This year’s ACADIA Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio will feature three pre-conference workshops with stunning Dynamo content. We seriously can’t overstate how cool each of them is. Be the first to use Dynamo for computational design with Autodesk Maya, learn from top-notch industry practitioners, or learn to use Dynamo for structural optimization and see what’s new in generative design from Autodesk.
Last I checked none of these three workshops are sold out yet, which can only mean that we haven’t shouted loud enough yet. Read more to see what’s on tap for Cincy 2015!
#4 – DYNAMO: INTRO/ANALYSIS/OPTIMIZATION
Colin McCrone, Computational Design Evangelist at Autodesk
Matt Jezyk, Senior Product Line Manager, AEC Conceptual Design Products at Autodesk
Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Senior Research Scientist at Autodesk
Mohammad Asl, High Performance Building Design Solutions Researcher at Autodesk
In this three-part, three-day workshop, participants will gain an extensive experience with computational design in a BIM environment using Dynamo. We will begin by level-setting with example workflows of Dynamo with Revit to build intermediate-level skills, then introduce specialized workflows for analysis and optimization.
The introductory part of the workshop will cover basic and advanced data management concepts in Dynamo, a survey of the out-of-the-box geometry and Revit functionalities, and exploration of popular Dynamo extensions. Workflows will include working with structural framing, tabular data, Revit element parameters, and general rules-based design in Revit.
We will deploy Dynamo to manage geometric, solar, structural analysis workflows, using packages and extensions that will be provided by the instructors. Finally, we will combine the power of computation and analysis by constructing routines to optimize designs using genetic algorithms. Stick around for a sneak-peak of Autodesk Dreamcatcher for generative design.
#5 – PARAMETRIC MIDDLEWARE
Robert Cervellione, Principal of CERVER Design Studio
The workshop will focus on using a new plugin (DynaMaya) which connects the parametric power of Dynamo with the advanced simulation and modeling of Maya. We will use DynaMaya to explore how parametric workflows can be tied to advanced modeling and simulation tools such as IK, cloth, and animation. Using a few packages available for Dynamo, participants will work through modeling objects in Maya using various tools and topologies and then building upon those models with the Dynamo tools.
We will also explore Dynamo as a bridge between various worlds, both virtual and physical, using dynamos ability to be extended into various environments and act as middleware allowing a crosspollination of processes to be connected. We will use DynaMaya to drive a small desktop-size robot that participants will build on the first day of the workshop driven by a wireless microcontroller (Netduino). The robot will be driven by the IK system in Maya and connected through Dynamo.
#6 – COMPUTATIONAL BIM IN PRACTICE
Konrad Sobon, Project BIM Specialist at GRIMSHAW Architects
Nate Holland, Design Computation Leader at NBBJ
Learn from computational design practitioners how to leverage tools like Dynamo and Grasshopper to get more out of Rhinoceros and Autodesk Revit. Participants will be guided through a set of design tasks from concept to documentation that require unique solutions and benefit from a computational approach.With examples inspired by issues encountered in practice, the workshop will explore topics including designing with geometric constraints, constructability, data interoperability, automation, custom analysis, and project team collaboration. You will hear the insider tips on where to go for information, what software developments to watch, and how to contribute back to the computational design community.