Beyond Design Freedom: Providing a Set-Up For Material Modelisation within Kangeroo Physics

Abstract

Kangaroo Physics, a physical simulation engine, is amongst the most used form-finding tool with nearly 500 000 downloads. Mostly resorted to by users with moderate computation skills, it provides a simplified interface for an advanced simulation tool. It is a Particle Spring System relying on the Dynamic Relaxation method and offering a wide design space. Thanks to the visual scripting interface provided by Grasshopper, the user has access to a fixed set of physical ``goals'' and unitless variables, without having to work with more complex aspects of the Kangaroo physical model. This setup induces a disconnection between the user and the physical model with its variables. The goal of this research is to introduce, within the Grasshopper environment, a tensile parameter, the Young Modulus, into the Kangaroo model. Thus, while preserving the design freedom of the plug-in, a better understanding of the physical behaviour modelled in Kangaroo is offered to neophytes, as well as better control of material properties.