I just visualized the movement of a simple DC parametric model.
Enjoy this video.

[flash=640,505:20olptmb]http://www.youtube.com/v/gzAISi4ZXWA?fs=1&hl=en_GB[/flash:20olptmb]
[flash=640,505:20olptmb]http://www.youtube.com/v/RFbvBJvA8Hk?fs=1&hl=en_GB[/flash:20olptmb]

@unknownuser said:

[edit-2] actually, i can't get if from your blog. when i click the link, i get this:

*%(#FF0000)[Sorry, the page (or document) you have requested is not available.

Please check the address and try again.]*

Jeff Hammond, sorry, I fixed link on my blog, please try again.
(In Google doc's, sometimes, this kind of link error occurs.
They used to say the error is related to multi-login information or something like that)

If you still have problem then let me know.

taekle.

Hi guys, As I said before I've come back with another 2 DC parametric models.
They are very simple comparing with the ones I posted before.
And I am conceiving something different in DC parametric model, I'll also introduce that here someday.

Then enjoy DC parametric world again.




As you see the formula is very simple.
After 'loft by splines' of this set of profiles(I only drew a half circle), then copy 3X3. That's it!.
Try this yourself.

I'll give some explanation of the key parts(or steps) of this formula.

1. Draw a half circle in any size along with (in this case) red axis('X' axis).
   Arc or any other profiles will be also alright. Then make component, in this case 'half_cir'
2. Set formula to copy in X axis.('s' attribute is set for spacing between these copies.)
3. Select these copies and make component, in this case 'set_cir_X'(parent of 'half_cir')
   and again set formula to copy in green axis('Y' axis).
4. In LenZ of 'half_cir', type any formula you want. I like to use 'sin' and 'cos', cause they are periodic.
   In this formula you should include 'X' or 'copy' of its own and 'Y' coordinate of 'set_cir_X'(parent).
   'Y' coordinate of parent component will make sub-component changing along with 'Y' axis.
5. In RotX of 'half_cir', type '=if(copy=odd(copy),180,0)'. This will make every two half circles upside down which then looks like wave or pulse.
6. After complete every step then copy and move to other place, and explode every component included.
7. Do 'loft by splines'

Next one also has regular pattern but a little bit deformed.





There are two differences to first one.
In this case you should set the 'PosX' of 'half_cir' in formula.
Then set 'LenX' accordance with PosX.
I mean [Nth** LenX] = [(N+1)th PosX] - [Nth PosX]**.
The formula expressed in LenX of 'half_cir' means this.(here 'copy' roles 'N')
Little bit more complex but not that difficult.

You can see below a set of profiles, lofted surface and result of 3X3 copy of that.(resulted in 4X4)

Any one who feels interesting in DC parametric process please try yourself and post your own results here!

I uploaded first one's SKU file on my blog. Visit my blog and find your way.
http://taekle.blogspot.com/2010/11/regular-but-deformed-surface-using.html

@cucsat2003 said:

I'm new to Dynamic Component,this my very first try.

Cucsat2003! You are the first and still only one who uploaded a DC parametric model except me!
Please keep posting your results.

Shura, I feel happy that my screenshots were helpful to you.
And the result of 'blend plugin' looks fantastic! It inspires me very much! Thanks.

D12dozr, I hope you still keep interesting DC parametric things.
I will post with another DC model(s) ASAP.

Please keep concerning everybody!

By the way, how can the workshop be done?

@unknownuser said:

you should be able to take some of your DC examples and fairly easily begin applying them to a physical item (if you so choose).. it'd be great if some of these patterns you've created could easily be applied to a surface for instance..

it'd be sweet if you could somehow incorporate the DC parametrics with ruby scripts to give something of a user interface instead of using the DC dialog. that dialog is just plain confusing to most people and not encouraging at all for most people to begin to learn it.

until something like a front end UI for su parametrics occurs, i think it will be limited to very few people but please, continue posting your experiments etc.. they're very interesting.

I agree with your opinion, it seems that DC totally can not compete with Rhino or others till now. I'm only exploring the unknown possibilities of DC, as you might know, in the hope of having better DC environment and UI, etc...
And Unfortunately, is there no way I can use Ruby with DC? If any, I only have beginner's idea about Ruby scripts yet.

And as you asked me to continue, I did one.
Looks not exactly same, but not totally impossible, either....
And I'm not even sure this is what you meant exactly.

I used here what I had posted first on this topic, waved brick wall and circle attractor thing with modification of several parameters in size or numbers of copies, etc. Then superposed together and intersected each other.( I could have made the shape of holes as rectangle like your image, but left as it was in its original model. Only because I thought it would look nicer.)

Yes, as you may think, this might not be a quick method. But I wanted to do and did it any way

Hi guys.
I hope you guys didn't wait too much for my next result of DC experiments. Hopefully, I did something else during this weekend.
After making several models and patterns only consisted of bricks, blocks or sticks etc, NOT of surfaces, I became very wonder how to make surfaces with DC formulas. And I want to do more things in parametric way with DC. Can it be done?
Fortunately during this weekend experiments, I think, I found out a solutin to make surfaces to the models which is totally conceived by DC formulas. And it looks very parametric to me.

I should be honest to tell that, as you know, making surface is not possible within DC, cause it doesn't support any drawing tools!! Actually I usedFredo6's CurviloftRuby plugin to make surface from the set of sectional profiles which were transformed by DC formulas. Curviloft plugin, especially in this case, the 'loft by splines' looks wonderful solution. And the way doing with this plugin is also looks very parametric.
Let's check it out.

See this screen shot.
This tells how I did above transforming spiral thing.
All I drew for model were two sectional profiles, and everything else was done by DC and 'loft by splines'.

Cause it occurred crashes or unexpected results to loft with circular formation of splines, I did loft separately and combined later.

How do you guys think doing thing in this way?

I attached more images of 3 different variation from single DC model.
I changed several attributes of original DC formulas and it resulted in these 3 models.
There could be more variations depending on the change of attributes, say parameters, and I think this is parametric process of designing! (Actually I have already done more transformations)

All three are spiral things.
They vary in volumes of spirals, depth of concave,etc. You can even change the radius of spiral circles, the height of floor, degree of variation of volume, and even more.

Look, 3 different types of variation.

1. type one with shallow but changing depth of concave.

2. type two with deeper and not changing concave.

Also see http://taekle.blogspot.com/2010/09/dynamic-component-ruby-plugin4.html

3. type 3
   This has chaging volume along with spiral.
   You can see original a set of copied and transformed profiles by DC, beside lofted surface, and Nancy & Sang.
   I wonder any plugins of SU can make like this.

Also see http://taekle.blogspot.com/2010/09/dynamic-component-model-sketchup.html

Attached file below shows the formulas used in here. I am not sure you guys would be interested in such mathematics. But this makes all these things happen.
And below it is attribute option window. you can see changeable parameters beside a set of transformed profiles, and another variation of model.

I did these things only on Sketchup, not Rhino, Max, or others.
More encouraging thing is that the possibilities of Sketchup is not over yet.

Enjoy the power of SU with DC.

For more information and larger images visit my blog.
http://taekle.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the shura's introduction I come to here.
I didn't know this kind of topic already exists.
I shows this kind things in my other post here http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=289&t=30749#p270444
You guys in this topics might be interested in.
I did that all in DC formulas.
And here I attach some of images from my post.
From above post you can download SU file.

Fredo6

I did this with DC and loft by splines.
After making transformed copies of only two profiles, then I launched loft by splines.
Here is my other post which contains more images and information.
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=289&t=30749#p270943

Thanks for your efforts I could go further in my DC investigation.

@edson said:

I am sure it would be put to more uses if we were able to understand how it works. as it is it demands a maths-inclined person to handle it.

but, please, keep up with your investigations.

Edson, you're right, it would be easier to use DC formulas if you are familiar with maths. But comparing with other (real) parametric applications, like Rhino Grasshopper, or algorithm codes, the knowledge of maths needed in DC, I think, may be nothing but arithmetic. In this point of view, paradoxically, limitation of DC seems to make easier to get used with DC.(But the UI is terrible indeed) So I hope to be improved in the aspect of environment and UI of DC both.

And the window problem seems not that difficult. DC has Random function. So if you had made formula of opening degree of windows by means of this random function, you might have get what you wanted.

to shura

I should have made these models considering sharing.
But I missed attribute option setting.
Understand me, I did these things when I just began studying DC.

Instead Check this screen shot. You can change some attributes.(in case of Attractor.skp)
You should use Sketchup PRO 7 or later.
DC is for Pro only, as you know.
you can see Left one when you select the component,
and when you select sub component inside you can see right one.
(you should open Component Attributes window first)

And when you check Menu/Tools/interact and click the component it would animate.
It may take too long because of its number of copies.
But it is still animation, literally.
Wait... you can see some changes.

to Jeff Hammond

There are no "serious looking formulas"..
They only have sine, cosine functions or mere simple calculations.
Actually very simple formulas.

Try by yourself~