There is a rapidly increasing interest in ways to share or present #Grasshopper3d definitions. And I don't only mean sharing computation results, but also the internal logic of a definition and the ability to explore it and generate solutions autonomously. As of now, I see three families of use cases:
1️⃣ If you are working with colleagues and partners who are versed in Grasshopper, your goal is likely to enable collaboration, either by working together on existing definitions or allowing them to use it as a foundation for new algorithms and projects. In this case, one might bypass external tools and focus on organization and documentation best practices. My colleague Edwin offers excellent insights on this topic (see here for instance: https://lnkd.in/d74WD-U3).
2️⃣ Exposing the logic to non-Grasshopper experts. In this case, tools like #HumanUI, #UI+, and #Synapse are invaluable. These plugins wrap the intricate Grasshopper UI into simple, user-friendly applications that make the definition’s logic accessible to anyone. Timo recently opened an interesting discussion about them here: https://lnkd.in/dcTyWzsB. It lets you send definitions to Rhino users without Grasshopper expertise, and allows them to interact with a definition without diving into the complexity of Grasshopper. It also supports in-person meetings with managers or clients.
However, it seems to me that the vast majority of applications overflow those first two categories:
➡️ Recipients might work with different Rhino versions, different plugin versions, or lack some plugins altogether because they are not maintained anymore or lie in a faraway github repository.
➡️ Tracking versions and deploying updates to shared files can become a logistical headache.
➡️ Some stakeholders may not have #Rhino3d installed at all, making in-person demonstrations the only option—a constraint that disrupts asynchronous workflows.
In all those cases, there has to be a way to, on the one hand, give access to the logic without assuming a local Rhino instance is running and, on the other hand, avoid subjecting this interface to the installation of and expertise in a specific piece of software.
This is family number 3️⃣. And for all those cases, one ideally wants to deploy a web application.
💡 Would you agree?
At ShapeDiver, we provide tools that bridge the gap between #parametric logic and accessible, scalable solutions.
But, ultimately, whether you are collaborating with peers, engaging stakeholders, or deploying web applications, the way you share your Grasshopper logic shapes how your work impacts others, and this needs to be fully integrated in the design process.
These #communication and #userexperiencedesign skills strike me as crucial for the future of the AEC industry.
