I.0 Preface WELCOME You have just opened the third edition of the Grasshopper Primer. This primer was originally written by Andrew O. Payne of Lift Architects for Rhino4 and Grasshopper version 0.6.0007 which, at the time of its release, was a giant upgrade to the already robust Grasshopper platform. We now find ourselves at another critical shift in Grasshopper development, so a much needed update to the existing primer was in order. We are thrilled to add this updated primer to the many amazing contributions put forth by Grasshopper community members. With an already excellent foundation from which to build, our team at Mode Lab went to work designing and developing the look and feel of the third edition. This revision provides a comprehensive guide to the most current Grasshopper build, version 0.90076, highlighting what we feel are some of the most exciting feature updates. The revised text, graphics, and working examples are intended to teach visual programming to the absolute beginner, as well as provide a quick introduction to Generative Design workflows for the seasoned veteran. It is our goal that this primer will serve as a field guide to new and existing users looking to navigate the ins and outs of using Grasshopper in their creative practice. FOUNDATIONS This primer, titled Foundations, introduces you to the fundamental concepts and essential skill-building workflows to effectively use Grasshopper. Foundations is the first volume in a forthcoming collection of Grasshopper primers (to be released in the coming months). This first volume tracks through an introduction to the Grasshopper user interface, the anatomy of a Grasshopper definition, and three chapters dealing with parametric concepts and case study examples. An appendix closes out this volume, providing you with resources for continued exploration. We hope that at the very least this primer will inspire you to begin exploring the many opportunities of programming with Grasshopper. We wish you the best of luck as you embark on this journey. Gil Akos Mode Lab http://modelab.is/ Ronnie Parsons Mode Lab http://modelab.is/ A special thanks to David Rutten for the endless inspiration and invaluable work pioneering Grasshopper. We would also like to thank Andrew O. Payne for providing the assets from which this work initiated. Lastly, many thanks to Bob McNeel and everyone at Robert McNeel & Associates for their generous support over the years.
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Introduction