Project: 2010 Richmond Olympic Oval
Architect: Cannon Design
Engineering : StructureCraft
Construction: StructureCraft

So… there has been a great conversation on the DesignReform forum about the use of Revit and Inventor to further the direct to fabrication work flow.  The conversation started with Santiago from StructureCraft posting a few images of the 2010 Richmond Olympic Oval project.  Below is the text posted on the forum and some more images from the StructureCraft website.

Inventor screen capture for part of the Olympic Oval project

Follow along and /or contribute to the  Autodesk Inventor for architecture forum post here

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Software : Rhino 3d and Grasshopper (Explicit History)
Level : Intermediate

Description : In this Rhino / Grasshopper video tutorial we expand on a previous video from the site, Rhino - Patterning Based on Point Distance with Grasshopper. The idea is to use 2 points rather than one.  The logic is borrowed from Andy Payne on a 3ds Max model with wire parameters. Basically the idea is to drive the radius of the circles with the distance between the point(s). The circles then use the MIN component and a “range” factor to limit how big the circles can get as well as the area of influence of each point.  I’m not proposing this is the most elegant solution but it got the job done ;).  Please feel free to post alternative solutions in the forum.  Here is the thread for this post with the source files.

Topics Covered
-Distance Component
-MIN Component
-Using 2 attractors
-Making Grids

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Software : Rhino 3d and Grasshopper (Explicit History)
Level : Beginner
Description : In this Rhino / Grasshopper video tutorial we rebuild the shift tutorial provided by David Rutten on the Grasshopper blog. I hope to do one of these per file David has posted up.  As simple as the interface is to understand when one comes at the software for the first time this can be a bit overwhelming.  I just want to help make the dissection process as simple as possible . Please have a look in the forum for more Grasshopper files and images.

Topics Covered
-Divide curve by Number
-XForms
-Using the Shift component

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Modifier : Delete Mesh
Works on: Mesh, Poly - All sub objects
3ds Max Description : Delete Mesh provides parametric deletion based on the current sub-object selection level in the stack. The possible choices are faces, vertices, edges, and objects. Apply the Delete Mesh modifier to delete the geometry specified at that sub-object level.

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Software : Rhino 3d and Grasshopper (Explicit History)
Level : Intermediate
Description : In this Rhino video tutorial we cover how to make scaling circular patterns based on the distance between points. This is similar to a tutorial i built in 3ds Max with wire parameters.

Please have a look in the forum for more Grasshopper files and images.

Topics Covered
-New Grasshopper UI
-Series component explained
-Creating point grids
-Using the distance component
-Driving geometry with parameters
-Using the mathematic operation components

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Software : 3ds Max
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Description : This 3ds Max video tutorial covers how to model a parametric screen constructed from hexagons. This technique is pretty straight forward. We start with a 6 sided nGon then uses a series of modifiers to create the lattice work. This tutorial does not get into rendering just how this geometry can be quickly modeled while maintaining parametric relationships for things such as the size or the members, the size of the opening, and level of variation in the pattern.

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Since all the software conversation is really no fun unless we put it to use to build things. I figured I should post some of the latest images of the precast panels from the 290 Mulberry Project (Project description PDF) by SHoP Architects’ (just in case, that’s where i work).

The real reason this project is applicable on this site is the explorations done in parametric modeling and BIM. As i said in an earlier post this was SHoP Architects Revit pilot project. Even though SHoP has been 3d modeling their projects for a while now this was the first time the drawing sets were integrally tied to the 3d model. The building was modeled in Revit 9.0 (now in 2008), the model was used for DD and CD and is now being used full time for CA.

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Software : Revit Architecture
Level : Intermediate
Description : This Revit video tutorial shows how to array a series of voids to create a changing truss system. Rather than thinking of the modeling in components what we are doing here is modeling a solid and using Revit’s cut geometry tool to slice a solid into stick members. The only catch to this techniques is that each truss has a slight slant on the top and bottom. This is something that i willing to look past since i figure it will be lost in the line weight. Once this model needs to transfer to a higher lever of precision i would consider another modeling technique. As a design tool this technique allows for quick iteration while maintaining the design intent. This is the first part of a two part series the second video will dive deeper in using formulas to drive the spacing and thickness of trusses (and why it’s in a line based family:)).

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Software : Rhino 3d

Level : Intermediate

Description : This is a new plug-in that David Rutten is working on for Rhino. It has similar functionality to GC but at this point if not so component based. It is more like GC in that it uses features and stores them as nodes you can rearrange and change hierarchy’s. In this video I cover where to find the plug-in, how to install it and then the very (let me emphasize the VERY) basics of the interface. This is the first of what will be many Rhino tutorials. I also plan to cover the new implicit history functionality in Rhino. One of my biggest problems with Rhino has always been the lack of history based modeling and now that they are doing it, I figure I should learn it well. So…. here is the first one.

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Software : 3ds Max
Category : 3d Modeling, Wire Parameters, Expression Controllers
Description : This is a tutorial that i have tuned into a video from a PDF written by Theo Calvin and Omer Barr. Using wire parameters and expression controllers we will make a panel that opens and closes based on the distance of a point.

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