

This gives architects and engineers the flexibility and creativity they require during design to create fit-for-purpose structures in the most efficient way. The designer becomes the programmer of their own tools, allowing them to develop tailored workflows and custom components that suit their own way of working and the types of projects they work on regularly. The biggest advantage is that it removes the need to learn a programming language in order to create custom components and processes. The Advantages of Visual Scripting for Architects and Engineers It’s not just limited to model components either – scripts can be created to automate workflows when creating sections or layouts, enrich existing objects with information, or analyze the model, just to name a few uses.

Essentially, it is like creating a flow chart of how a component should behave under certain conditions or triggers. This makes the modeling process more difficult and time-consuming than it needs to be.īut with visual scripting, these unique components can be created by visually arranging and linking nodes – which are pre-written code blocks – that define different behaviors using a graphical interface. While there are already pre-defined components to choose from, the problem that many architects and engineers face is that often a bespoke component or behavior is required that pre-defined components can’t provide. Conventionally, parameters and dependencies must be programmed by writing lines of code, requiring an advanced knowledge of programming. One of the drawbacks to parametric modeling is that users need some scripting language knowledge. Using visual scripting however, lines were drawn over the façade where the bricks were to be moved and the script described how the bricks should react to the lines, saving valuable design time while not compromising on creativity. Without parametric modeling, each brick would have had to be manually calculated and placed in the model. For example, the exterior of the Textilverband Munster administrative building used parametric modeling to calculate the exact rotation of every single brick to achieve the sweeping, textured façade. Visual scripting is an accessible way to enable architects and engineers to create these scripts to achieve different outcomes. If you have ever used SmartParts or PythonParts in a model, then you’ve seen parametric modeling in action – components that act intelligently based on certain triggers. These parameters are assigned using scripting languages such as Python, which enable parametric models to be created and help automate design workflows. This means that the modeled elements behave intelligently based on parameters that are assigned to the components – like a parametrically designed façade.


Parametric modeling is an excellent tool for increasing Building Information Modeling (BIM) efficiency.
