Very excited to present Wooden Wave! Read below to learn more and see additional product images.
Overview/Read Me
Have you ever wanted to have a large abstract piece of wooden wall art in your home but didn’t have the funds to buy one? Well look no further than Wooden Wave! If you have access to a wood CNC machine (ShopBot) and table saw, you can make your own custom Wooden Wave in under $40 in materials from Home Depot. Not only that, but once you set your preferred parameters (including shape, size and texture), Wooden Wave will generate 10,000 options so you can pick the curvy shape that speaks to you! Keep reading to see how!
Step 1: Select Inputs
When you open the Grasshopper file, you will see a group of input sliders all the way on the far left. Each controls a parameter that will change the outcome of your wave, allowing you to test multiple different shapes, sizes, and styles. Here are the parameters:
Length of Rectangle: The final length of your wall art (distance measured in direction from floor to ceiling).
Width of Rectangle: The width of the rectangle before it is cut into pieces. Measured horizontally, from wall to wall. The final width (after pieces are cut and spaced) will be shown below.
Height of piece: Maximum height of the piece from base to tip of curves. Measured from wall outwards.
Base Height: how much material you want below the curves.
Number of Pieces: How many equal slices you would like. Set to one for a solid rectangle. I recommend setting more pieces that defining curves (below) for more interesting wall art.
Spacing in between pieces: How much space is between each equal slice.
Number of defining curves: How many curves will be generated and lofted together. This will control how much change there is throughout the piece. I recommend setting this to less than the number of pieces for more dynamic shapes.
Amplitude Chaos: Measured from 0-1. The amplitude of each wave is generated randomly from a domain. This parameter determines the maximum of that domain. A lower number will result in lower waves, a higher number will have more “chaos” between waves (some low, some high).
Period Chaos: Measured from 0-1. The period of each wave is generated randomly from a domain. This parameter determines the maximum of that domain. A lower number will result in smoother waves (low period), a higher number will have more “chaos” between waves (some smooth, some bumpier).
Seed: Each number will generate a random outcome with your set parameters. When you change a parameter above, change the seed to see the results clearer. You can go back to a shape you liked by entering the same seed.
Refresh Toggle: Occasionally the seed does not automatically refresh. If so, simply turn this to “False” and then back to “True”
Step 2: Generate Shapes
Whenever you change certain parameters above, change the seed to generate a new outcome. When you find a shape you like, move onto step 3!
Step 3: Export file
There are two different shapes you can export: the single block model (no cut) or the final model with equal slices spread out. Scroll to the right side of the graph and you will see two messages, each above a different node. Choose which you want (no cut or cut), right click on the designated node, and select “Bake”.
Once you bake it into Rhino, use the command window in Rhino and type “Export”. Follow the instructions and export the file as an STL.
Step 4: Render, Print, or Cut
Render
If you want a digital representation of what the finished piece will look like, use the above steps to export the final model with equal slices. Import that file into a CAD software of your choice (I used Fusion 360), select a material, and render. Here are some results of that below:
If you want to 3D print a miniature version of your model to test if you like the feel, simply import the STL of the cut version into a slicer software and print. I printed one of my favorite patterns so far, you can see it below! The layers of the print look similar to a real wood grain. Also it is really fun to fidget with as a desk toy 🙂
Cut
If you want to cut your model on a CNC, export the whole block with no cuts. Import this file into your preferred CAD/CAM software and create a CAM file to cut it. Cut the wood using a Shopbot to create the curve geometry. Finally, use a table saw to cut it into slices.
Video Tutorial
Grasshopper Graph Details
The user begins on the left by inputting their parameters. Clustering the parameters on the side caused a little bit of chaotic crossing of paths, but it was worth it to make the user interface friendly.
First, it creates a rectangle (using input parameters) and divides it into a grid of lines that will become the waves.
Then it enters a loop. The loop will run one time for each defining curve it creates and stores them afterward.
Within the loop, first the amplitude and period chaos inputs set a domain for the random functions. Then the seed input is used to generate a list of “random” amplitudes and periods for each curve.
The waves are then created from the grid lines and passed back into the loop logic to be recorded.
Once all the waves are created, they are lofted together. That surface is then extruded and split to create a solid Brep with a flat bottom.
The number of pieces input is used to create planes that will split the solid block.
Finally, the block is split into pieces and the spacing input is used to spread them out.
Here is a final (far away) picture of the whole graph!
