Parametric modelling approach to reconstructing architectural indoor spaces from point clouds

Abstract

In this paper, some outcomes of a research project which aims to introduce automation to speed up modelling of architectural spaces based on point clouds are presented. The main objective of the research is to replace some manual parametric modelling steps with automatic processes to obtain editable models in BIM-ready software and not to generate non-parametric IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) models. An approach of automation using visual programming for interior wall modelling based on point clouds is presented. The pipeline and the different concepts represented in this paper are applicable using different programming languages but here the use of Rhinoceros as a modelling software and its open-source visual programming extension "Grasshopper"is intentional as it is in common use for parametric modelling and generative design in architectural practice. In this research, it is assumed that there is a predominance of three mutually orthogonal directions of the walls in the interior spaces to be analysed, which is the case of most indoor spaces.