Today, we’ve finished first phase, the introduction to dataflow management in visual programming environments; and conducted “well defined” part of the mid-term examination. First two questions were designed to test technical skills of data matching, geometric evaluation. First one was a simple algorithm that calculates the area of ANY triangle in real-time.

Tricky part of this problem was to research and find ways of calculating area and implementing it in Grasshopper. Most obvious formula, “a x h / 2” is used generally. In that scenario, finding “h” in any triangle condition was the technical issue. Picking a point and finding “closest point” on the opposite edge would be the answer. Here is one of the solutions if you are interested;  [GHX: 0.8.0066].

Second question includes two parts, evaluating two different skills; students are expected to create a sphere, which should travel on any given surface. Second part was to adapt the surface in relation with that motion. Size and shape of the objects (sphere and surface) and the type of adaptation (attraction) were the design issues in this questions.

Here is one example. [GHX: 0.8.0066]

Now we are expecting the “ill defined” part of the mid-term examination, a more sophisticated “designerly” problem of a suspension bridge. I hope I’ll present them next week.