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What is Topologic?

Topologic is a software modelling library that brings hierarchical and topological representations to architectural design. It seamlessly integrates with popular platforms like Blender, Dynamo, and Grasshopper. Architects can leverage its visual data flow programming capabilities to interact with Topologic and perform design and analysis tasks efficiently.

Lightweight and Consistent Representations

Topologic excels at creating lightweight representations of buildings and subdividing spaces into separate zones. By maintaining topological consistency, it enables users to conduct various analyses, including energy simulations and structural analysis. This flexible software allows different entities like lines, surfaces, and volumes to coexist, offering coherent representations of structural models.

Integrations

Topologic integrates seamlessly with Blender, Dynamo, and Grasshopper, providing architects with the freedom to choose their preferred platform. Whether you’re working in Blender’s Sverchok, Dynamo in Revit, or Grasshopper in Rhino, Topologic is there to enhance your workflow.

Software Licensing

When it comes to licensing, Topologic offers a multi-licensing model. The binary code can be used with Blender/Sverchok, Dynamo, BHoM, SAM, or Grasshopper without any fees. If you want to use the source code internally, you can do so freely under the GNU Affero General Public License Version 3 (AGPLv3). For distributing closed-source software, alternative fee-based licensing models are available.

AGPLv3 and Other Software

It’s important to note that Topologic operates under the AGPLv3 license. This license is specifically designed for network software and ensures that source code is distributed along with web publications. Topologic also utilizes open-source libraries like Open CASCADE Technology (OCCT) and Boost. Additionally, it leverages EnergyPlus and OpenStudio for energy analysis.

The top three benefits of Topologic are:

1. Hierarchical and Topological Representations: Topologic enables architects to create hierarchical and topological representations of architectural spaces, buildings, and artifacts. This allows for a more comprehensive and accurate modeling of complex designs, facilitating efficient design exploration and analysis.

2. Lightweight and Consistent Models: Topologic provides a lightweight representation of buildings and spaces by using zero-thickness internal surfaces and maintaining topological consistency. This lightweight model is well-suited for energy analysis and structural simulations, as it meets the input data requirements of these software tools.

3. Seamless Integration with Popular Platforms: Topologic seamlessly integrates with widely used architectural design platforms such as Blender, Dynamo, and Grasshopper. Architects can leverage the visual data flow programming capabilities of these platforms and interact with Topologic through intuitive nodes and connections, enhancing their workflow and productivity.

Start using Topologic

Familiarize Yourself: Begin by visiting the official Topologic website and exploring the available documentation, tutorials, and resources. Gain an understanding of the software’s core concepts, features, and capabilities.

Choose Your Preferred Platform: Determine the visual scripting tool that you are most comfortable with or already use. Topologic integrates seamlessly with platforms like Blender, Dynamo, and Grasshopper. Select the platform that aligns with your workflow and design preferences.

Install and Set Up: Follow the installation instructions provided by Topologic for your chosen platform. Make sure you have the compatible version of the platform installed on your system. Set up any necessary dependencies or add-ons to ensure smooth integration.

Learn the Basics: Take advantage of the available tutorials and guides to learn the basics of using Topologic within your chosen platform. Understand the core classes and entities, such as vertices, edges, wires, faces, shells, and cells, as well as their relationships and properties.

Start with Simple Projects: Begin by experimenting with simple architectural designs or spaces. Use the visual programming nodes and connections provided by the platform to create and manipulate Topologic entities. Start by building and editing consistent and robust topological representations.

Explore Advanced Features: Once you feel comfortable with the basics, explore the advanced features and functionalities of Topologic. Dive into more complex projects and leverage the software’s capabilities for energy analysis, structural simulations, and other architectural design tasks.

Engage with the Community: Join online forums, user groups, and communities dedicated to Topologic and the chosen visual scripting platform. Interact with other users, ask questions, and share your experiences. This will help you expand your knowledge and learn from others’ insights.

Stay Updated: Keep an eye on updates and new releases from the Topologic team. Regularly check the official website and subscribe to their communication channels to stay informed about the latest features, bug fixes, and improvements.

Remember, practice and experimentation are key to mastering Topologic. Start small, gradually increase the complexity of your projects, and enjoy the journey of exploring this powerful architectural design software.

Examples of use

Here are some examples of how hierarchical and topological representations can be used in architectural design:

A hierarchical representation can be used to organize a design into different levels of detail. For example, a building could be represented as a hierarchy of rooms, floors, and wings. This would make it easy to navigate the design and to make changes to individual parts of the building.
A topological representation can be used to analyze the spatial relationships between different objects in a design. For example, a topological representation could be used to determine whether two rooms are connected by a hallway. This information could be used to improve the circulation of people through the building.
Topologic’s scripting language can be used to automate tasks and create custom tools. For example, an architect could use the scripting language to create a tool that automatically generates a floor plan from a 3D model. This would save the architect time and effort

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap for our overview of Topologic! This powerful software brings a new dimension to architectural design and analysis. Whether you’re creating lightweight representations, conducting energy simulations, or integrating with your favourite platforms, Topologic has you covered.

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