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In order to create these geometries, I first created the Dynamo geometry using the a combination of the methodology described in the videos on Attractor nodes and the example using tower heights. First, I created a grid of target points for the cylinders to be placed upon, then flattened the grid using the cross product lacing as shown in the example. Next, the height of each cylinder was determined using the Cylinder.PointbyRadius node on Dynamo and specifying a specific height as the “end point.” However, although this is how the modeling process began, I continued on to create an attractor node and found the distance between each target point and the attractor node. This distance was then used to determine the respective height of each cylinder in Dynamo, rather than a set value for all cylinders.
When determining the heights of the cylinders, a sine wave was used to create ripple like effects in the “water.” By using inputs such as wave amplitude, base offset, and number of waves, I was able to flex each parameter to get a design that was appealing to me. In order to make the ripples diminish with distance from the attractor node or “pebble,” I divided the height offset (the sin function*amplitude) by the distance from the attractor node + 10 (an arbitrary number that prevented the function from being divided by a very small number close to the attractor point, thus making a huge jump in the graphic at the attractor point). Throughout the script, code blocks and number slides were used to make the design flexible and adjustable. After finding a geometry with inputs that made the ripples prominently visible, I moved to altering my Dynamo script to allow for the design to also show up in Revit using the imported cylinder mass.
One of the biggest struggles in this process was debugging the code in Dynamo and visualizing the results graphically. I found that the process was easiest if I started with a small model and grid of target points and slowly expanded to make sure that the ripples were propagating properly. Overall, I found the process rewarding, and it was very fun to see the effect of the different input parameters on the overall design. This design process makes me curious about the use of parametric design on larger scale ideas and I am excited to see what we can explore in the breadth of this class.