A Study of a Design Support Method for Generating Revolved Mesh Shapes Using Grasshopper

The objective of this research is to develop an algorithm that can be handled intuitively by designers using Grasshopper, a plug-in for Rhinoceros. Parametric design allows complex modeling through parameter manipulation, and because Grasshopper uses visual programming, it is said to be operable without knowledge of text coding. In reality, however, the system is far from intuitive and takes time to learn, with errors occurring if the data structure and parameter settings are not linked correctly. The developed system does not require the Grasshopper to be activated, but rather, the program can be invoked via the command prompt on the Rhinoceros, and a revolved mesh structure can be generated by entering four parameters according to the instructions. All of those parameters are important in determining the design, and three of them are numerical inputs. One of the parameters is a Bezier curve that is manually drawn on the Rhinoceros, making the system intuitive for designers and creating design diversity.