Growth and Decay: Emergent GUI

So far, my projects have been about trying to create things using computational techniques. However, with the Growth and Decay, I saw the opportunity create a platform where even non-developers could design forms with emergence. I added a user interface to the Emergent HeMesh creator from last week to allow anyone to be able to select a pattern of rules and apply them to a variety of forms. The premise of the program is still the same. You start with the a shape, create a list of modifiers that are applied to the form repeatedly, and then run through that list over and over until you discover something that inspires you.

• Play: Plays or Pauses the sequence from running.
• Play Once: Runs through the sequence once.
• Reset: Resets the form back to its original geometry
• Clear Rules: Clears the sequence of modifiers applied to the geometry
• Export: Exports the form as an obj file
• Save Frame: Saves a screenshot of the current view
• Slider: Allows the user to change the color of the mesh

Aside from adding the GUI, I also made modifications to the simplification algorithm that allows the program to run faster. Instead of simplifying the mesh, the program runs a Convex Hull modifier, which creates the smallest possible form that encloses the current shape. Not only does this reduce the geometry significantly, it also retains parts of the original shape’s character.

My next steps are to test the program with a few designers and see what they have to say, both in terms of the GUI as well as how they feel about using tools where they are not explicit in control of whats being produced. If you would like to test the tool, please let me know and I will be more than happy to send a version of it over.