BlockTool is essentially a set of grasshopper scripts that performs simple geometric operations on lines drawn in Rhino to generate buildings. The geometrical operations follow a set of customisable rules. Additional functionality such as saving parameters, calculating built-up area, exporting csv and sketchup files have been added. A set of useful(ish) error messages have also been added in to help users understand why the script is misbehaving.
Link to GitHub BlockTool/BlockTool (github.com)
The goal with this tool is to provide a basic template to build additional functionality and for new users of grasshopper to see what is possible.
Dependencies
External plugins are only used when necessary. A few of these features could replaced with native components or custom scripts, but why re-invent a slower wheel?
Plugin Version URL
Human 1.7.3.0 Human
Sasquatch 1.0.0.0 Sasquatch Utilities
EleFront 0.4.1.0 EleFront
Pufferfish 3.0.0.0 Pufferfish
LunchBox 2016.3.21.0 LunchBox
ShapeDiverSquid 1.7.0.0 Squid
Get Started
Install dependencies from www.food4rhino.com
Download the demo folder and the src folder from github
Open the Rhino file inside demo/3D Model/Demo_Site.3dm
Open the Grasshopper file inside src/BlockTool_0.40.gh
FOR BUILDINGS
Ensure that the IN layer is the active layer
Draw a curve in Rhino
FOR PARKING
Ensure that the PARKING layer is the active layer
Draw a curve in Rhino
Open Block
Closed Block
Parking
Layer Management
New layers are automatically created everytime a new curve is added to the project. When save to rhino is clicked, the geometry is baked into these layers.
Error Reporting
Some basic error reporting is done by the tool. It also reports whether the data is being read by the live inputs or from a config file that was previously saved.
Best to follow the order of the commands in this panel.
Save config to file - Saves a csv of the existing configurations and links it to the active curve. This allows users to set custom values for each curve and then retrieve them by changing the active curve slider.
Create Materials - Creates rhino materials (only needs to be run once)
Save to Rhino - Bake
Override Config and Save to Rhino - Overrides the confic csv and bakes geometry
Delete from Rhino - Safest way to clear geometry from Rhino. Delete breaks sometimes.
Export to sketchup - Exports baked geometry to a skp file
Save to excel - Saves a csv file of the block properties. Block number, number of units, bta of each unit is added to the csv.
The project is developed by Ossama Gabrallah and Sanjay Somanath.