Structural Sketches:
From ActiveStatics to StaticsPad

Simon Greenwold

MathWorks

Computational Design

• Rules, Instructions, Parametrics, Forces, and Agents
• A hierarchy of design computation:


• Alogrithmic form-generation
• Parameterized design
• Analysis in design
• Simulated forces
• Self-organizing systems
• What makes systems simulation so compelling?

Background

• MIT Architecture
• Media Lab: Spatial Computing
• Yale Architecture: Model Based Design/Design Computation
• MathWorks

Rules

Rules

Rules

Constraints

• Program

Constraints

• Code

Constraints

• Structure

Computation?

Rules and constraints? Sounds like computation (Not so fast!)

Instruction

• "Algorithmic" design follows instructions
• Logic is interior to the process

Algorithmic generation

• The easiest form of design computation
• Descriptive vs. prescriptive rules
• Computation excels at quantity
• Repetition with variation
• Instructions that produce design that conforms to rules and constraints?
• Very hard; seldom accomplished

Weaver

• "Woven" tubelike structures

Internaut

• 3D space from Web topology

Parametrics

Rules and relationships explicitly encoded Parameterize a solution space Imposes a causality Great for exploration within a family of designs Hard to move beyond geometric intention

Moment

• Parametric tool for interactive graphics
• Moment

Forces

• Instructions ->
• Rules ->
• Forces


• Descriptive of a system's desires
• Perfect for interactive graphics
• Form finding
• A little loss of control

Active Statics

• Parametrics for simple structural analysis teaching
• Graphic statics expresses statics solutions in geometric constructions
• Companion to Shaping Structures: Statics by Ed Allen and Waclaw Zalewski
• Active Statics online

Where do we go from here?

• How do we move beyond rigid process in computational design?
• Analysis in design
• Design in simulation
• Modeling forces directly
• Self-organizing systems

StaticsPad

• Continuation of graphic statics tools
• Beyond demo into design
• Companion to Form and Forces by Ed Allen and Waclaw Zalewski
• StaticsPad on upfork.com

Modeling Forces: Point-mass

• Simple models produce a lot of behavior
• Essentially a parametrics of energy
• A particle system library for Processing available at upfork.com
• Numerical methods, simplifications, assumptions
• Much of the content produced in Yale 872a (Model Based Design)
• Cannon
• Mesh
• Student work

Modeling Forces: Rigid body

• MOS Office: Overhang
• MOSstack

Fortress

• Not always clear what your simulation is simulating

Environments + Agents

• Instructions ->
• Rules ->
• Forces ->
• Environments + Agents


• Very hard to control!
• Or even predict
• Or even get interesting results from
• But when you do...

Self-organizing systems

Simple rules, complicated environments Environments made up of interacting individuals DLA, cellular automata Flocking, insects Braitenburg vehicles

From Instructions to Agents

• A hierarchy of design computation:


• Alogrithmic form-generation
• Parameterized design
• Analysis in design
• Simulated forces
• Self-organizing systems

These slides and more material at upfork.com