Embodied Computation

This course delves into the intersection of architecture and computation, focusing on embodied design and fabrication processes.

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ARC596 - Tutorial 1 - Installation Guide

ARC596 - Tutorial 1 - Installation Guide

Requirements

  1. Rhinoceros 7
  2. Github Desktop
  3. Anaconda
  4. Unity 2022.3.3f1 
    Note: When developing for Android, the Android SDK and Java JDK have to be ticked in the installation modules when installing Unity.

Dependencies

  1. COMPAS
  2. COMPAS Fab - Fabrication Library for Robots
  3. COMPAS Eve - Communication
  4. Vuforia
  5. ROS#

Getting Started with This Project

Installing Basic Requirements

  1. Install Rhino 7 (Grasshopper is installed as part of Rhino)

  2. Make a Github Account

    • Create an account using https://github.com/signup

    • Email your username to Daniela (mitterberger@princeton.edu) and Kirill (kvolchinskiy@princeton.edu) once you are done

  3. Install Github Desktop https://desktop.github.com/

    • Install Git for windows: https://gitforwindows.org/

    • Note: Git is a package manager, and it allows you to publish code onto the cloud or public web. It also tracks your changes. Github is a web-based repository to use Git to post/host your files

  4. Install Anaconda https://www.anaconda.com/download

    • Note: Anaconda is a package management system for Python; it manages python and related packages on your computer.

  5. Install compas, compas_fab, and compas_eve

    • Note: Compas is an open-source library for digital fabrication and computation within architecture, engineering, and construction

    • Run Anaconda Prompt. Go to start menu and search anaconda prompt

      • Note: This is the Anaconda-flavored Python terminal. It is different from the Windows Command Prompt in that it runs python code and commands, not windows commands

    • Type the following commands into the terminal, this creates a new development environment. We reccomend you to name it ARC596, and the commands subsequently install compas, compas_fab, compas_eve, and link these libraries into Rhino 7:

     conda create -n <environment name>
 conda activate <environment name>
 conda install -c conda-forge compas
 conda update compas
 conda install conda-forge::compas_fab
 conda install conda-forge::compas_eve
 python -m compas_rhino.install -v 7.0
    • Note: For documentation or help, please see: https://compas.dev/compas/latest/userguide/installation.html
Note: if the rhino install fails, you d not have the right folders. Need to make the scripts folder. Open explorer, put ``` \%appdata%\McNeel\Rhinoceros\7.0\ ``` in the search bar. Create a "scripts" folder. Run the command again. 

<img width="650" alt="" src="https://i.imgur.com/Qs8CP1P.jpg">

  1. Install Visual Studio Code (VSCode) https://code.visualstudio.com/

    • Note: Visual Studio Code is a simplified IDE (Integrated Development Environment), which allows you to write and run code within the same application for convenience.

    • Install the python extension in VSCode. The Python extension to provide features like linting, debugging, code navigation, and more. To install it, open VSCode, go to the Extensions view by clicking on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window, and search for Python. Click Install to add it.

    • We will need to switch the terminal to the anaconda prompt and the correct python environment that you just set up where you installed all of the compas dependencies.

    • First, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) or click on the top of the screen

    • Type >Terminal: Select Default Profile and select the standard Command Prompt System32/cmd.exe)

    • Now we can select the Anaconda Environment as your python interpreter. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P), type Python: Select Interpreter, and hit enter. A list of available interpreters will appear. Select the one that corresponds to your ARC596 Anaconda environment.


Installing Unity

  1. Install Unity https://unity.com/download

    • Note: We will use Unity 3D to develop the Android – based augmented reality apps.

  2. License Unity & Create Unity ID

    • Create your Unity ID: https://id.unity.com/en/conversations/b1516ea8-e6f1-4061-96b5-a060365abe06019f

    • License unity as personal non-commercial license. Open Unity Hub>Account>Preferences>Licenses

  1. Install the correct Unity Version using Unity Hub 2022.3.3f1 https://unity.com/releases/editor/whats-new/2022.3.3

    • Note: Do not click the blue download link. If you download directly from this website it is cubersome to install the dependencies. Unity is version-sensitive, and it needs to be exactly this version

    • Be sure to select the appropriate dependencies below.

      • Note: this installs roughly 20GB of data, make sure you have enough free space on your computer.

        • Microsoft Visual Studio
        • Android Build Support (Both Android SDK and OpenJDK)
        • iOS Build Support
        • Universal Windows Platform Build Support
        • Windows Build Support (IL2CPP)
        • Documentation

Android

  1. Enable Developer Mode on your Android phone

    • Go to the settings on your phone. Settings > About Phone > Build Number (or similar)

    • To enable developer options, tap the Build Number option 7 times

    • Enable USB debugging

    • Use a USBC Data cable to connect to your computer, as opposed to a power cable.

Test Your Setup

  1. Download the code

    • Open Github Desktop, sign into your Github account

      • Note: Instructor/AI will need to give you access to the private repository. Be sure to email them
      • Note: This downloads the files hosted on github to your computer.

    • Clone the repository. Go to File > Clone Repository

    • Use the following url, and make a note of where it saves the files https://github.com/IntuitiveRobotics-AugmentedTechnologies/ARC596_Embodied-Computation.git

      • Note: Do not use a Dropbox or Google Drive directory, as the file locking will make working more difficult

  2. Open the test files

    • Open Unity Hub. Go to Start menu and search unity hub

    • Add the test file from ARC596_Embodied-Computation\src\arc596_unity to Unity

      • Be sure that it is using the right unity version 2022.3.3f1

    • See if you can build and run the file on your phone. Open the Unity console. Go to File > Build and Run

      • Note: You should see no red errors. Yellow warnings in the screenshot are OK. If you see red errors, dependencies are not installed correctly.

    • Open Rhino

    • Go to the ARC596_Embodied-Computation\docs\T2 folder, and see if you can run the grasshopper script without any errors.

Optional Steps and Troubleshooting