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Construction as Alchemy

This page is currently a work in progress.

We are updating this resource so please check back soon!

NExT Lab Team.

Presentation

The Construction as Alchemy Introduction Slides are hosted on Github and available here:

LogoAugmented Reality at the NExT Lab

HoloLens

The Microsoft HoloLens is an inside-out tracking headset which uses spatial mapping to map out surfaces as a mesh.

MSD has ten HoloLens units which can be booked out from the Loans Desk or the NExT LAB.

The starter Hololens guide can be found here; familiarise yourself with the handling of the headset and the gestures used to interact with the system.

Microsoft Hololens

Fologram

Fologram is a tool which integrates the HoloLens with Rhino3d. It allows a user to virtually project the geometry within Rhino into a physical environment.

Fologram for Rhino is available for Download here. Please download and install the latest version.

Connect your HoloLens

  1. Ensure devices are on the same network, this will usually be UniWireless.

  2. Open your file in Rhino

  3. On the HoloLens, bloom and run Fologram

  4. In Rhino, run Fologram in the command line and click Connect a Device

  5. A QR Code should pop up on screen.

  6. Back in the Hololens, look at the screen with Rhino to Scan the QR Code

  7. Tap to place your geometry for now.

Model Placement with QR Codes

QR codes are available for download here. You will be required to download and use the provided Construction as Alchemy Casa QR Templates available for download below in both PDF and Rhino format.

QR codes are a representation of the Rhino Construction Plane and allows users to project their geometry accurately and consistently into the physical environment with reference to the Rhino origin point.

Follow these instructions for Generating QR codes, placing your model and making adjustments / re-placing.

View and modify Rhino model in real time

Scale

Fologram allows you to preview and modify materials, scale and position of your Rhino model in real time in mixed reality.

Layers

Fologram allows you to preview and modify Rhino Layers in real time in mixed reality. This can be a good way of rapidly moving between different layers in your file, and turning different brick courses on or off.

Grasshopper Parameters

Mixed Reality Capture

Follow these instructions for how mixed reality experiences can be documented and shared through;

  1. Recording video from Fologram for Mobile

  2. Recording your screen on Mobile

  3. Recording and Streaming Mixed Reality capture from the HoloLens using Device Portal

  4. Streaming using Miracast

Click the IP Address to open Mixed Reality Capture.

Username: msdhololens Password: msdhololens

View and modify Rhino model in real time

Scale

Fologram allows you to preview and modify materials, scale and position of your Rhino model in real time in mixed reality.

Layers

Fologram allows you to preview and modify Rhino Layers in real time in mixed reality. This can be a good way of rapidly moving between different layers in your file, and turning different brick courses on or off.

Grasshopper Parameters

Share the experience

Fologram allows you to share your mixed reality experiences by placing shared models in the same location. Follow these instructions for how to connect multiple devices.

Save models to device for offline access

Mixed Reality Capture

Preparing your Rhino File

Follow these instructions for how mixed reality experiences can be documented and shared through;

  1. Recording video from Fologram for Mobile

  2. Recording your screen on Mobile

  3. Recording and Streaming Mixed Reality capture from the HoloLens using Device Portal

  4. Streaming using Miracast

Click the IP Address to open Mixed Reality Capture.

Username: msdhololens Password: msdhololens

Share the experience

Fologram allows you to share your mixed reality experiences by placing shared models in the same location. Follow these instructions for how to connect multiple devices.

Fologram will display anything in the viewport.

  1. Arrange your brick wall in to layers based on their Z-Height.

  2. Use layer visibility, or the hide command, to control the visibility of objects in Rhino.

  3. If you are using the NExT Lab CASA template, move your geometry +500 mm along the x-axis.

Fabricating your Wall

  • You can collect a template from the NExT Lab.

  • Next Lab Sessions run from 1pm to 4pm

  • If there are no NExT Lab sessions available, you can loan a HoloLens out from the Loans Desk.

  • There might not always be space in the NExT Lab

  • The NExT Lab staff are not teaching staff and will not always be able to help. We will try our best.

  1. Connect your Hololens

  2. Use the Image Tracker. On the HoloLens, click and hold then select Adjust > Image Tracker

  3. In Rhino, show/hide layers as required.

Using Grasshopper

Please ONLY use this template if you are familiar with Grasshopper

A simple grasshopper definition which categorises geometry into layers based on their Z-Height has been made available. Only use this definition if you are comfortable working in Grasshopper.

Download the example file here:

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