Parametric Modelling Within Immersive Environments: Building a Bridge Between Existing Tools and Virtual Reality Headsets

TL;DR

This paper introduces a VR extension for Grasshopper, enabling parametric architectural modeling within immersive environments, allowing designers to manipulate geometries in real-time at full scale without traditional input devices.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel VR-based tool for parametric modeling in Grasshopper, bridging existing design tools with immersive virtual reality environments.

Findings

Real-time geometry editing in VR enhances design experience.

Immersive VR allows full-scale interaction with architectural models.

The extension improves spatial understanding and manipulation capabilities.

Abstract

Even though architectural modelling radically evolved over the course of its history, the current integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) components in the corresponding design tasks is mostly limited to enhancing visualisation. Little to none of these tools attempt to tackle the challenge of modelling within immersive environments, that calls for new input modalities in order to move away from the traditional mouse and keyboard combination. In fact, relying on 2D devices for 3D manipulations does not seem to be effective as it does not offer the same degrees of freedom. We therefore present a solution that brings VR modelling capabilities to Grasshopper, a popular parametric design tool. Together with its associated proof-of-concept application, our extension offers a glimpse at new perspectives in that field. By taking advantage of them,one can edit geometries with real-time feedback on the generated models, without ever leaving the virtual environment. The distinctive characteristics of VR applications provide a range of benefits without obstructing design activities. The designer can indeed experience the architectural models at full scale from a realistic point-of-view and truly feels immersed right next to them.