This study uses Karamba - a plugin in grasshopper , rhino to reverse engineer the performance of a bamboo. Through the accurate measurement of the diameter and thickness of the bamboo , with bamboo's physical property, it helps us to predict how the bamboo will perform during a bending , or forming a network to from a bending active gridshell.

Tangential Plane Intersection

When we are doing the Topological Optimization Nodes & Tangential Plane Intersection (1.3), we have experienced a difficulty in the tangential plane intersection that cannot be used in all geometry. Inspired by the prototype building “ Landesgartenschau Exhibition Hall “ of University of Stuttgart, I tried to convert the tangential plane intersection script into an agent-based system , where there are rules set bottom up for the whole geometry to populate. This system is helps to achieve several goals : 

1 / Solve the polygonal subdivision of complex doubly
      curved geometries using planar building elements.

2 / Ease the difficulties in the joint system as each
      vertice will only connect to 3 rods only.

3 / Allow more control on the dimensions of these panels, 
      that are limited to the local material size.

Agent-Based Modeling

In the agent-based modeling for plate structures, the control on the panels are more flexible than the top down modeling system that we used before, it will be not be limited to the UV subdivisions on the surface, and also it will allows the control on individual plates to solve the difficult intersections when the curvature of the surface reaches approximate zero. 

Controls on the Agents : 

1 / Repel Between Agents ( Control on Distance )

2 / Attraction to Edge / Gaussian Curvature = 0 Curve

3 / Rotation on Surface Normal to find intersection

4 / Offset of Surface to find Intersections

These were studies of how different joints were designed by the Chinese and Japanese during the period that wood architecture is the main stream in Asia. It is fascinating as these joints truly explore the materiality and property of wood as a construction material, they are designed to accept shrinkages, creating more friction etc. 

Aggregated with Maya and Unity 

Processed in ZBrush and Photoshop

An exploration of particle system in Maya and animation.