Cloud based Data Management

Source: Biel Pitmans_MaCAD 24-25 Digital Tools for Cloud-based Data Management seminar.

It is 2025, and computing is ubiquitous—embedded in our pockets, our cities, and our homes. You are currently undergoing a course that is teaching you how to use computation to tackle critical issues in the built environment. This next step focuses on extending that computational logic to the people for whom you are designing.

A key challenge in contemporary practice is making computational design accessible: involving others in the design process, gathering diverse feedback, and sharing 3D information with audiences who may not have specialised software or technical expertise. Equally important is finding ways to communicate your design logic without exposing or giving away your underlying methods.

In this course, we will explore a suite of tools that support the creation of interactive 3D web applications. You will learn how to leverage your Grasshopper skills and convert your definitions into functions that can be accessed through the web.

At the core of this workflow is Rhino.Compute, an open-source project by McNeel that enables Rhino and Grasshopper to run on the cloud and be reached from any device with an internet connection.

Learning Objectives

• Develop proficiency with modern web development frameworks and workflows for interactive applications
• Understand and apply Rhino.Compute as a cloud-based engine for geometry processing
• Learn how to transform Grasshopper definitions into fully functional web-based configurators accessible to end users