Generative algorithms are now well established as architectural design tools. At the very least scripting and algorithmic modeling promotes the realization that the built environment is heavily influenced by the tools being used to create design. In that way Grasshopper is more than just another software design too- it is a way to deliberately create form that is stripped from the assumptions and biases that traditional design methods will always have.
One of the big issues when utilizing Grasshopper, or other scripting methods, is how to translate the intricate geometry from Rhino 3d/Grasshopper, to the software that is being used to create construction documents. Archicad has slowly been trying to bridge this gap with a plugin that allows synchronization between Archicad and Grasshopper. The latest release supports Archicad 22 build 5009 and continues to develop into a tool that integrates with BIM.
Grasshopper Script
Rhino 3d Viewport
As a really quick test of the Grasshopper Archicad Live Connection, I built a Grasshopper script utilizing point clouds. Sliders control the number of columns and height. The points between the top cloud and the bottom cloud are connected by columns. The Live Connection tool then syncs to Archicad and generates the columns. I added a shed roof, curtain walls and some entourage and tried a few rendering styles (another upcoming blog post).
Plan in Archicad
