Window Drawing Generator

I am looking with envy – an “eventually I will learn how to do that” feeling – at the magnificent graphics created by seasoned Grasshopper users, in which they visualize – even dramatize – data into otherworldly and mesmerizing images and videos. In the meantime, as an interior designer, I have more immediate and down-to-earth concerns. How to speed up the 3D drafting process of a house or any given space? How to make modifications – a given in any design project – of my objects easier and faster?

Hence another generator that I created in Grasshopper. This one cuts dramatically the amount of time needed to draw windows with many lights. All dimensions, as well as the number of lights in horizontal and vertical direction are directly modifiable via input sliders. Want to see what a taller or wider window would look like? Is it better to have 2×2 or 3×4 lights on your window? All elements can be changed with the flick of a mouse. Please watch the video below.

This is a basic generator, applicable only to rectangular windows, using exclusively dimensions as input data. It is conceivable to create generators for other shapes of windows, where one of the inputs is the shape or the exterior contour of the window, in a manner similar to my Stair Study definitions, where I used the plan projections of the staircases as input (see my previous post).

The Grasshopper definition (for those unfamiliar with Grasshopper, that means algorithm) is shown in the image below. This definition is the brain behind the ever-shifting image of the window that is the subject of the current design process.

Many years ago  we used to draw our objects – whether a gearbox or a cabinet – by hand on large drafting boards. With the emergence of computers and CAD software we started drawing our ideas using AutoCAD and similar software in 2D, then in 3D and drawing boards receded into a past so remote that I had trouble finding an illustration on the internet!

Currently we have the possibility to use algorithmic software (like Grasshopper) that tells the 3D drafting software (like Rhinoceros) what we want to draw and what our input parameters are. Changes are instantaneous based on the input data.  Endless variations can be created within minutes. The process resembles a bit creating a jig or a mould, which then can be used to produce a large number of items. It takes time to produce the jig, and it takes some time to create a definition. But, in the case of a definition,  the many items produced can be endlessly diverse!