RTC Asia 2015 My Class I – Unfold the Curtain Part 2

Sorry for the delay of this post.

The Islamic Pattern

The Islamic pattern is a very popular decorative pattern in the Middle East region.  It is commonly used in building façade as window screens; wall panels, in interior as wallpapers; partitions  and even in tableware, cloth as print.

The project requires a wall screen of this Islamic pattern.  With patches of pattern in different scale arranged randomly, the irregularity is created from a regular pattern.

Most of the Curtain Wall Panels consist of orthogonal (horizontal and vertical) elements like mullions and glass panels.  It is easy to model such rectangular unit  as everything is following orthogonal reference planes.  In this case, we have diagonal elements in the unit. As we know it is very difficult to make angular parameters especially when reference line with the angle is not from the origin of the family.  This is even more challenging as the unit has 12 diagonal lines and none of them is from the center origin of the family template.  How to create a Curtain Wall Panel non-orthogonal elements?

The Model Line Family

Create a Generic Model with model lines with parameters D, H, R. Save family as GM-UNIT-SCREEN-200.rfa.

 

Load GM-UNIT-SCREEN-200.rfa into a new Generic Model family.  Array the instance and associate the parameters D and R of each instance with parameters D, R, R2 and R3 in the parent family.  Save the family as GM-ARRAY-SCREEN-200.rfa.

The Curtain Wall Panel Family

Create a new Curtain Wall Panel family.  Dimension the Width and Height and turn them into parameter (reporting) X and Y.  Set other parameters: Module Length, Half Width, Half Height, Frame Width, Frame Depth, D and D Ratio.  Set formulas for parameters.  Load GM-ARRAY-SCREEN-200.rfa into the Curtain Wall Panel family.

Associate parameters in the ARRAY family with parameters in Curtain Wall Panel family.

Create sweeps by picking model lines from the Generic Model.

Create sweep by picking model lines from the Generic Model and reference planes.

Create void extrusion to cut at the boundaries.

Use parameters Frame Width and Frame Depth to control the size of the members.  Use parameter D Ratio to control the size of the center square.

Curtain Wall Setting

Curtain wall is used as curtain panel inside curtain grids.  There are two types of curtain wall:

1. Curtain wall for the entire façade
2. Curtain wall for the components (panels)

Curtain Wall for the Entire Façade

Curtain Wall for the Components (Panels)

Application

1. Draw a curtain wall CW-SCREEN.
2. Set the Number of Horizontal and Vertical Grids to the desired numbers.
3. Select a module (panel) from the façade (CW-SCREEN), unpin.
4. Change the Number of Horizontal and Vertical Grids in CW-SCREEN-COMP to the desired numbers.