Skip to main content

Release Notes of ArchEval v0.1.0

Date: 19.06.2023




ArchEval

BUILT ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION TOOL

FOR GRASSHOPPER, RHINO 3D

VIJESH KUMAR VALIYAPPURAKKAL


ANGEL SEBASTIAN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-sebastian-4b760023b/

KARAN REVANKAR - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karan-revankar-6a7704237/


Download link: 

architectvijeshkumarv/ArchEval-v0.1.0: Tool for Built Environment Analysis (github.com)

ArchEval | Food4Rhino   https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/archeval-0 

Notes from the Author

ArchEval tool is a package envisioned to contain built environment evaluation tools that help the architects make decisions on project development during any design stage. Currently, we release the tool ArchEval v0.1.0, the package is up with Site Preparation, Topography and Hydrology evaluation tools. We hope this tool will help your design development progressively. We look forward to further developing these tools by hearing from you. For any query and technical support related to this tool please contact us at. 

The brain behind the icons and graphic designing is Angel. Further, tools are debugged by Karan. Both are studying in their 4th year, B.Arh at the School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada. Their contributions are immeasurable and part of this team.

Getting Started with ArchEval

Development on ArchEval for Grasshopper is ongoing. There are regular additions of new features.

Download and Install

To download ArchEval for Rhino and Grasshopper, go to food4rhino. Once the tools are downloaded unzip it and copy and paste the files into libraries. The file contains all the tools, Documentation and Example file.

The Main Menu

Once install the tools, it will be available as a menu item in the Grasshopper menu bar for you to access. 

Overview of ArchEval Elements

  1. Site Preparation Category

                     1.1.          Site from Curve and DEMs (SFDemB)

·         This tool provides site brep and site closed curve from site curves and DEM points.

·         Input the closed curve or segments of the site enclosed along with the digital elevation points of the site.

·         The output is the site boundary curve as a closed curve or segments of a curve.


                    1.2.          Site with Buildings

·         The site will be redone based on the buildings on the site

·         Input the site surface/brep and list of closed building geometry.

·         The tool then develops a modified site brep based on the building geometry and gives a square grid data list.



                     1.3.          Unit Cells

·         This tool provides unit size grid surfaces as per grid size

·         Grid size is a variable numeric slider for single values.

·         On inputting the site surface/brep and the grid size as integer, the Unit Cells tool divides the surface into unit site grid surfaces as per the specified grid size.



2. Topography

                     2.1.          Compute the degree of slope and digital elevations at grid centroid (SlopenDEMs)

·         This tool computes spot degree of slope, spot elevations and colors to display the differences in elevation of site when the unit cells are inputted.

·         Spot elevation is the digital elevation at a particular spot.




Figure 1 Slope labelled with deg. of slope


Figure 2 Slope labelled with DEMs


Figure 3 Site elevation Map

                     2.2.          Visualise the site degree of slope (VisDegSlope)

·         This tool helps us to visualize the site degree of a slope using a custom preview colour legend.

·         It is computed on inputting the site_brep, unit_cells and the spot_slope_degree of the site.

·         The colour legend gives an easy understanding of the slope degree of the inserted geometry with respect to the site.

·         Based on the degree of slope, the tool also gives the area of the 3D surfaces and horizontal surfaces under the site domain.



Figure 4 Deg. of Slope Visualization


Figure 5 Legend of Deg. of Slope

 

                     2.3.          3D Contour Data

·         The 3D Contour Data tool provides the major and minor contours of the site.

·         The site brep, major and minor contour intervals and the t- value has to be inputted.

·         This displays the major and minor contours, preferred label points based on the t-val that has been entered, and the digital elevation of contours. 


Figure 6 Visualize 3D Contour data

                     2.4.          2D Contour Data

·         This tool works similar to 3D contours but displays the contours in a 2D plane and not in a 3D plane.

·         This is developed from the site brep, major contours and minor contours. 

Figure 7 Visualize 2D Contour data


3. Hydrology

                     3.1.          Unit cell flow direction (UnitCellFlow)

·         The Unit cell flow direction tool gives information about the slope of each analysis grid through vectors based on the normal.

·         This tool only requires the input of the unit cells.

·         It displays the vectors representing the cell flow, the endspots or the anchor point of the cell surface flow and the centroid.


Figure 8 Unit Cell Flow Directions on map


Figure 9 Unit cell directions along with deg. of slope visualization

                     3.2.          Site Water Flow Paths (FlowPaths)

·         The FlowPaths tool is the line of flow of water in the site.

·         On inputting the site_brep and unit_cells, the tool computes the water flow end points, the stagnant points, and the flow curve lines on the site.

·         The data is visualized using geometry like dots, lines and curves whose colors and sizes are customizable.  


Figure 10 Water flow paths


Figure 11 Water flow paths along with deg. of slope visualization

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VORONOI AND SUSTAINABILITY

“Voronoi patterns are used as a mean to explain tangible natural phenomena and non-tangible social phenomena.” Everything in this visible world is woven by invisible threads of forces in geometry. This very belief raises curiosity in Architects and Planners as a parametric enquiry of form finding, governed by nature’s laws that connect both visible and invisible. The discovery of sacred geometry and golden section gave way for different approach towards architecture and planning. These gave an extra precision on mimicking the geometries of nature to attain sustainability and eco-effective solutions; called bionic architecture, which in latest trend is called parametric architecture – everything as parameters which will affect evolution of form, not as one but deriving many possibilities. Such an observable geometric pattern in nature is Voronoi Pattern. It explains certain geometries observed in nature; in visible things which include leaves, wings of dragonfly, carapace of a tur...
Post a Comment
Read more

PATTERNS: RHINO GRASSHOPPER TUTORIAL - FROM BOX

SERIES: FROM BOX PATTERN: 01 an inspired version from woo jae sung, ws92@cornell.edu, www.woojsung.com  It is a nice flowy structure, of course not a box. Really? This is the simplest concept sketch of the form. Finding the mid points followed by creating interpolate curves and then loft surface. The details of development is given below: (1) Draw three control point curves     - Direction along Y-axis (2) Copy three curves in Z direction (3) Prepare Bottom and Top curves  - 1,2 & 3 to Bottom Curve  - 4,5,& 6 to Top Curve (4) Loft Surface   - using default options (5)  Select the opposite edge curves   - select the edges   - select one of the opposite curves   - orient the curves in same direction (6) Create Geodesic Curves   - Divide the curves  - Create Geodesic Curves using loft surface (7) Divide th...
7 comments
Read more

ABOUT FLEXIBLE HOUSING

Flexible buildings or spaces might be an idea that might change the livelihoods and structure of cities. Space is associated with time. Relative to the time space changes or relative to the space there is utilization duration (time). Considering this behavior there is a reliable scope to save space. Let the space change relative to the time we use it, so the largest limited resource will not go waste. Here we are going to discuss about flexible housing as a housing solution. There are key questions that can be asked, one: how many of us felt the house was shrinking or expands its uses while we grow up? Means for a married couple the house might be adequate. But while a kid comes they need to create new spaces or after their marriage the demand of spaces will be more, or when they leave the demand will be low; second, do you think that we use any space whole time? The answers are leading us to see the space as a commodity. Sell the room, ahh. The solution is too simple that it m...
3 comments
Read more