ICE for architects

[rasskass]

Hi All,

Im an architect working in the field of parametric design. I have been using Grasshopper for Rhino, Gennerative components and Houdini so far. Now I got my eyes on Softimage and especially ICE. Looks like a massive potential and also a bit more easy than Houdini.

Now I just want to ask you guys if it is posible to use ICE for eg creating a parametric facade where you are controlling the different openings in a facade component? Maybe set up a attractor point that changes the components?


Hope you are able to help - and really hope ICE is the way for me. Looks so cool!

[Hirazi Blue]

I don't know about Grasshopper, but:
One of the main "limitations" of ICE is that you cannot generate geometry with it yet. Modifying/Deforming existing geometry goes swimmingly, but ICE cannot procedurally generate new geometry...

[rasskass]

aha - interesting. You write "yet" - does that mean that Softimage or should i say Autodesk plan on expanding ICE in that direction? Maybe Softimage is suppose to become autodesk's procedural software that can compete with Houdini? Personally I think it would be awsome if Softimage would develop in that direction. Think many architects would be interested in using it for parametric design acturally.


One other question - what tutorials would you reccomend for learning ICE to deform/manipulate geometry. Is there any tuts on attractors that deform geometry?


Thanks for your reply!

[Hirazi Blue]

Well, I don't know, what they're planning, that's anybody's guess really... But a long time ago, when ICE hit the streets, there was some talk about eventually opening up everything to ICE, also the creation of new geometry... What happened to these plans and if they were ever to be taken all that seriously to begin with, I really don't know. Personally I do not think Softimage should develop into becoming an alternative to Houdini, but if that's the only way to save the software from being a mere "companion to Maya", I'm all for it...

Good tutorials on ICE are IMHO somewhat sparse, I'm afraid...

[Diurno]

hi, if I can suggest, the Digital Tutors has a nice dvd called Introduction to Ice, that has some lessons on ICE related to deforming geometries

[Rork]

If they're still there, the ICE video's from Graig Slagel on the AREA are pretty good for a introduction into ICE, and if I'm not mistaken, this full set was supposed to be served on RediVivus as well.

rob

[Hirazi Blue]

@rork - You're obviously right...
The ICE Training Sessions by Craig Slagel can still be found here ;)

[redmotion]

I think its going to be a lot easier to make 3d architectural modelling "automatic" now that kinematics is supported and stable. I'm pretty sure a set of nodes could be created that would allow an ICE user to quickly set up "procedural" modelling tasks, using instances and particles.

Like automatically generate structure for glazing (the line of which you might extend sideways or make taller or even change its profile) by rigging the extremities of the walls (as if they are characters) and using particle clouds to automatically update and rotate the positions of the procedural elements, as you make modifications. Or maybe you can use kinematics to lock model nulls to specific points along its length (using surface normals to effect the rotation).

There is a nice tutorial by cmiVFX about Houdini road building and although SI can't generate meshes it could still use rigging and ICE kinematics to (for example) pull and push the structural elements (using a clusters with nulls or enveloping) so that they sit on the landscape as it is modified. Or you could have bars on the back of seat, which if you extend its width, further bars are automatically created. (Similar to a sketch up demo I saw). The advantage over sketch-up with ICE (I think) is that these changes could be animated as part of a video presentation. Further down the road, you might be able to substitute particles with actual meshes or permanent instances. (Houdini allows you to make individual changes to generated items further down the tree. I'd hope ICE might be taking a similar route with its mesh gen.)

But I think the practical uses of this (saving time is the whole basis for parametrics) are limited unless you have hundreds of elements to reposition due to a design change and whether they can be set up easily.

[rasskass]

Thanks for all the great replies - Something that also appeals me about Softimage - seems like a great community!

Redmotion - I'm not sure if I understand you correctly. I have just linked a small video that shows what I mean. The principle is to create a surface that I can use ICE to populate components onto and then change the individual parameters. Like in this example. Pretty simple and unclever but shows the principle of the working method - sun position controlling the openings.

http://www.grasshopper3d.com/video/adaptive_-1

And found this example (sure you already know it) where ICE is becoming more like Houdini

http://frenchdog.wordpress.com/2009/10/ ... softimage/


Is ICE not suited for this kind of work?

Have a ton of other questions but I'll wait for now

EDIT owei: PLEASE USE THE URL TAGS..!! THANKS!

[redmotion]

Is ICE not suited for this kind of work?

Absolutely. There are loads of different ways to do that in XSI. I wasn't thinking of stuff that theoretical tbh. Great roof idea. Maybe a bit difficult to build and maintain in reallife though! Would be a great project getting that to work for real.

Nested ICE trees would be a big help...

I wish I had time to learn rhino and grasshopper...