Exercise 9: Adaptive Components

download video: 09.00-Adaptive_Component.mp4

Getting Started with Adaptive Components

You may have noticed in the previous section that the edges of the pattern-based panel façade we created automatically cleaned up its edges, though it did not resolve the edge conditions correctly, it merely chops the edges. In this section we will be taking a look at ways to deal with these types of issues which require a bit more flexibility and custom input from the user to resolve these unique contextual situations.

Start by opening the " 9-0 Adaptive Components Panel.rfa" project file, which will act as the host for our adaptive component. Then click New Family, to open an "adaptive component" template.

Placing Points

Place 3 points in the modeling environment; location is not important for this step. These points will be our adaptive component reference points, from which the flexible panel will be created.

Adaptive Points

Next step is to make these points "Adaptive." To do this, select the points and click Make Adaptive on the ribbon. The Make Adaptive command only displays when you have points selected. The order in which you create the points is important as this will dictate the order in which you must place them in the project environment.

Once you have made your points adaptive, you will see the ordering by which you created the points displayed above them. The framework of this panel will be created using reference lines. Make sure to have 3D snapping turned on and the Make Surface from Closed Loops option turned off.

Similarly to the section on custom pattern based families, place a point on one of the lines from which you will create a hosted rectangle. Make sure to set the reference plane to the point before you make the rectangle. Add dimensions to the rectangle for both the depth and width. Next, parameterizing both dimensions to control each panel attribute and create the frame by sweeping the rectangle along the reference lines using Create Form. Finish the panel by creating the glazing panel in the center, either by multi-selecting the boundary or drawing in new reference lines and assigning a glass material.

Now you can test your rig by selecting one of the points and dragging. You should see everything update in response to the change in location on the reference point, as they are the reference to which everything is built upon. When you are satisfied that everything is working as intended, load it into "9.0 Adaptive Components_Start."

Placing Panels

Before you begin placing the panel, we need to change a few settings. First, select the divided panel surfaces and ensure that the Border Tile setting is set to Empty. When set to Empty, Vasari will not create partial panels and trim them at the edges. This is not the job of the adaptive component you just created.

Next, we need to turn node points on for reference when placing the adaptive panel. Node points show the boundary conditions of the panels. To activate this, select an individual divided surface (one at a time for this step) and activate the Surface display mode in the upper right of the ribbon.

The next step requires a bit of blind faith, as the button to activate the nodes is not directly visible. With the divided surface selected and surface display activated, hover your mouse over the bottom right corner of the Surface Representation panel. A small button will display.

When you click this button, a Surface Representation dialog displays. Click Surfaces tab, select the Nodes check box and press OK.

Now that you have everything prepared, we begin to place some panels. You can find your loaded adaptive panel in the project browser under generic families. When you have this located, drag and drop it into the project, this will begin the placement process which consists of locating the host points of the panel on the pattern based family surface.

Make sure to click on the node points as the host points. This process is made easier if done from the back of the surface as the pattern-based family is also hosted here as well and might be obscuring the node points

Depending on if you clicked in the correct order (clockwise vs. counter clockwise) your panel may have been hosted behind the surface as opposed to on top of it with the pattern based family. Instead of deleting the panel, you can select the panel and select the Flip check box in the Properties dialog. This option flips the directionality associated with this panel.