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CumInCAD is a Cumulative Index about publications in Computer Aided Architectural Design
supported by the sibling associations ACADIA, CAADRIA, eCAADe, SIGraDi, ASCAAD and CAAD futures

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_id	4a62
authors	Leake, D.B. (ed.)
year	1996
title	Case-Based Reasoning: Experiences, Lessons, and Future Directions
source	The MIT Press
summary	Case-based reasoning (CBR) is now a mature subfield of artificial intelligence. The fundamental principles of case-based reasoning have been established, and numerous applications have demonstrated its role as a useful technology. Recent progress has also revealed new opportunities and challenges for the field. This book presents experiences in CBR that illustrate the state of the art, the lessons learned from those experiences, and directions for the future. True to the spirit of CBR, this book examines the field in a primarily case-based way. Its chapters provide concrete examples of how key issues---including indexing and retrieval, case adaptation, evaluation, and application of CBR methods---are being addressed in the context of a range of tasks and domains. These issue-oriented case studies of experiences with particular projects provide a view of the principles of CBR, what CBR can do, how to attack problems with case-based reasoning, and how new challenges are being addressed. The case studies are supplemented with commentaries from leaders in the field providing individual perspectives on the state of CBR and its future impact. This book provides experienced CBR practitioners with a reference to recent progress in case-based reasoning research and applications. It also provides an introduction to CBR methods and the state of the art for students, AI researchers in other areas, and developers starting to build case-based reasoning systems. It presents experts and non-experts alike with visions of the most promising directions for new progress and for the roles of the next generation of CBR systems.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	4cda
authors	Akin, O., Cumming, M. , Shealey, M. and Tuncer, B.
year	1996
title	An Electronic Design Assistance Tool for Case Based Representation of Designs
source	Design Computation: Collaboration, Reasoning, Pedagogy [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-05-5] Tucson (Arizona / USA) October 31 - November 2, 1996, pp. 123-132
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1996.123
summary	In precedent based design, solutions to problems are developed by drawing from an understanding of landmark designs. Many of the key design operations in this mode are similar to the functionalities present in case based reasoning systems: case matching, case adapting, and case representation. It is clear that a rich case base, encoding all major product types in a design domain would be the centerpiece of such an approach. EDAT (Electronic Design Assistance Tool) is intended to assist in precedent based design in the studio with the potential of expansion into the office setting. EDAT has been designed using object oriented system development methods. EDAT was used in a design studio at Carnegie Mellon University, during Spring 1996, and will be used in future studios, as well.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	452d
authors	Arlati, E., Bottelli, V. and Fogh, C.
year	1996
title	Applying CBR to the Teaching of Architectural Design
source	Education for Practice [14th eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-9523687-2-2] Lund (Sweden) 12-14 September 1996, pp. 41-50
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1996.041
summary	This paper presents an approach to the analysis and description of the nature of process knowledge in architectural design, the development of a conceptual model for Galathea, a case-based navigation tool for its support, and the application of this theoretical foundation to the teaching of design to a group of about 100 second-year architecture students. Design is assumed as a globally coherent information, memory and experience-intensive process in which professional skill is the capability to govern a large number of continually evolving variables in the direction of desired change. This viewpoint on design has guided the development of Galathea, the model of a tool aimed at describing architectural design through the description, mapping and management of the complete decision-making path of projects by means of the dynamic representation of the relationship between goals, constraints and the decisions/actions adopted at specific nodes and through the creation of a case-base aimed at the storage, retrieval and adaptation of relevant design moves in similar project contexts. This conceptual model is applied to educational activity at the faculty of Architecture of Milan, with the aim of teaching how to govern a project from the outset considering it as an evolving but coherent map of design moves, which allow the adoption of the correct decisions involving the most disparate types of information, experience and memory, and which altogether conduct to the desired goal. The resolution paths of the students, all applied to the same architecture problem, result in a design move case-base, the further utilisation and interest of which is open to collegial discussion.
keywords	knowledge-based design; case-based reasoning; design process control, design moves
series	eCAADe
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:54

_id	096e
authors	Papamichael, K., Porta, J.L., Chauvet, H., Collins, D., Trzcinski, T. , Thorpe, J. and Selkowitz, S.
year	1996
title	The Building Design Advisor
source	Design Computation: Collaboration, Reasoning, Pedagogy [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-05-5] Tucson (Arizona / USA) October 31 - November 2, 1996, pp. 85-97
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1996.085
summary	The Building Design Advisor (BDA) is a software environment that supports the integrated use of multiple analysis and visualization tools throughout the building design process, from the initial, schematic design phases to the detailed specification of building components and systems. Based on a comprehensive design theory, the BDA uses an object-oriented representation of the building and its context, and acts as a data manager and process controller to allow building designers to benefit from the capabilities of multiple tools. The BDA provides a graphical user interface that consists of two main elements: the Building Browser and the Decision Desktop. The Browser allows building designers to quickly navigate through the multitude of descriptive and performance parameters addressed by the analysis and visualization tools linked to the BDA. Through the Browser the user can edit the values of input parameters and select any number of input and/or output parameters for display in the Decision Desktop. The Desktop allows building designers to compare multiple design alternatives with respect to any number of parameters addressed by the tools linked to the BDA. The BDA is implemented as a Windows-based application for personal computers. Its initial version is linked to a Schematic Graphic Editor (SGE), which allows designers to quickly and easily specify the geometric characteristics of building components and systems. For every object created in the SGE, the BDA supplies “smart” default values from a Prototypical Values Database (PVD) for all non-geometric parameters required as input to the analysis and visualization tools linked to the BDA. In addition to the SGE and the PVD, the initial version of the BDA is linked to a daylight analysis tool, an energy analysis tool, and a multimedia Case Studies Database (CSD). The next version of the BDA will be linked to additional tools, such as a photo-accurate rendering program and a cost analysis program. Future versions will address the whole building life-cycle and will be linked to construction, commissioning and building monitoring tools.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 08:00

_id	e946
authors	Wood, William H. and Agogino, Alice M
year	1996
title	Case-based conceptual design information server for concurrent engineering
source	Computer-Aided Design, Vol. 28 (5) (1996) pp. 361-369
summary	Conceptual design requires processing information from diverse sources in order to define the functional requirements, operating constraints, and evaluation criteria pertinent to accomplishing a prescribed goal.Historically, the design process focused on the functionality of an artifact for the end customer. Concurrent engineering broadens this focus to account for the concerns of `customers' not previously considered --those along the entire life cycle of an artifact, i.e. marketing, design, manufacture, distribution, operation and disposal. Expanding the design focus to include all of these customers places far greater informationaldemands on the designer. Case-based reasoning applies experience stored in a computerized form to solving similar problems in slightly altered contexts. It has been applied successfully to routine design whereboth the form and the content of design information can be encoded symbolically and manipulated using artificial intelligence techniques. Concurrent conceptual design presents unique problems for such anapproach because design information must be considered at many levels of abstraction and from many viewpoints.We describe an approach that provides the designer with case-based conceptual design information stored in the richly expressive medium of hypermedia (hypertext incorporating multimedia). Design cases ofindustry `best practices' in concurrent engineering are indexed to provide access through multiple interfaces, allowing the user to browse, explore, or pinpoint design case information. The Conceptual DesignInformation Server (CDIS) is implemented using emerging internet standards, such as those associated with the World Wide Web (WWW) and Wide Area Information Service (WAIS), coupled to a robustStructured Query Language (SQL) database and traditional cad packages.
keywords	Conceptual Design, Case-Based Reasoning, Hypermedia Information Systems
series	journal paper
last changed	2003/05/15 21:33

_id	1fb3
authors	Akin, O., Cumming, M., Shealey, M. and Tuncer, B.
year	1997
title	An electronic design assistance tool for case-based representation of designs
source	Automation in Construction 6 (4) (1997) pp. 265-274
summary	In precedent based design, solutions to problems are developed by drawing from an understanding of landmark designs. Many of the key design operations in this mode are similar to the functionalities present in case-based reasoning systems: case matching, case adapting, and case representation. It is clear that a rich case-base, encoding all major product types in a design domain would be the centerpiece of such an approach. EDAT (Electronic Design Assistance Tool) is intended to assist in precedent based design in the studio with the potential of expansion into the office setting. EDAT has been designed using object oriented system development methods. EDAT was used in a design studio at Carnegie Mellon University, during Spring 1996.
series	journal paper
more	http://www.elsevier.com/locate/autcon
last changed	2003/05/15 21:22

_id	b0d8
authors	Bourdakis, V.
year	1996
title	From CAAD to VRML: London Case Study
source	The 3rd UK VRSIG Conference Full Paper Proceedings, De Montfort University
summary	In this paper, the suitability and usability of VRML for urban modelling is discussed based on the experience gained by the creation of urban models of varying sizes, level of detail and use. Areas where the current VRML specification is failing to satisfy the needs of large-scale urban modelling are highlighted. Properties of a successful alternative or VRML3.0 specification are suggested and briefly discussed.
series	other
email
last changed	2003/11/21 15:16

_id	e212
authors	Faltings, Boi and Sun, Kun
year	1996
title	FAMING: supporting innovative mechanism shape design
source	Computer-Aided Design, Vol. 28 (3) (1996) pp. 207-216
summary	A popular saying claims that `innovation is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration'. In this paper, we present a method for automating most of the perspiration involved in innovative design. We restrict our attention toinnovative design processes which can be structured into three steps: discovery of a new technique, understanding it, and generalising it to fit the problem at hand. The method we developed automates theunderstanding and generalisation phases which involve most of the perspiration.We present the FAMING system which demonstrates the method for the design of part shapes in 2D elementary mechanisms, also called kinematic pairs. We believe that the results are generalisable to otherdomains with similar characteristics, in particular any problem where geometry plays an important role.
keywords	Intelligent CAD, Qualitative Reasoning, Case-Based Reasoning
series	journal paper
last changed	2003/05/15 21:33

_id	6598
authors	Goldman, Glenn
year	1996
title	Reconstructions, Remakes and Sequels: Architecture and Motion Pictures
source	Design Computation: Collaboration, Reasoning, Pedagogy [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-05-5] Tucson (Arizona / USA) October 31 - November 2, 1996, pp. 11-21
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1996.011
summary	Motion pictures can illustrate worlds that have never been. They may show fantastic depictions of the future or an interpretation of the past. In either case, they have the power to reach millions of people across cultures, generations, and educational backgrounds with visions of our environment that do not exist in our everyday world. The study of imaginary worlds in this design studio case study is limited to motion pictures that postulate unique, or new environments rather than those films that faithfully attempt to document or reconstruct reality. In this sense, the movies used for study have a lineage traceable to Georges Melies "who came to film from illusionism and the "heater," rather than to the reality of the Lumiere brothers who came from photography which ultimately would lead to "cinema-verite." Discussions, assignments and presentations in the studio are organized to provide students with an opportunity to gain a different awareness of architecture and use varying stimuli as source material for design. The study of architectural history, art, formal principles of design, visual perception, and media are required in order to complete the reconstructions and creations of proposed environments. All student work throughout the entire semester is created with electronic media and the computer is used as an integral component of the studio enabling analysis and study, design, model creation, and animation. The available capabilities of computer graphics in the studio enables students to explore analytic and synthetic issues of design in motion pictures in a manner not readily available when restricted to traditional media. Through the use of digital media we have an opportunity to better understand the imaginary worlds for what they communicate and the ideas they contain, and therefore create an opportunity to modify our own concept of architecture.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:51

_id	d9bf
authors	Goodchild, N.F., Steyaert, L.T., Parks, B.O., Johnson, C., Maidment, D., Crane, M. and Glendinning, S. (Eds.)
year	1996
title	GIS and Environmental Modeling: Progress and Research Issues
source	Fort Collins, CO: GIS World Books, pp.451-454
summary	GIS and Environmental Modeling: Progress and Research Issues Michael F. Goodchild, Louis T. Steyaert, Bradley O. Parks, Carol Johnston, David Maidment, Michael Crane, and Sandi Glendinning, Editors With growing pressure on natural resources and landscapes there is an increasing need to predict the consequences of any changes to the environment. Modelling plays an important role in this by helping our understanding of the environment and by forecasting likely impacts. In recent years moves have been made to link models to Geographical Information Systems to provide a means of analysing changes over an area as well as over time. GIS and Environmental Modeling explores the progress made to date in integrating these two software systems. Approaches to the subject are made from theoretical, technical as well as data stand points. The existing capabilities of current systems are described along with important issues of data availability, accuracy and error. Various case studies illustrate this and highlight the common concepts and issues that exist between researchers in different environmental fields. The future needs and prospects for integrating GIS and environmental models are also explored with developments in both data handling and modelling discussed. The book brings together the knowledge and experience of over 100 researchers from academic, commercial and government backgrounds who work in a wide range of disciplines. The themes followed in the text provide a fund of knowledge and guidance for those involved in environmental modelling and GIS. The book is easily accessible for readers with a basic GIS knowledge and the ideas and results of the research are clearly illustrated with both colour and black and white graphics.
series	other
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	ddssar9615
id	ddssar9615
authors	Hill, S.M., Sinclair, B.S., Sandall, D., Butt, T.S., Sampson, N. and Blackie, N.
year	1996
title	A Computer-Facilitated Approach for Development, Visualization and Testing of Functional Programming Information
source	Timmermans, Harry (Ed.), Third Design and Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning - Part one: Architecture Proceedings (Spa, Belgium), August 18-21, 1996
summary	Functional programming processes for complex architectural projects have traditionally been hampered by the static nature of available tools and technologies. Connection with user groups have likewise been disadvantaged through the employment of sender-oriented communications models that limit feedback and interaction. In addition, diminishing project budgets place increasing pressure on clients and consult-ants to develop more effective and efficient methods for the design and construction of buildings. This paper discusses a case-study involving the design of a highly complex medical laboratory wherein infoc mation technologies were used to facilitate the development, visualization and testing of functional pro-gramming information. The objectives for the project involved creating an environment where users and clients actively participate in consideration of programming directions and implications in a manner that would not only increase confidence that the program would meet user requirements now and in the future, but also would reduce redundant and or inefficient space within the overall building programme. In the approach used the distinction between programming and design is diminished to improve communication of desires and design responses. The findings of the study indicate that the computer-facilitated approach met the objectives of the project and that the methods developed hold promise for application across a broader range of project types.
series	DDSS
last changed	2003/08/07 16:36

_id	ce1b
authors	Kvan, Th., Lee, A. and Ho, L.
year	2000
title	Anthony Ng Architects Limited: Building Towards a Paperless Future
source	Case Study and Teaching Notes number 99/65, 10 pages, distributed by HKU Centre for Asian Business Cases, Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) and The European Case Clearing House (ECCH), June 2000
summary	In early 1997; Mr. Anthony Ng; managing director of Anthony Ng Architects Ltd.; was keenly looking forward to a high-tech; paperless new office; which would free his designers from paperwork and greatly improve internal and external communication – a vision that he had had for a couple of years. In 1996; he brought on board a friend and expert in Internet technology to help him realise his vision. In July 1997; his company was to move into its new office in Wan Chai. Their plan was to have in place an Intranet and a web-based document management system when they moved into the new office. But he had to be mindful of resulting changes in communication patterns; culture and expectations. Resistance from within his company was also threatening to ruin the grand plan. Several senior executives were fiercely opposed to the proposal and refused to read a document off a computer screen. But Ng knew it was an important initiative to move his practice forward. Once the decision was made there would be no chance to reconsider; given the workload demands of the new HK$12 billion project. And this decision would mark a watershed in the company’s evolution. This case study examines the challenges and implications of employing IT to support an architectural office.
keywords	IT In Practice; Professional Practice; Archives
series	other
email
last changed	2002/11/15 18:29

_id	4e8e
authors	Lewin, Jenniffer S. and Gross, Mark D.
year	1996
title	Resolving Archaeological Site Data With 3D Computer Modeling: The Case of Ceren
source	Design Computation: Collaboration, Reasoning, Pedagogy [ACADIA Conference Proceedings / ISBN 1-880250-05-5] Tucson (Arizona / USA) October 31 - November 2, 1996, pp. 255-266
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.acadia.1996.255
summary	This paper reports on our experience working with a team of anthropologists to construct three- dimensional computer graphic models of Ceren, an archaeological site in western El Salvador, using inexpensive hardware and software. In constructing the model we discovered various ambiguities and inconsistencies in the raw site data and drawings we were provided. We resolved these problems by analysis and reinterpretation of the data, working closely with our archaeologist collaborator. What began as a simple exercise in rendering developed into a collaborative research effort to understand and interpret the source data. The process of computer modeling forced us to re-examine, analyze and interpret the information from the site.
series	ACADIA
email
last changed	2022/06/07 07:52

_id	f5a3
authors	Maher, M.L. and Gomez de Silva Garza, A.
year	1996
title	Developing case-based reasoning for structural design
source	IEEE Expert
summary	Case-based systems enable users to retrieve previously known designs from memory and adapt them to fit the current design problem. The four case-based design systems described here illustrate how various implementations achieve design assistance or design automation objectives. Case-based reasoning is a problem-solving technique that makes analogies between a problem and previously encountered situations (cases) relevant to solving the problem. Using CBR as a design process model involves the subtasks of recalling previously known designs from memory and adapting these design cases or subcases to fit the current design context. The detailed development of this process model for a particular design domain proceeds in parallel with the development of the case representation, the case memory organization, and the necessary design knowledge. The selection of an information representation paradigm and the details of its use for a problem-solving domain depend on the intended use of the information, the project information available, and the nature of the domain. CBR could be used to develop and implement a CBR system. Although that sounds circular, if CBR is a viable approach to problem solving, it can be applied to the development of the reasoning system itself. Toward that end, this article presents four "cases" of case-based building design systems that we've developed at the University of Sydney: CaseCAD, CADsyn, Win, and Demex. These systems exemplify alternative case memory contents and organizations and provide insight into different potential implementations of the recall and adaptation subprocesses.
series	journal paper
email
last changed	2003/04/23 15:14

_id	ddssup9616
id	ddssup9616
authors	Schmidt-Belz, B., Voß, A., Emkes, L. and Coulon, C.H.
year	1996
title	How to support city planning using map interpretation techniques
source	Timmermans, Harry (Ed.), Third Design and Decision Support Systems in Architecture and Urban Planning - Part two: Urban Planning Proceedings (Spa, Belgium), August 18-21, 1996
summary	We suggest and motivate a system to support city traffic planning. Our approach is derived from Case-Based Reasoning (CBR), where former experiences (cases) are stored and made available for reuse. To start with, a collection of examples from books or other sources is stored as hypermedia documents. Retrieval of useful examples is enabled by describing (indexing) the examples in several aspects. While some descriptors have to be attached by users or system administrators, others could be automatically inferred. The vision is, that in the long run cases are derived from GIS plans and the CBR support is an integrated tool in a GIS working environment.
series	DDSS
email
last changed	2003/08/07 16:36

_id	88a2
authors	Zhang, Lei
year	1996
title	The Design of a Test Program for Basic Design
source	CAADRIA ‘96 [Proceedings of The First Conference on Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia / ISBN 9627-75-703-9] Hong Kong (Hong Kong) 25-27 April 1996, pp. 253-267
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.caadria.1996.253
summary	Within the whole range of methods available in the teaching of design with computer the "Exercise" made, seems to be one of the most productive. Not only the student but also the teacher is involved in a step by step process of search, discovery and development. The continuous and controlled building of complexity in architecture design are the underlying issues. The student models in desecrate steps, exploring, testing, discovering and thus build a "repertoire" which combines knowledge skills, experience, attitudes as well as methodology. Symbiotically related the teacher prepares the exercise, one might call the process applied design research. Since based upon research, the teacher structures the learning process defining the what and why by indirect means. Leaving the how to the student's initiative and inventiveness. The design of the design or the design of the learning process poses one of the real challenges to the teacher. In the case of chains of exercise the interactiveness of the student and teacher are of specific interest, since feedback loops add to the process. The following test program is directly related to this line of thinking. In it a "teacher" is asked to develop a simple chain of exercises based on a given "theoretical model". Thus building his own experience in basic design. In this test run the student is introduced to the concept of continuous space as well as the notion of architecture form as the interaction between space, site and structure a course. It could be seen as a basic model since we could have much more complex resolutions if we change the given elements and limitations.
series	CAADRIA
last changed	2022/06/07 07:57

_id	aa13
authors	Oxman, Rivka
year	1996
title	Shared Design-Web-Space in Internet-Based Design
source	Education for Practice [14th eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 0-9523687-2-2] Lund (Sweden) 12-14 September 1996, pp. 301-312
doi	https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.1996.301
summary	The introduction of the computer into architectural studies has resulted in innovative pedagogical approaches to design education. In recent years we have employed a teaching approach in which the student models the formalization of design knowledge in a computerized environment and experiments with the formal processing of this knowledge in the generation of designs. Interacting with the computer in the generation of designs requires making design knowledge explicit and formalized. Knowledge modeling is an approach to design and education in which the designer models the design thinking involved in the making of the object. In this process appropriate computational technology is essential to support and enhance certain phenomena of reasoning. From the pedagogical point of view such computational design environment appear also to enhance design learning and performance through the capability gained in computer modelling. In this respect, there is an analogous impact on the potential of design knowledge environments which can support design performance in practice. In this paper we consider the Internetas a potential design knowledge environment. The nature of the Net as a medium for the representation, storage and accessing of design knowledge is presented and various research issues are introduced. The potential of this new medium as a resource for design learning, design practice and design collaboration derives from the attributes of the technology. We elaborate on the appropriateness of certain attributes of the medium as a potential design environment. Future possibilities of the Net as a shared design resource are proposed. Considerations of the Net as a collaboratively constructed design resource as well as a medium for collaborative design are introduced.
series	eCAADe
email
more	http://arrivka@technion.ac.il/~rivka
last changed	2022/06/07 08:00

_id	ga0026
id	ga0026
authors	Ransen, Owen F.
year	2000
title	Possible Futures in Computer Art Generation
source	International Conference on Generative Art
summary	Years of trying to create an "Image Idea Generator" program have convinced me that the perfect solution would be to have an artificial artistic person, a design slave. This paper describes how I came to that conclusion, realistic alternatives, and briefly, how it could possibly happen. 1. The history of Repligator and Gliftic 1.1 Repligator In 1996 I had the idea of creating an “image idea generator”. I wanted something which would create images out of nothing, but guided by the user. The biggest conceptual problem I had was “out of nothing”. What does that mean? So I put aside that problem and forced the user to give the program a starting image. This program eventually turned into Repligator, commercially described as an “easy to use graphical effects program”, but actually, to my mind, an Image Idea Generator. The first release came out in October 1997. In December 1998 I described Repligator V4 [1] and how I thought it could be developed away from simply being an effects program. In July 1999 Repligator V4 won the Shareware Industry Awards Foundation prize for "Best Graphics Program of 1999". Prize winners are never told why they won, but I am sure that it was because of two things: 1) Easy of use 2) Ease of experimentation "Ease of experimentation" means that Repligator does in fact come up with new graphics ideas. Once you have input your original image you can generate new versions of that image simply by pushing a single key. Repligator is currently at version 6, but, apart from adding many new effects and a few new features, is basically the same program as version 4. Following on from the ideas in [1] I started to develop Gliftic, which is closer to my original thoughts of an image idea generator which "starts from nothing". The Gliftic model of images was that they are composed of three components: 1. Layout or form, for example the outline of a mandala is a form. 2. Color scheme, for example colors selected from autumn leaves from an oak tree. 3. Interpretation, for example Van Gogh would paint a mandala with oak tree colors in a different way to Andy Warhol. There is a Van Gogh interpretation and an Andy Warhol interpretation. Further I wanted to be able to genetically breed images, for example crossing two layouts to produce a child layout. And the same with interpretations and color schemes. If I could achieve this then the program would be very powerful. 1.2 Getting to Gliftic Programming has an amazing way of crystalising ideas. If you want to put an idea into practice via a computer program you really have to understand the idea not only globally, but just as importantly, in detail. You have to make hard design decisions, there can be no vagueness, and so implementing what I had decribed above turned out to be a considerable challenge. I soon found out that the hardest thing to do would be the breeding of forms. What are the "genes" of a form? What are the genes of a circle, say, and how do they compare to the genes of the outline of the UK? I wanted the genotype representation (inside the computer program's data) to be directly linked to the phenotype representation (on the computer screen). This seemed to be the best way of making sure that bred-forms would bare some visual relationship to their parents. I also wanted symmetry to be preserved. For example if two symmetrical objects were bred then their children should be symmetrical. I decided to represent shapes as simply closed polygonal shapes, and the "genes" of these shapes were simply the list of points defining the polygon. Thus a circle would have to be represented by a regular polygon of, say, 100 sides. The outline of the UK could easily be represented as a list of points every 10 Kilometers along the coast line. Now for the important question: what do you get when you cross a circle with the outline of the UK? I tried various ways of combining the "genes" (i.e. coordinates) of the shapes, but none of them really ended up producing interesting shapes. And of the methods I used, many of them, applied over several "generations" simply resulted in amorphous blobs, with no distinct family characteristics. Or rather maybe I should say that no single method of breeding shapes gave decent results for all types of images. Figure 1 shows an example of breeding a mandala with 6 regular polygons: Figure 1 Mandala bred with array of regular polygons I did not try out all my ideas, and maybe in the future I will return to the problem, but it was clear to me that it is a non-trivial problem. And if the breeding of shapes is a non-trivial problem, then what about the breeding of interpretations? I abandoned the genetic (breeding) model of generating designs but retained the idea of the three components (form, color scheme, interpretation). 1.3 Gliftic today Gliftic Version 1.0 was released in May 2000. It allows the user to change a form, a color scheme and an interpretation. The user can experiment with combining different components together and can thus home in on an personally pleasing image. Just as in Repligator, pushing the F7 key make the program choose all the options. Unlike Repligator however the user can also easily experiment with the form (only) by pushing F4, the color scheme (only) by pushing F5 and the interpretation (only) by pushing F6. Figures 2, 3 and 4 show some example images created by Gliftic. Figure 2 Mandala interpreted with arabesques Figure 3 Trellis interpreted with "graphic ivy" Figure 4 Regular dots interpreted as "sparks" 1.4 Forms in Gliftic V1 Forms are simply collections of graphics primitives (points, lines, ellipses and polygons). The program generates these collections according to the user's instructions. Currently the forms are: Mandala, Regular Polygon, Random Dots, Random Sticks, Random Shapes, Grid Of Polygons, Trellis, Flying Leap, Sticks And Waves, Spoked Wheel, Biological Growth, Chequer Squares, Regular Dots, Single Line, Paisley, Random Circles, Chevrons. 1.5 Color Schemes in Gliftic V1 When combining a form with an interpretation (described later) the program needs to know what colors it can use. The range of colors is called a color scheme. Gliftic has three color scheme types: 1. Random colors: Colors for the various parts of the image are chosen purely at random. 2. Hue Saturation Value (HSV) colors: The user can choose the main hue (e.g. red or yellow), the saturation (purity) of the color scheme and the value (brightness/darkness) . The user also has to choose how much variation is allowed in the color scheme. A wide variation allows the various colors of the final image to depart a long way from the HSV settings. A smaller variation results in the final image using almost a single color. 3. Colors chosen from an image: The user can choose an image (for example a JPG file of a famous painting, or a digital photograph he took while on holiday in Greece) and Gliftic will select colors from that image. Only colors from the selected image will appear in the output image. 1.6 Interpretations in Gliftic V1 Interpretation in Gliftic is best decribed with a few examples. A pure geometric line could be interpreted as: 1) the branch of a tree 2) a long thin arabesque 3) a sequence of disks 4) a chain, 5) a row of diamonds. An pure geometric ellipse could be interpreted as 1) a lake, 2) a planet, 3) an eye. Gliftic V1 has the following interpretations: Standard, Circles, Flying Leap, Graphic Ivy, Diamond Bar, Sparkz, Ess Disk, Ribbons, George Haite, Arabesque, ZigZag. 1.7 Applications of Gliftic Currently Gliftic is mostly used for creating WEB graphics, often backgrounds as it has an option to enable "tiling" of the generated images. There is also a possibility that it will be used in the custom textile business sometime within the next year or two. The real application of Gliftic is that of generating new graphics ideas, and I suspect that, like Repligator, many users will only understand this later. 2. The future of Gliftic, 3 possibilties Completing Gliftic V1 gave me the experience to understand what problems and opportunities there will be in future development of the program. Here I divide my many ideas into three oversimplified possibilities, and the real result may be a mix of two or all three of them. 2.1 Continue the current development "linearly" Gliftic could grow simply by the addition of more forms and interpretations. In fact I am sure that initially it will grow like this. However this limits the possibilities to what is inside the program itself. These limits can be mitigated by allowing the user to add forms (as vector files). The user can already add color schemes (as images). The biggest problem with leaving the program in its current state is that there is no easy way to add interpretations. 2.2 Allow the artist to program Gliftic It would be interesting to add a language to Gliftic which allows the user to program his own form generators and interpreters. In this way Gliftic becomes a "platform" for the development of dynamic graphics styles by the artist. The advantage of not having to deal with the complexities of Windows programming could attract the more adventurous artists and designers. The choice of programming language of course needs to take into account the fact that the "programmer" is probably not be an expert computer scientist. I have seen how LISP (an not exactly easy artificial intelligence language) has become very popular among non programming users of AutoCAD. If, to complete a job which you do manually and repeatedly, you can write a LISP macro of only 5 lines, then you may be tempted to learn enough LISP to write those 5 lines. Imagine also the ability to publish (and/or sell) "style generators". An artist could develop a particular interpretation function, it creates images of a given character which others find appealing. The interpretation (which runs inside Gliftic as a routine) could be offered to interior designers (for example) to unify carpets, wallpaper, furniture coverings for single projects. As Adrian Ward [3] says on his WEB site: "Programming is no less an artform than painting is a technical process." Learning a computer language to create a single image is overkill and impractical. Learning a computer language to create your own artistic style which generates an infinite series of images in that style may well be attractive. 2.3 Add an artificial conciousness to Gliftic This is a wild science fiction idea which comes into my head regularly. Gliftic manages to surprise the users with the images it makes, but, currently, is limited by what gets programmed into it or by pure chance. How about adding a real artifical conciousness to the program? Creating an intelligent artificial designer? According to Igor Aleksander [1] conciousness is required for programs (computers) to really become usefully intelligent. Aleksander thinks that "the line has been drawn under the philosophical discussion of conciousness, and the way is open to sound scientific investigation". Without going into the details, and with great over-simplification, there are roughly two sorts of artificial intelligence: 1) Programmed intelligence, where, to all intents and purposes, the programmer is the "intelligence". The program may perform well (but often, in practice, doesn't) and any learning which is done is simply statistical and pre-programmed. There is no way that this type of program could become concious. 2) Neural network intelligence, where the programs are based roughly on a simple model of the brain, and the network learns how to do specific tasks. It is this sort of program which, according to Aleksander, could, in the future, become concious, and thus usefully intelligent. What could the advantages of an artificial artist be? 1) There would be no need for programming. Presumbably the human artist would dialog with the artificial artist, directing its development. 2) The artificial artist could be used as an apprentice, doing the "drudge" work of art, which needs intelligence, but is, anyway, monotonous for the human artist. 3) The human artist imagines "concepts", the artificial artist makes them concrete. 4) An concious artificial artist may come up with ideas of its own. Is this science fiction? Arthur C. Clarke's 1st Law: "If a famous scientist says that something can be done, then he is in all probability correct. If a famous scientist says that something cannot be done, then he is in all probability wrong". Arthur C Clarke's 2nd Law: "Only by trying to go beyond the current limits can you find out what the real limits are." One of Bertrand Russell's 10 commandments: "Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric" 3. References 1. "From Ramon Llull to Image Idea Generation". Ransen, Owen. Proceedings of the 1998 Milan First International Conference on Generative Art. 2. "How To Build A Mind" Aleksander, Igor. Wiedenfeld and Nicolson, 1999 3. "How I Drew One of My Pictures: or, The Authorship of Generative Art" by Adrian Ward and Geof Cox. Proceedings of the 1999 Milan 2nd International Conference on Generative Art.
series	other
email
more	http://www.generativeart.com/
last changed	2003/08/07 17:25

_id	49d6
authors	Rubinowicz, P.
year	1996
title	Computer Parametric Modeling as a New Design Strategy
source	CAD Creativeness [Conference Proceedings / ISBN 83-905377-0-2] Bialystock (Poland), 25-27 April 1996 pp. 205-214
summary	Computer Aided Design means not only aiding the preparation of technical documentation for building purposes or for the presentation of architectural design. The application of computer technology has a deeper meaning, when used for the creative modelling of designed objects and spaces. This article will help to define and describe Computer Parametric Modelling as an example of creative computer use. All conclusions presented in this article are based on a four year long working experience using the computer program MODEL; utilising parametric modelling in architectural and town-planning design by the author of this article. This program was created by the author and he is the only user at the present time, but it is hoped that it will be available for general use in the future.
series	plCAD
last changed	1999/04/09 15:30

_id	avocaad_2001_16
id	avocaad_2001_16
authors	Yu-Ying Chang, Yu-Tung Liu, Chien-Hui Wong
year	2001
title	Some Phenomena of Spatial Characteristics of Cyberspace
source	AVOCAAD - ADDED VALUE OF COMPUTER AIDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, Nys Koenraad, Provoost Tom, Verbeke Johan, Verleye Johan (Eds.), (2001) Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst - Departement Architectuur Sint-Lucas, Campus Brussel, ISBN 80-76101-05-1
summary	"Space," which has long been an important concept in architecture (Bloomer & Moore, 1977; Mitchell, 1995, 1999), has attracted interest of researchers from various academic disciplines in recent years (Agnew, 1993; Benko & Strohmayer, 1996; Chang, 1999; Foucault, 1982; Gould, 1998). Researchers from disciplines such as anthropology, geography, sociology, philosophy, and linguistics regard it as the basis of the discussion of various theories in social sciences and humanities (Chen, 1999). On the other hand, since the invention of Internet, Internet users have been experiencing a new and magic "world." According to the definitions in traditional architecture theories, "space" is generated whenever people define a finite void by some physical elements (Zevi, 1985). However, although Internet is a virtual, immense, invisible and intangible world, navigating in it, we can still sense the very presence of ourselves and others in a wonderland. This sense could be testified by our naming of Internet as Cyberspace -- an exotic kind of space. Therefore, as people nowadays rely more and more on the Internet in their daily life, and as more and more architectural scholars and designers begin to invest their efforts in the design of virtual places online (e.g., Maher, 1999; Li & Maher, 2000), we cannot help but ask whether there are indeed sensible spaces in Internet. And if yes, these spaces exist in terms of what forms and created by what ways?To join the current interdisciplinary discussion on the issue of space, and to obtain new definition as well as insightful understanding of "space", this study explores the spatial phenomena in Internet. We hope that our findings would ultimately be also useful for contemporary architectural designers and scholars in their designs in the real world.As a preliminary exploration, the main objective of this study is to discover the elements involved in the creation/construction of Internet spaces and to examine the relationship between human participants and Internet spaces. In addition, this study also attempts to investigate whether participants from different academic disciplines define or experience Internet spaces in different ways, and to find what spatial elements of Internet they emphasize the most.In order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the spatial phenomena in Internet and to overcome the subjectivity of the members of the research team, the research design of this study was divided into two stages. At the first stage, we conducted literature review to study existing theories of space (which are based on observations and investigations of the physical world). At the second stage of this study, we recruited 8 Internet regular users to approach this topic from different point of views, and to see whether people with different academic training would define and experience Internet spaces differently.The results of this study reveal that the relationship between human participants and Internet spaces is different from that between human participants and physical spaces. In the physical world, physical elements of space must be established first; it then begins to be regarded as a place after interaction between/among human participants or interaction between human participants and the physical environment. In contrast, in Internet, a sense of place is first created through human interactions (or activities), Internet participants then begin to sense the existence of a space. Therefore, it seems that, among the many spatial elements of Internet we found, "interaction/reciprocity" Ñ either between/among human participants or between human participants and the computer interface Ð seems to be the most crucial element.In addition, another interesting result of this study is that verbal (linguistic) elements could provoke a sense of space in a degree higher than 2D visual representation and no less than 3D visual simulations. Nevertheless, verbal and 3D visual elements seem to work in different ways in terms of cognitive behaviors: Verbal elements provoke visual imagery and other sensory perceptions by "imagining" and then excite personal experiences of space; visual elements, on the other hand, provoke and excite visual experiences of space directly by "mapping".Finally, it was found that participants with different academic training did experience and define space differently. For example, when experiencing and analyzing Internet spaces, architecture designers, the creators of the physical world, emphasize the design of circulation and orientation, while participants with linguistics training focus more on subtle language usage. Visual designers tend to analyze the graphical elements of virtual spaces based on traditional painting theories; industrial designers, on the other hand, tend to treat these spaces as industrial products, emphasizing concept of user-center and the control of the computer interface.The findings of this study seem to add new information to our understanding of virtual space. It would be interesting for future studies to investigate how this information influences architectural designers in their real-world practices in this digital age. In addition, to obtain a fuller picture of Internet space, further research is needed to study the same issue by examining more Internet participants who have no formal linguistics and graphical training.
series	AVOCAAD
email
last changed	2005/09/09 10:48

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