09-10-2014
...Just a Hint at What's Possible
GRASSHOPPER, PLATYPUS, AND MULTIPLE DESIGNERS
Collaboration between Grasshopper users can be quite difficult. The 'streamlined' workflows of BIM software that have become prevalent in our office, as well as the larger architecture community, have not made their way into the world of parametric modeling. Over the past few months, Thornton Thomasetti's CORE Studio (http://core.thorntontomasetti.com/) has devised a method of translating 3d information across multiple computers with multiple users working simultaneously. Platypus, another plug-in named after an animal, currently exists in two interfaces – a web based viewer where multiple users can stream geometry live to a browser for viewing; and a Grasshopper-to-Grasshopper interface which transfers geometry over a network to another user's computer– this too is a live connection.
Platypus concept
"We know there's a serious need for Grasshopper users to collaborate with each other more effectively. Another pressing need in the Grasshopper community is to present parametric work to a less tech-savvy audience in a dynamic way – often over the phone. Platypus was built to address these issues..."
-platypus announcement post
As a designer constantly trying to improve the workflow of my team, Platypus offers a glimpse at a solution to the constant 'Save As...' culture that leads to hundreds of files. From a conceptual perspective, parametric design can be thought of as two sets of controls: constants and variables. An example of a 'constant' might be the location and size of a building core, while the shape and dimensions of the building's skin could be seen as a 'variable.' Platypus presents an intriguing idea about how designers work together in an office environment where the work is held in the computer – forcing one user to work on a specific aspect of the project at a time while the other team members are forced to wait. Instead, this plug-in for a plug-in, allows all users to not only view, but interact with and build from the existing parametric model.
For example, let's say Joe is working on the overall massing of a building's curtain wall while Steve is in charge of designing the actual panels. Joe can manipulate the overall form anyway he sees fit on his computer. This geometry will update live in Steve's model on his computer where he is designing the panels. These panels are, of course, then updated live in Joe's model where he can see every panel populated across the overall geometry. This is all great and exciting, but what if Joe wants to adjust an aspect of the panel geometry? Steve can also share the control of any variable he chooses, making the flexibility of the geometry universal across the project rather than one computer. This means geometry is shared just as easily as the manipulation of it is. This doesn't mean free rein leading to madness but rather presents the opportunity for more informed, precise adjustments with less repeated tasks.
A bit about the plug-in itself. Let's start with the web interface. The Platypus server runs from an off-site web server managed by Thornton Thomasetti. One logs onto the server in one step, go to http://3dplatyp.us/. The system creates a new workspace and is ready to use – easy. Back in Grasshopper, there are two options for translating geometry to the web – lines and meshes. Why only two? Well, best guess points to a lack of 3d compatibility in the multiple translations between Grasshopper and the DirectX/OpenGL drivers that Platypus uses to display geometry in a browser.
Most interesting about this new plug-in is its second interface – Grasshopper to Grasshopper. Platypus allows multiple users to actively work with each other's parametric models but passing geometry over a network. The server uses the back end of the web-based platform to transfer geometry, so users simply have to have internet access. Unlike the web-based viewer, this interface can translate any type of rhino object. For other users, the flexibility of the translated geometry is no different than any other geometry in grasshopper - it can be exploded, manipulated, and altered as if it was created locally. One can imagine the power of this plug-in when applying it to a building's envelope. While one user works on developing the overall massing, another user can use the geometry they receive live to generate the envelopes panels, even while the first user is still adjusting the massing. A third user could be using both sets of data to constantly run environmental testing such as sun studies or wind-tunnel simulations.
Multiple users collaborate on the same model
I reached out to Benjamin Howes, the leader of the Platypus project at TT CORE Studio, to find out how and why the project was conceived. More specifically, I asked what the project meant for him personally. "I think the work hints at a new way of working together (real time collaboration and data sharing) in parametric environments. It means that it is possible to work in a truly collaborative fashion on top of a generative design platform – I wasn't sure about this before we started developing Platypus." The software is still in beta, actually, CORE calls it an 'alpha,' meaning before beta. Ben continues, "It also means there's a lot of work ahead of us – Platypus is just a hint at what's possible."
Sure, there are other software packages out there that are built of multiple users collaborating on one model; most notably Revit. However, Revit, like many BIM systems, leans toward documentation software rather than a means of exploration. As a young architect eagerly harnessing design computation, Platypus offers hope for a loose but coordinated design workflow.
Disclaimer: FXFOWLE does not endorse or recommend any products. The views expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of FXFOWLE.
Collaboration between Grasshopper users can be quite difficult. The 'streamlined' workflows of BIM software that have become prevalent in our office, as well as the larger architecture community, have not made their way into the world of parametric modeling. Over the past few months, Thornton Thomasetti's CORE Studio (http://core.thorntontomasetti.com/) has devised a method of translating 3d information across multiple computers with multiple users working simultaneously. Platypus, another plug-in named after an animal, currently exists in two interfaces – a web based viewer where multiple users can stream geometry live to a browser for viewing; and a Grasshopper-to-Grasshopper interface which transfers geometry over a network to another user's computer– this too is a live connection.
Platypus concept"We know there's a serious need for Grasshopper users to collaborate with each other more effectively. Another pressing need in the Grasshopper community is to present parametric work to a less tech-savvy audience in a dynamic way – often over the phone. Platypus was built to address these issues..."
-platypus announcement post
As a designer constantly trying to improve the workflow of my team, Platypus offers a glimpse at a solution to the constant 'Save As...' culture that leads to hundreds of files. From a conceptual perspective, parametric design can be thought of as two sets of controls: constants and variables. An example of a 'constant' might be the location and size of a building core, while the shape and dimensions of the building's skin could be seen as a 'variable.' Platypus presents an intriguing idea about how designers work together in an office environment where the work is held in the computer – forcing one user to work on a specific aspect of the project at a time while the other team members are forced to wait. Instead, this plug-in for a plug-in, allows all users to not only view, but interact with and build from the existing parametric model.
For example, let's say Joe is working on the overall massing of a building's curtain wall while Steve is in charge of designing the actual panels. Joe can manipulate the overall form anyway he sees fit on his computer. This geometry will update live in Steve's model on his computer where he is designing the panels. These panels are, of course, then updated live in Joe's model where he can see every panel populated across the overall geometry. This is all great and exciting, but what if Joe wants to adjust an aspect of the panel geometry? Steve can also share the control of any variable he chooses, making the flexibility of the geometry universal across the project rather than one computer. This means geometry is shared just as easily as the manipulation of it is. This doesn't mean free rein leading to madness but rather presents the opportunity for more informed, precise adjustments with less repeated tasks.
A bit about the plug-in itself. Let's start with the web interface. The Platypus server runs from an off-site web server managed by Thornton Thomasetti. One logs onto the server in one step, go to http://3dplatyp.us/. The system creates a new workspace and is ready to use – easy. Back in Grasshopper, there are two options for translating geometry to the web – lines and meshes. Why only two? Well, best guess points to a lack of 3d compatibility in the multiple translations between Grasshopper and the DirectX/OpenGL drivers that Platypus uses to display geometry in a browser.
Most interesting about this new plug-in is its second interface – Grasshopper to Grasshopper. Platypus allows multiple users to actively work with each other's parametric models but passing geometry over a network. The server uses the back end of the web-based platform to transfer geometry, so users simply have to have internet access. Unlike the web-based viewer, this interface can translate any type of rhino object. For other users, the flexibility of the translated geometry is no different than any other geometry in grasshopper - it can be exploded, manipulated, and altered as if it was created locally. One can imagine the power of this plug-in when applying it to a building's envelope. While one user works on developing the overall massing, another user can use the geometry they receive live to generate the envelopes panels, even while the first user is still adjusting the massing. A third user could be using both sets of data to constantly run environmental testing such as sun studies or wind-tunnel simulations.
Multiple users collaborate on the same modelI reached out to Benjamin Howes, the leader of the Platypus project at TT CORE Studio, to find out how and why the project was conceived. More specifically, I asked what the project meant for him personally. "I think the work hints at a new way of working together (real time collaboration and data sharing) in parametric environments. It means that it is possible to work in a truly collaborative fashion on top of a generative design platform – I wasn't sure about this before we started developing Platypus." The software is still in beta, actually, CORE calls it an 'alpha,' meaning before beta. Ben continues, "It also means there's a lot of work ahead of us – Platypus is just a hint at what's possible."
Sure, there are other software packages out there that are built of multiple users collaborating on one model; most notably Revit. However, Revit, like many BIM systems, leans toward documentation software rather than a means of exploration. As a young architect eagerly harnessing design computation, Platypus offers hope for a loose but coordinated design workflow.
Disclaimer: FXFOWLE does not endorse or recommend any products. The views expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of FXFOWLE.