How to add parametric inputs to your solution

A how-to guide for adding parametric inputs to your solution
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Introduction

Would you like to have parametric inputs to change the design options? Then add controls to your solution by following these steps.

Prerequisites

  • You configured the frames and routes for your solution.
  • You configured the relevant contents such as the model(s), viewer(s) and datastore.
  • You have a Rhino Grasshopper definition using the Packhunt input components.

1. Add a control panel

  • Create a ControlPanel within the relevant frame
  • Configure controls to represent your inputs. These can be:
    • TextInput
    • Slider
    • Toggle
    • Dropdown
    • Checkbox
    • Select

The configuration should look similar to the example below:

my-control-panel:
  kind: ControlPanel
    controls:
      my-input-1:
        kind: Slider
        label: Number Slider Control
        value: 20
        min: 0
        max: 100
        precision: 3
        unit: mm

❗ The controls name my-input-1 should match the name of the output component in the Rhino Grasshopper definition.

2. Subscribe the model to the control panel

To transfer the values set in the control panel to the model, the model should subscribe to the control panel.

  • Define the subscription to the control panel under the model.
  • In the subscription, specify the target frame and control panel.

The configuration should look similar to the example below:

my-model:
  kind: model
  modelFile: my-grasshopper-file.gh
  subscribe:
    kind: ControlPanel
    source: my-control-panel
    frame: home-frame

3. Subscribe the viewer to the model

To display the geometry output from the model in the viewer, the viewer should subscribe to the model. See viewerModelSubscribe configuration docs for more information.

❗ For solutions with multiple frames or multiple control panels connecting to the same model, the data transfer should be through the datastore.

See the image below as an example.

Configuration

See the controlPanelConfig configuration docs and modelControlPanelSubscribe configuration docs for more information.