nTop Models
This is a collection of some of my favorite parametric models that I’ve made in nTop. These models are all 100% or nearly 100% designed in nTop, with a focus on parameterization and speed. Hopefully these serve as some inspiration as to the types of things that are possible with procedural implicit modeling.
Parametric Impeller
Implicit modeling is about a lot more than just lattices (as much as I love lattices). Highly parametric designs can be updated nearly instantly with no risk of small topological changes breaking the workflow. Derivatives can be accessed quickly for gradient-based parameter optimization within a broader engineering system.
I had a lot of fun making this parametric impeller completely in nTop. This particular design has 16 parameters exposed, which could be reconfigured depending on the design study. If I save it to a .implicit file, each variant is just 61KB!
Variable Nozzle
For the same reason implicit modeling excels at lattices, it can create complex arrays and patterns at virtually no extra cost. We’re talking arrays of tens, hundreds, thousands, or more (and not just identical ones). The output can be combined with other geometry and modified as any other object would be. Design parameters (not just offsets!) can even be varied throughout space within the array while maintaining the same computation speed. #implicitmodeling is changing what geometric complexity in CAD means and I can’t wait to help push the frontier further.
I decided to start making this simplified scale model of an adjustable exhaust nozzle as an experiment, in nTop, from scratch. It’s inspired by the F-15 design and I’ve had a super fun time building it out. The current iteration is fully parametric, meshes super fast, and even includes a basic encoding of the main linkage with two angle inputs. This way, we can run (meshless!) CFD on it in different configurations. If I want to export it to other software, I have several options, and the .implicit file is just 123kB.
NACA Airfoil Wing with Ribs and Spars
ComputationalDesign is all about fast iterations. It’s about taking design intent and engineering first principles and encoding them into a design that can be iterated hundreds or thousands of times. #implicitmodeling is like a super power that makes these things possible without having to worry about broken model trees and surface-surface intersections.
In this latest nTop-only model, I have a wing with a spatially driven NACA airfoil profile. The special part is that airfoil profile comes directly from the NACA airfoil equations and is completely spatially varying. This means the four digit code, scale, and attack angle can change along the wing (and are not just stretched and distorted!). The ribs and spars are automatically created too, with all their own parameters, and slot together for prototyping. We can even integrate lift and drag coefficients over the whole wing to estimate overall performance (not to mention the derivative information we can access).
I love this example because it’s a clear case of encoding design rules directly into a computational model. We’re working hard at nTop to make implicit modeling and building computational models easier next year, so I can’t wait to see what other cool applications people come up with. ✈️
Parametric Drone OML & Air Frame
Parametric drone OML and automatically generated air frame.