Components (VCGA)

Components can be used inside Visual CGA to create procedural models without coding in CGA.

The simple building below is an example of how different components can be interconnected in a VCGA design to create detailed architecture.

Example of a building and its corresponding VCGA design.

See the full image.

Available component categories:

• Site partitioning
  • Allows to encode setbacks from zoning code
  • Input: Parcel
  • Output: BuildableArea

• Massing
  • Allows for quick generation of the most common block typologies
  • Organized by block type
  • Input: BuildableArea
  • Output: Mass, Yard
  
  Example of massing components

• Floor: Mass to floors
  • Allows to split a mass into floors
  • Input: Mass
  • Output: Floorplate, Rooftop, Terrace, Overhang
  
  Example of a building mass split into floorplates by applying the Floors_by_Height_per_Type component

• Floor composition
  • Allows to compose a floor by generating facade planes and interior areas from a floorplate
  • Input: Floorplate
  • Output: ExteriorFacade, InteriorArea, FloorSlabSide

Example of floors with exterior facade planes

• Pattern
  • Allows to subdivide a facade into tiles according to a pattern logic
  • Input: Shape
  • Output: Tiles
  
  Example of different patterns applied to the exterior facade shape

• Tile
  • Allows to subdivide a tile into opening and wall
  • Input: Tile
  • Output: Opening, Wall
  
  Different tiles applied on a shape splitting it into opening (color) and wall (white).

• Element: Windows
  • Allows to add a window to a shape or an opening
  • Input: Opening
  • Output: BackSlot, FrontSlot, Glass, Reveal, WindowFrame, WindowSurround
  
  Different window types applied to an opening

• Util: Materials and Util: Color
  • Allows to apply a material or a color to a shape
  • Input: Shape
  • Output: ShapeWithMaterial / ShapeWithColor
  
  Material component allows to launch material browser