Assessment of Grasshopper Plugins for Topology Optimization in Varied Architectural Design Domains

Abstract

Topology optimization is a structural optimization method that aims to distribute material within a defined design domain. With the advancement of technology, topology optimization has become more popular in fields such as architecture. However, with the variety of tools available, users may find it challenging to decide which tool best suits their needs. Although grasshopper is widespread in architectural design, grasshopper plugins for topology optimization are one of the tools that are under-researched. This research uses four domain variations to explore their efficiency to conduct a comparative study of the grasshopper plugins: Millipede, tOpos, and Ameba. The setup process, resulting geometry, computation time, and volume fractions were used as comparison parameters. Each plugin was superior in one of these parameters. tOpos was, however, the fastest plugin and, along with Ameba, achieved target volume fractions.