Revit / 3dsMax?
A couple of videos for this workflow were recently posted to Rethinking BIM here. One method seems to go Catia to IGS to Rhino to SAT to Revit. Embedded below:
importing IFC2x4. Thanks to Geometry Gym, and Jon Mirtschin in particular, an IFC importer add-on for Revit 2012 is under development that aims to support IFC2x4 with nurbs profile / perimeter exchange.
Jon says: I’m developing the Revit addon to import these files as the functionality is not available in the native importers. I haven’t built for Revit 2013 yet, but if you have Revit 2012 and want to try, the installer is available from http://www.geometrygym.com/downloads via the comments at: Geometry Gym: NURBS GH to Revit
And here is the link to the current build of the IFC 2×4 importer for Revit 2012: ggRevitIFCx64 v0.0.11.msi (24th April 2012) Note, Revit 2012 64 bit Addon to import IFC files. This is an early public release for initial feedback and comment. Addon undergoing rapid development. Please use with care and send suggestions and observations. (from http://ssi.wikidot.com/downloads)
Image from Geometry Gym
Here is an excerpt showing how IFC2X4 RC2 improves geometry capability:
Geometry
Additional entities are added to the geometry resources. (1) The definition of manifold boundary representation has been enhanced to include advanced B-reps, based on NURBS. Therefore b-spline surfaces and b-spline curves are added. (2) The curve bounded surface based on bounding p-curves (curves defined in the parametric space of a surface) is added to allow any surface to be bound; it was restricted to only planar surfaces before. (3) Tapered solid of extrusion and tapered solid of revolution are now included to define simple taper, restricted to one section and to topological similarity of the start and end profile. (4) A fixed reference swept area solid is added to define an advance sweep along a directrix with a fixed orientation of the profile. The swept disk solid has been simplified by implicit start and end points on the directrix. (5) Elementary surfaces have been enhanced by incorporation or cylindrical surfaces.
Most of you know what computational, parametric and associative design IS and what it MEANS. Previously, Bentley had a strong product in Generative Components, and we all know about Grasshopper / Rhino. But it appears that Autodesk is coming to the party – with a solution called DesignScript.
They have employed the man behind GenerativeComponents – Dr Robert Aish. Apparently, this programmatic design solution has been in the works for Four Years!
It will be very interesting to see if Autodesk can capture the imagination of designers in the same way that Grasshopper has, or if they can offer some sort of realistic BIM integration quickly (like GC).
Some big claims here: While Bentley and McNeel have managed to capture the imagination of many a young architect with their generative products, DesignScript will bring computational design to a much larger audience, one which previously embraced end-user languages like AutoLISP. It will be interesting to see how aggressively Autodesk addresses this niche market when the product finally gets unleashed later this year. Being the godfather of both GenerativeComponents and DesignScript, Dr Aish has a pretty good idea of the capabilities of the competition and, having had carte blanche at Autodesk to start a new tool will aim to improve on what GC is capable of.
So, what is DesignScript? Dr Aish describes DesignScript as a language which sits at the intersection of design and programming. It allows parametric and associative programmes to be easily written allowing experimentation with AutoCAD’s geometric entities. DesignScript is intended to be used by novices and professional programmers as a production modelling tool to evaluate complex geometric models and to help design professionals make the transition to understanding programming concepts and in turn, learn more about the designs.
There is even an AU class! This class will be the first presentation of “DesignScript”, a new Parametric and Computational Design application within AutoCAD. This application allows creative designers and engineers to directly express their design logic and use this logic to build complex design models. This class will introduce the conceptual foundations of associative, parametric, and computational design, and demonstrate how these have been incorporated as features within the DesignScript system. DesignScript takes a radical user-oriented approach to help designers and engineers make the transition from conventional direct manipulation modeling to the point where they can accurately express and execute their own design logic. http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=7636
2009 video uploaded by Autodesk University:
The heads up for this post came from: Newly forthcoming tool for creating these types of parametric models is a graphical programming language Autodesk DesignScript. Its development is in charge of Autodesk’s Dr. Robert Aish, the original author of the concept GenerativeComponents (GC).
DesignScript is easy to use, visual, parametric, associative tool on the border of programming and designing. The first will be given on AutoCAD, but is expected to extend it to other Autodesk applications, such as the Revit which will complement the existing possibilities of parametric and organic elements.
From another site: With AutoCAD and Revit both belonging to Autodesk, they must be thinking about compiling DesignScript into Revit Families. Queue jokes about Revit stealing another feature ArchiCAD has had for 20 years. But unlike ArchiCAD’s GDL language, which is this badly neglected Visual Basic like language, DesignScript is being developed at the forefront of Autodesk’s research efforts. Compiling scripts into Revit families would eliminate the current practice of baking Grasshopper or Digital Project models and importing them as static geometry to be sliced and diced by Revit. Instead you will be able to open the DesignScript model in Revit and associate it directly with the geometry in Revit, if you make a change in Revit you don’t need to go back and rebake the geometry, the DesignScript model (and the meta data) updates automatically – or so I hope. Read more at: http://www.nzarchitecture.com/blog/index.php/2011/06/27/designscript-autodesk/
“As a key component of this, I have added a lot of content to my program lab. The page includes a growing collection of scripts. My focus right now is on documenting code for RhinoCommon and Grasshopper that I think may be useful in scripting workshops. Processing and Revit code is also sprinkled throughout.
