Tri-Surf Video Demo
I have reassembled the Tri-Surf project and reprogrammed the Arduino. Click here to watch the high quality version of it on YouTube if you cannot see the embed player below.
What if we had something that could model a variety of surfaces in real-time? Tri-Surf is my attempt to do this by moving a collection of triangles to form an approximation of the surface modeled in Rhino. This previous post contains a few 3D images along with a slightly longer description.
The assembly process was far more challenging than I anticipated. There remain errors with the design due to the tolerance in the length of the string, however the current model using elastic string is much better than the original with fishing line (which may have been the worst idea ever). I also learned that you cannot run 9 servos on one 5v source if you want them all to move at the same time.
A shot of the original version:
The new and very much improved version:
Design is an iterative process.
My final project is intended to be a definition that produces a structural logic/system that would work on a variety of scales, from inhabitable landscapes to perforated surfaces or walls, and produces the component modules needed to physically assemble it.
A ‘pixelated’ landscape is derived from two topographies, pre-determined by nature or programmatic needs, that are translated into a system equilateral triangles. In the definition, the whole landscape is first redefined as four sets of equilateral triangles, and the structural system is created externally, based on information extracted from the original ‘model’ of the topographies. Apertures/perforations are also incorporated into the system using the image sampler, with the idea of the definition being able to create a surface aesthetic, manipulate light conditions, or create an climate responsive environment depending on the function of the structure.
The overall process appears deceptively simple, but the strict geometry that I enforced was both logically complicated and rigid, meaning there were unavoidable geometric relationships that I had to accommodate and recreate from scratch within the definition. Each vertex of every triangle had a very specific value within the XYZ space, and corresponded to very specific vertexes of other triangles. As a result, each module that is produced has unique struts and perforations.
Sorry this has taken me so long yall. I lost a bunch of files and they have been slowly appearing on my computer as Ghost-like files.
Anyway, here is the definition for my Canopy. I also provided a screen shot of what I sent to autocad for cutting (those files are still lost).
I did all my structural changes after I had oriented all my units onto a separate grid plane, so I made a surface that illustrates in gh/rhino what I wanted my surface to do. Basically it shows you how each hooded piece would move. I used this definition to help me with my graphic representation. I also added this, but I think its a work in progress. I still want to do more because I’m having a lot of fun creating it.
See yas,
Chet
A perfect coda to the semester… Patrik Schumacher returns to the fray with his reformulated Parametricist manifesto.
Considering I have been MIA from the blog since the start of our midterm project, I though it would be nice to at least post my final products from the midterm and final.
MIDTERM: My midterm project generate pattens that were informed by the lengths and number of stations on each line of the Madrid Metro.
FINAL: My final project explored the theme of structure — what if I could build a rigid structure from flimsy material? I chose bristol as my material, and a folded square tube structure to make it more rigid. Each component then connected to one another via tabs to create a rigid (when laid down, the shape is controlled by the definition) yet flexible (when picked up, the fact that it is connected by tabs makes the entire structure foldable to a variety of shapes) final geometry. I envision this type of structure being used for emergency shelter units.
As mentioned in the previous post, the system is an adaptive “foam core” based on triangular units with flexible joints that allow for a tolerance in the stiffness of the structure. The idea is that this way the stiffening foam can also accommodate small, necessary variations of the two surfaces (due to temperature differences for example) .
I created a skin for a wall surface that conforms to the contours. It also expresses the information about the curvatures along the wall through acting like a mesh. The sides of the triangles curve inward or straighten out depending on the convexity or concavity of the surface. This system can be applied as a way of controlling privacy levels along a wall.
(I’m having some difficulty posting the diagrams. I’ll try to post them up later.)
help
can someone please tell me how to make my pdf small enough to post… its been telling me error with photo upload every time all semester
folding triangles
For this project i sought to create a 3d surface by simply folding 2d shapes, that when combined could create any predetermined surface, or be reorganized and add a level of control post cut. After finding the best shape that would be able to fold in on itself and create a sold form, the biggest problem I had was have enough material in the designated areas in order to hold the unit itself together and to connect it to other units.
My presentation drawings for my final project, a proposal in which the formal and functional elements of a building are separated so that they can each reach their fullest potential.
So the what if:
The sun could affect the height and or angle of a building facade’s louvers to allow or prevent more sunlight into a building. The purpose of this being to allow more heat or add more shade depending on the time of year, summer or winter.
Will post more images of definition soon.
I started out from experimenting with how to describe surfaces with a panelization process (without involving glue, of course). Through my first model I came to the idea of fragile surfaces, or “sheets” that are easy to influence. I started to explore a system that could stiffen such sheets.
With this came the idea of having a 3-dimensional grid that would act as a stiffening element for two surfaces. A nice analogy would be that of an “inverted sandwich” —> the filling holds the two slices together instead of the bread holding the filling together. The second model posted demonstrates how I started using the pyramid, a very stiff element to develop a “sandwich filling” that would act as mentioned.
Further along this path, I developed a system of tabs that would allow for the sides to be held together tightly, thus achieving the desired goal. Nonetheless, I realized that this type of system is very limited to the idea of a static object with no true function.
Also inspired by the elasticity of thin chipboard I developed my system further and looked into the idea of “tensegrity” or structured that work both in compression and tension to become a stable system. Thus, finally, I came up with a tab system that incorporates mobility and adaptability in the sandwich system. I’m not going to spoil the surprise here so I will show the system in the presentation.
Alex
As part of my efforts to manage my monstrous grasshopper definition, I am working on developing a color-coding system to identify each piece of my program. I originally began with the yellow-orange color system visible on the right in the second image, where the degree of color indicate the element’s hierarchy in the definition regardless of what function the object performed. This proved to be confusing when trying to navigate between different functional groups in my model, so consequently since then I have been working to introduce a function-based color scheme to the definition. In the second screenshot I am so far using green for a basic preliminary organizational grid, and pink for the model’s deliberately non-functional formal ornamentation, with other colors to come….
