Coding for 3D Part 2: Generative Design

Generative Design

A big issue that arises within technical exploration is the variety of options available with an easy Google search. This series is so vast in where it can go in terms of its learning possibilities. This makes it essential for one to have a very sharp focus on what we are trying to do with code. It is a major problem within the software development community as well. Building things that are complex, but have no practicality can become tiresome. Elegant and simple solutions are what we want. So how will do this in our coding series?

Firstly, we need to research thoroughly the tools and specifically the solution we are trying to achieve. Our goal initially as we start this series is to showcase coding and how it can create 3D objects through generative design. This is broadly defined so far. The way to do this is an open ended question. What becomes important is the tool we are using to get the job done. More specifically after we have done the basics of 3D object creation and manipulation within one platform or coding language, we may move on to replicating this in different coding environments.

Throughout this process, there will be terminology that I am unfamiliar with. I’ll be talking more deeply about them in separate articles. This will also help for others and myself who are in need of learning the basic tenets of computer science as well. I have a good amount of experience and understand some things, but it will be important to explain these topics and further my understanding so that I can have a solid understanding as well as show others.

Generative Design

I am particularly focusing this series on generative design and coding for these purposes. When you enter the realm of 3D coding it is such a vast ocean of options. This includes 3D coding applications towards VR/AR, software package creation, manufacturing simulations, etc. I have a larger interest in generative design as I see it’s future potential. The fact that humans will not necessarily have to design things themselves as much in the future is an interesting situation to me. I myself am a fan of designing, sketching, and mocking up products, but I am intrigued to see how far generative design is currently, and how we could leverage this.

Generative design can be defined as a design process that involves a program that creates outputs that are held within certain constraints. Designers will be able to precisely edit the feasible region of their design by changing mathematical values. These values will be a variable within a program that meets certain constraints that we defined earlier.

Gyroid Generative Design

Generative design can be defined as an iterative design process that involves a program that will generate a certain number of outputs that meet certain constraints, and a designer that will fine tune the feasible region by changing minimal and maximal values of an interval in which a variable of the program meets the set of constraints, in order to reduce or augment the number of outputs to choose from. The program doesn’t need to necessarily be run on a machine like a computer, it can be run by a human for example with pen and paper.

So stay tuned as I am doing research on what tools we will be focusing on within this series.