structural sketcher a tool for supporting architects in early design slava pranovich technische...
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Structural SketcherA Tool for Supporting Architects
in Early Design
Slava Pranovich
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Dept. Math. and Computer Science
Architectural design process•Definitive design phase
•Final design phase
•Sketch design phase
•Preliminary design phase
Current drawing systems
Specificity
Versatility
Basic primitives
Primitives tailored to the architecture
Paint
AutoCAD
Photoshop
ArchiCAD
Home design
Pen&Paper
Cocktail NapkinArch StudioDDDoolz
Pro/E
SketchUp
low
high
MicroStation
Challenge
• How to support architects with a computer tool in the early stages of design?
Requirements
• Design elements suitable for early design
• Fast and efficient
• Short learning time
• Fun to use
Graphic Units
A well defined form of graphic representation is a graphic unit (H.Achten, 1998)
•Grid
•Contour•Axial system
•Etc.
•Zone
High level knowledge
Mirroring = Axial system
DeclarationAction
Geometry Engine
• Design = Graphic Units + Relations• Propagation of geometrical transformations• Properties for graphic units and relations• The KITE manipulator
User interface
Depth + layout geometry = relations
Demo…
Evaluation
Results
System\ Criterion
Suitability in early design
Learnability Ease of manipulation
Appearance Subjective satisfaction
Efficiency & speed
Pen and paper worse worse better worse worse
AutoCAD better better better better better better
PhotoShop better better better better better
3D Studio VIZ better better better better better better
ArchiCAD better better better better better
PowerPoint better better better better better better
Comparison of Structural Sketcher with other systems
Conclusions
• The use of graphic units is natural for architects• Geometry engine provides the flexibility in
exploring design variants• User interface simplifies the use of the system
such it can be used in early design• The KITE manipulator provides fast geometry
manipulations