Mar 24, 2018
Interview With A Leader In High-Tech Design, François Leblanc
We discuss new software used in 3d-printing, prototyping and more.
New capacities in computer processing and the development of structural algorithms are redefining the limits of design. A particularly noteworthy innovation is the free plugin Grasshopper 3D for Rhino, a graphical programming language and interface used in areas of film production, industrial design, data visualization and architecture. The freeware enables an extensive community of creative tech professionals to develop third party add-on functionalities, similar to apps on Android and iOS platforms (and similar to how we share code on GitHub). These built-in collaboration capacities enables designers to share skills and techniques, and thus promote rapid innovation. Presented by Queer Tech member, François Leblanc, he is one of a select few professionals in Montreal that are specialists in this software application.
Made for designers and creative professionals, the Rhino plugin interface is intuitive and visual; it enables creative professionals with zero programming skills to manipulate algorithms to generate complex designs, accurate simulations, life-like renderings and technical fabrication plans.
François uses these high-tech design tools in diverse projects, ranging from the construction of museum installations, 3D-printed metal jewelry, set design in the entertainment industry, and furniture design (check out his incredible chair). Objects made from his projects exemplify a unique, high-tech aesthetic.
We had the opportunity to speak with François during our final preparations and asked him about his upcoming presentation.
QTM: What should we expect to learn this Wednesday evening?
FL: We are going to look at technological innovation in the field of design, what is changing and what are the new modelling tools available. Specifically, I will provide an overview of the freeware Grasshopper 3D for Rhino and its function and its potential in 3D modelling and graphic design. I will demonstrate examples taken from my work as a university lecturer and a creative professional, some of which are built structures in set design, public art installations and architecture.
QTM: What sets this design software apart from other design tools?
FL: Grasshopper 3D pioneered a different way of modelling that is not just based on a screen but also uses computer codes and algorithms. For a bit of background on current design processes, today most designers draw out digital forms manually, step-by-step, every detail. This takes a lot of time to draw and designers are reluctant to use code because we approach problems from a visual perspective. The foreign and non-visual aspects of applying code in design is usually a source of frustration amongst creative professionals, so very few embrace coding as a means to push the boundaries of design. Code is for computer science, not design — until now. Grasshopper is able offer a graphical interface with real-time feedback of changes made to “coded structures” that are easy to manipulate by creative professionals. The Grasshopper interface created a new style called parametric design; parametric design is when you are able to tailor parameters, such as the height, length and texture of a form, but since they are embedded into an algorithm that is graphical, we can change any of these parameters during the design process without having to redraw and remodel everything all over again. This is groundbreaking because it enables much more options to optimize and play with prototype structures that you can’t do with current manual design processes. This helps designers design faster, more complex items with this new tool.
QTM: What are notable features of this new design software?
FL: It’s graphical and very visual interface that uses “nodes”; instead of having lines of code, you have a digital workspace in front of you where you can link nodes representing design parameters together with ease. So you can draw a line and then connect that line node to an algorithm node coding for, let’s say, the texture of fur — linking the two nodes will produce a furry line. The interface looks like a mind map. Every node component has an input and output that are connecting to each other. This enables adding ever more complex design parameters to a project to generate forms and structures that are impossible to design manually or draw by hand. Many of the underlying algorithms for Grasshopper are mathematical formulas we find in nature and they let you model complex geometries like the arrangement of seeds in a sun flower, for example, which is determined by the Fibonacci sequence.
Another important feature with Grasshopper that sets it apart from other software tools is that this freeware programme benefits from crowd-based innovation and collaboration. It is open to third-party plug-ins, meaning fellow design and computer geeks can develop new functions, nodes and geometric design elements that are freely shared. To date, thousands of new nodes and design features were added to Grasshopper by the tech community. This crowd-sourced innovation helps us understand what designers need in terms of tools as they use the software. This digital community also helps other designers to learn new techniques, much like what we see with GitHub for computer code. Everyone shares, there’s no intellectual property really, and the goal is to leverage the tech community to help us all design better.
QTM: Thanks for your time and we look forward to your talk.
FL: See you this Wednesday.
About our speaker
Following his work in architecture, François Leblanc conducted research and was a lecturer at the McGill School of Architecture and Université de Montréal. Here he studied how to optimize algorithms in order to produce performant consumer goods with less waste, such as furniture, using robotics, 3D-printing and the software he will demo at this event. He now uses these skills to produce museum installations, jewellery and in set design for Hollywood movies and TV shows.
Join us at our next event where creative tech professionals can learn how new software platforms enable the production of complex objects. This presentation will pique the interest of structural engineers, architects, 3d-modellers, product designers, industrial designers, graphic designers, set designers and those interested in new forms of human-centred programming interfaces that avoid the need to code. Our guest speaker shows how we can use high-tech design techniques in set design for Hollywood films, architecture, and product design. Wednesday 28, 5:30 pm at Notman House Montreal. RSVP on Facebook or Meetup.
