WS8 : A TRULY, FULLY, PARAMETRIC GRID STRUCTURE
Instructors: Milos Dimcic, Nicolas Semenaud, Joanne Mary

In our recently expanded parametric universe, we are already used to taking a very basic geometrical input, like a free-form surface and then automatically create a grid (a wireframe) over it, using only couple of parameters and a bit of programming. In the next step we take that wireframe as an input and create a full 3D grid structure with all its unique Joints and Members (regardless of their material and complexity) with a click of a button. After clicking that “single button” we want to also generate 2D shop drawings and CNC production ready files – in other words we do not want any manual labor – instead we want to generate a complete, production-ready grid structure automatically/parametrically. Together we will do this on the 3dexperience platform, staying completely online (most of the time working in a browser). We will use the CATIA core software and do all of this with hardly any coding -because the software enables a full parametrization with in-built tools.

And what this prospect makes even more exciting is that, if you think about it, a grid-shell or a faced is only one small part of grid structures. Every skeletal object (regardless of the material) has: zero-dimensional connections (joints), one-dimensional members (like columns and beams) and two-dimensional elements (panels, slabs). So, if we can make different templates for joints/members/panels we can automatically generate any kind of skeletal structure, from the basic wireframe until ready for production shop drawings and CNC files. And we can do all of that without almost any programming, working online and “fractally” controlling the project, thus dividing the work assignments easily.

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In this workshop we will do exactly that – create a truly, fully parametric grid-shell structure with unique joints and members and all ready-for-production 3d elements and 2d shop drawings.  We will do all this using the 3dexperience online Platform, based on the CATIA software from Dassault Systems.