The Tool
Chris Mackey + Mostapha Sadeghipour Roudsari
Design Modeling Symposium
Sept. 19 2017
vs
The Toolkit
Dragonfly
Climate Visualization
+ Analysis
Building Energy, Daylight + Comfort Modelling
Climate Modelling
(heat island, climate change)
Under
Development
Ladybug
Honeybee
Airflow Modelling
(CFD)
Butterfly
Ladybug Tools
Toolkits
Our Historical Software Situation
Separate software packages that export/import to/from standard file types.
Historical Context
Benefits
Drawbacks
Historical Context
Historical Context
Our “Contemporary” Software Philosophy
A central model that exports basic information to other software interfaces.
Historical Context
Benefits
Historical Context
The more mass within an object, the more energy it takes to move it.
Law of Inertia
Historical Context
The more information that is in a model, the more (human) energy it takes to iterate with it.
The more mass within an object, the more energy it takes to move it.
Law of Inertia
Law of Design Inertia
Historical Context
Benefits
Drawbacks
Historical Context
Neither of these philosophies realizes the full potential of computational design
Both focus on the tools themselves as the solution
Neither of these philosophies realizes the full potential of computational design
BIM
Both focus on the tools themselves as the solution
Neither of these philosophies realizes the full potential of computational design
… rather than the workflows or interconnection between tools
What makes software a part of a toolkit?
Principles of the toolkit
Principle 1 - Do one thing and do it well
Do one thing and do it well.
#1
Principle 1 - Do one thing and do it well
Principle 1 - Do one thing and do it well
Specialization of tools within a toolkit
Yahoo (1998)
Google (1998)
Principle 1 - Do one thing and do it well
Principle 1 - Do one thing and do it well
Welcome to the zoo!
Specialization of plugins within the Grasshopper ecosystem
Principle 1 - Do one thing and do it well
Kangaroo
Structural Form Finding
Karamba
Structural Solver
gHowl
Data formatting/
translation
VisualArq
Plan drawings from 3D
Ladybug
Climate Visualization/ Analysis
Speckle Streams
Data broadcasting/ sharing
Welcome to the zoo!
Specialization of plugins within the Grasshopper ecosystem
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Build interoperability with other tools
#2
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Interoperability is NOT...
Software 1
.dwg
Software 2
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Interoperability is...
Software 1
Software 2
Export and run using API of Software 2
Import file type AND results of Software 2
Plugin to available 3d modeling interfaces
don’t add a new drawing interface*
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Rhino
Revit
* Does not apply when the “one thing you are trying to do well” is making a better interface or simulation engine.
Plugin to available 3d modeling interfaces
don’t add a new drawing interface*
* Does not apply when the “one thing you are trying to do well” is making a better interface or simulation engine.
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Connect to validated simulation engines
Don’t add a new limited engine*
Radiance
EnergyPlus
Rhino
Revit
Plugin to available 3d modeling interfaces
don’t add a new drawing interface*
* Does not apply when the “one thing you are trying to do well” is making a better interface or simulation engine.
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Connect to validated simulation engines
Don’t add a new limited engine*
Use existing Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
Don’t build your own GUI*
Radiance
EnergyPlus
Rhino
Revit
Grasshopper
Dynamo
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Radiance
EnergyPlus
OpenStudio
Therm + Window
Daylight
Glare + Visual Comfort
Electric Lighting
Thermal Energy Use
HVAC sizing
Thermal Comfort
Construction R/U-Value
Condensation Risk
Daysim
Rhino + GH
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Microclimate Maps
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
vs.
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 2 - Build Interoperability with Other Tools
Principle 3 - Use Standardized Open Formats for Data Transfer
Use Standard Formats for Data Transfer
#3
Principle 3 - Use Standardized Open Formats for Data Transfer
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Modularize the Tool
#4
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Weather file
Time and date
Daylight Simulation
Code compliance
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Weather file
Time and date
Daylight Simulation
Raw results
Sky
Code compliance
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Weather file
Time and date
Raw results
Sky
Code compliance
Visualize the Sky
Visualize the results
Daylight Simulation
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Visualize the sky
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Weather file
Time and date
Raw results
Sky
Code compliance
Visualize the Sky
Visualize the results
Daylight Simulation
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Visualize the hourly results
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
With 2 lego bricks there are 24 different combinations.
With 3 lego bricks there are 1060 different combinations.
With 6 lego bricks there are 915,103,765 different combinations.
Reference: http://kotaku.com/calculating-lego-brick-combinations-is-ridiculously-tou-1720682129
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
With 2 lego bricks there are 24 different combinations.
With 3 lego bricks there are 1060 different combinations.
With 6 lego bricks there are 915,103,765 different combinations.
Reference: http://kotaku.com/calculating-lego-brick-combinations-is-ridiculously-tou-1720682129
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
With 6 lego bricks there are 915,103,765 different combinations.
How many different combinations can you make with 370 components?
Reference: http://kotaku.com/calculating-lego-brick-combinations-is-ridiculously-tou-1720682129
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
A craft to how modular components are arranged to address different problems
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Conventional Simulation Tools for Conceptual Design
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Conventional Simulation Tools for Conceptual Design
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
[New] Simulation Tools for Conceptual Design
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Day to Day Practice
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Case Study 1
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Case Study 1
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Case Study 2
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Case Study 2
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Single
engine
Multiple
engines
Single
model
Several models
Simple
Detailed
Case Study 3
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Mackey, Galanos, Norford, Roudsari. (2017) Wind, Sun, Surface Temperature, and Heat Island: Critical Variables for High-Resolution Outdoor Thermal Comfort. Proceedings from the International Building Simulation Conference. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz2PwDvkjovJQ25IZmtadXczakU
Case Study 3
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Mackey, Galanos, Norford, Roudsari. (2017) Wind, Sun, Surface Temperature, and Heat Island: Critical Variables for High-Resolution Outdoor Thermal Comfort. Proceedings from the International Building Simulation Conference. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz2PwDvkjovJQ25IZmtadXczakU
Case Study 3
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Rural Temperature
Urban Temperature
Mackey, Galanos, Norford, Roudsari. (2017) Wind, Sun, Surface Temperature, and Heat Island: Critical Variables for High-Resolution Outdoor Thermal Comfort. Proceedings from the International Building Simulation Conference. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz2PwDvkjovJQ25IZmtadXczakU
Case Study 3
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Typical Week
Hot Week
Cold Week
Mackey, Galanos, Norford, Roudsari. (2017) Wind, Sun, Surface Temperature, and Heat Island: Critical Variables for High-Resolution Outdoor Thermal Comfort. Proceedings from the International Building Simulation Conference. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz2PwDvkjovJQ25IZmtadXczakU
Case Study 3
Principle 4 - Modularize the Tool
Bushnell’s Law
#5
Principle 5
“The games that were most successful were those that were simple to learn but impossible to master.”
- Nolan Bushnell
ATARI co-founder
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
“Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work?”
Watch the full talk at: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_what_makes_us_feel_good_about_our_work
IKEA Effect
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
A feeling of ownership after one has spent time working on something and customizing it.
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
2,047 discussions
11,175
replies
498 comments
by 903 people
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
78.5% of the discussions get the first reply in less than a day.
95.0% of them will get the first reply in less than 3 days.
http://hydrashare.github.io/hydra/
Principle 5 - Make it Easy to Start but Impossible to Master
It’s not about tools. It’s about people.
Thank you!
It’s not about tools. It’s about people.