Geometric computing for freeform architecture

Geometric computing has recently found a new field of applications, namely the various geometric problems which lie at the heart of rationalization and construction-aware design processes of freeform architecture. We report on our work in this area, dealing with meshes with planar faces and meshes which allow multilayer constructions (which is related to discrete surfaces and their curvatures), triangles meshes with circle-packing properties (which is related to conformal uniformization), and with the paneling problem. We emphasize the combination of numerical optimization and geometric knowledge.

anamorphic projection analogical digital algorithms

The study presents the first results of a wider research project dealing with the theme of "anamorphosis", a specific technique of geometric projection of a shape on a surface. Here we investigate how new digital techniques make it possible to simplify the anamorphic applications even in cases of projections on complex surfaces. After a short excursus of the most famous historical and contemporary applications, we propose several possible approaches for managing the geometry of anamorphic curves both in the field of descriptive geometry (by using interactive tools such as Cabri and GeoGebra) and during the complex surfaces realization process, from concept design to manufacture, through CNC systems (by adopting generative procedural algorithms elaborated in Grasshopper)

Darboux cyclides and webs from circles

Motivated by potential applications in architecture, we study Darboux cyclides. These algebraic surfaces of order a most 4 are a superset of Dupin cyclides and quadrics, and they carry up to six real families of circles. Revisiting the classical approach to these surfaces based on the spherical model of 3D Moebius geometry, we provide computational tools for the identification of circle families on a given cyclide and for the direct design of those. In particular, we show that certain triples of circle families may be arranged as so-called hexagonal webs, and we provide a complete classification of all possible hexagonal webs of circles on Darboux cyclides.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figure

Ruled Laguerre minimal surfaces

A Laguerre minimal surface is an immersed surface in the Euclidean space being an extremal of the functional \int (H^2/K - 1) dA. In the present paper, we prove that the only ruled Laguerre minimal surfaces are up to isometry the surfaces R(u,v) = (Au, Bu, Cu + D cos 2u) + v (sin u, cos u, 0), where A, B, C, D are fixed real numbers. To achieve invariance under Laguerre transformations, we also derive all Laguerre minimal surfaces that are enveloped by a family of cones. The methodology is based on the isotropic model of Laguerre geometry. In this model a Laguerre minimal surface enveloped by a family of cones corresponds to a graph of a biharmonic function carrying a family of isotropic circles. We classify such functions by showing that the top view of the family of circles is a pencil.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figures. Minor correction: missed assumption (*) added to Propositions 1-2 and Theorem 2, missed case (nested circles having nonempty envelope) added in the proof of Pencil Theorem 4, missed proof that the arcs cut off by the envelope are disjoint added in the proof of Lemma