‘GHShot’: a collaborative and distributed visual version control for Grasshopper parametric programming

‘GHShot’: a collaborative and distributed visual version control for Grasshopper parametric programming

Cristie, Verina; Joyce, Sam Conrad

Article:

When working with parametric models, architects typically focus on using ratherstructuring them (Woodbury, 2010). As a result, increasing design complexitytypically means a convoluted parametric model, amplifying known problems:`hard to understand, modify, share and reuse' (Smith 2007; Davis 2011). Thispractice is in contrast with conventional software-programming whereprogrammers are known to meticulously document and structure their code withversioning tool. In this paper, we argue that versioning tools could help tomanage parametric modelling complexity, as it has been showing with softwarecounterparts. Four key features of version control: committing, differentiating,branching, and merging, and how they could be implemented in a parametricdesign practice are discussed. Initial user test sessions with 5 student designersusing GHShot Grasshopper version control plugin (Cristie and Joyce 2018,2017) revealed that the plugin is useful to record and overview designprogression, share model, and provide a fallback mechanism.

When working with parametric models, architects typically focus on using ratherstructuring them (Woodbury, 2010). As a result, increasing design complexitytypically means a convoluted parametric model, amplifying known problems:`hard to understand, modify, share and reuse' (Smith 2007; Davis 2011). Thispractice is in contrast with conventional software-programming whereprogrammers are known to meticulously document and structure their code withversioning tool. In this paper, we argue that versioning tools could help tomanage parametric modelling complexity, as it has been showing with softwarecounterparts. Four key features of version control: committing, differentiating,branching, and merging, and how they could be implemented in a parametricdesign practice are discussed. Initial user test sessions with 5 student designersusing GHShot Grasshopper version control plugin (Cristie and Joyce 2018,2017) revealed that the plugin is useful to record and overview designprogression, share model, and provide a fallback mechanism.

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DOI: 10.5151/proceedings-ecaadesigradi2019_397

Referências bibliográficas

• [1] .

Como citar:

Cristie, Verina; Joyce, Sam Conrad; "‘GHShot’: a collaborative and distributed visual version control for Grasshopper parametric programming", p-35-44. In: Proceedings of 37 eCAADe and XXIII SIGraDi Joint Conference, “Architecture in the Age of the 4Th Industrial Revolution”, Porto 2019, Sousa, José Pedro; Henriques, Gonçalo Castro; Xavier, João Pedro (eds.). São Paulo: Blucher, 2019.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/proceedings-ecaadesigradi2019_397