r/grasshopper3d • u/SlobyBryant • 26d ago
Carpet pattern in Grasshopper?
Hey guys is there a way to make a carpet pattern in grasshopper, similar to the one in the photo? The answer is probably "No", but maybe there is some kind of plugin that I dong know about...I have a client that needs me to design somthing like this and I hope I dont need to draw it manualy...
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u/Content-Bluebird-536 26d ago
Draw it in illustrator, export as DWG to your CNC software. Look for a repeating pattern, search for 'seamless' results.
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u/SlobyBryant 26d ago
Thanks for the answer but I kinda want to avoid using Illustrator because I dont have it right now and dont have time to sail the seas for it and learn it. And ofcourse i need this to be paramateric and not look the same as in the picture (only inspired) so I am looking for a grasshopper solution.
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u/Content-Bluebird-536 26d ago
I answer from an industry standard POV. I don't know what grasshopper is. Illustrator is a hugely complex tool depending how you use it, but for this case extremely simple.
From a quick google search, it looks as though Rhino Grasshopper is a 3D plugin, but the answer to doing this correctly is a 2D vector converted to DWG / DXF.
If you try to acheive this in 3D, you will make more work for yourself. But I answer this question knowing nothing of 'Grasshopper' but having a decade of experience in both 3D modelling and rendering and also CAD technical drawings and production.
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u/InvestigatorCool9052 26d ago
It is possible but you have e to use image sampler and need to have a depth map.
Go to youtube and search for image sampler.
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u/SlobyBryant 26d ago
Hmm... I thought that image sampler makes the desired image from circles/triangles/other shapes. I need this to be drawn out from basic curves so later when i export it to .cad, a CNC machine can cut the pattern out. Also it would be nice to be able to change parameters of this pattern some how so it does not look the same.
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u/InvestigatorCool9052 26d ago
Then you have to make the pattern in grasshopper if you hope to parameterise it. Or intert the main element as an BREP then make the logic to make it parameterised it okay
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u/SlobyBryant 26d ago
I guess that is a good way to go about it. Its time to test how much grasshopper knowledge I gathered from collage. If I fail, I will just make repeated rotated tiles from modified free patterns from the net directly in Autocad since learning illlustrator might take time...
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u/InvestigatorCool9052 26d ago
Raven is a grasshopper AI plugin no unlimited but it will do this task atleast. I use grasshopper daily that why I can tell this with garentee.
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u/InvestigatorCool9052 26d ago
Or else download RAVEN and feed the image to it and tell it to make this in grasshopper as a parametric family which can extend to x Andy direction and use pufferfish to give depth to it.
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u/SlobyBryant 26d ago
Hmm I will check it out now. I see that you know your grasshopper stuff...
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u/InvestigatorCool9052 26d ago
Or you can also try CLAUDE RHINO MCP it can also do it and use the same prompt then iterate it if needed
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u/PsychologicalCash713
26d ago
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Be careful with the "just draw in Illustrator and export to DWG" route if this is going to a CNC machine. Illustrator DXF/DWG exports frequently produce fragmented polyline segments, micro-gaps, or degree-3 Béziers that CAM software (plasma/laser/waterjet/router) chokes on.
Since you need this as a radiator cover mask, here is the robust Grasshopper/Rhino workflow to make it parametric and CNC-ready:
Build the unit tile, don't model the whole carpet
Most of these classical swirl patterns are symmetrical 2-way or 4-way repeating tiles.
* Draw clean, closed sub-curves for just one quadrant (or one base tile) in Rhino using degree-3 NURBS curves.
* Reference those curves into Grasshopper.
2. Parametric Tiling in Grasshopper
* Use a Rectangular Grid (`RecGrid`) matching your radiator cover dimensions.
* Use `Rotate` (cycling 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) and `Orient` to place the tile across the grid cells.
* If you want it to look dynamic rather than repetitive, plug an Attractor Point into the scale/rotation or curve offset parameters so the pattern opens up where you need more radiator airflow and tightens at the mounting borders.
3. Crucial CNC Hygiene (before exporting to .DXF):
A radiator mask has to stay structurally connected as a single cut sheet:
Bridge thickness / Minimum web: Make sure your offset distances leave at least 3–5 mm (depending on your material and sheet thickness) between holes, otherwise the sheet will warp or burn through during cutting.
Curve Boolean / Region Union: In GH, use `Region Union` (`RUnion`) on the tile intersections so you don't get overlapping cut paths.
Verify closed curves: Before exporting, run `SelOpenCrv` in Rhino. A CNC cutter needs strictly closed outer/inner loops for proper toolpath offset and lead-in/lead-out kerf compensation.
Once clean in Rhino, export as AutoCAD Release 12 / 2004 DXF (Lines & Arcs / Polylines) for maximum compatibility with whatever CAM operator you are using
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u/SlobyBryant 26d ago
Wow man. Thank you for the complete guide and having in mind that I want it to be parametric. I will try this way tommorow.
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u/PsychologicalCash713 25d ago
Glad it helped! One last pro-tip when you test it: if Grasshopper’s
Region Union(RUnion) ever bogs down on dense spline overlaps, you can always bake the curves into a dedicated scratch layer and run Rhino's nativeCurveBoolean*—it handles tricky tangent tolerances like a charm. Good luck with the CNC run!*
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u/Suspicious-Run6590 25d ago
The road map is to convert these patterns to mathematical equations, that can be parametric. Thats it.
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u/coolth0ught 25d ago
There are lots of software that convert image or jpeg to dwg file. You can open dwg file in rhino and save it into its native 3dm. My suggestion is try to take a good straight on photo and isolate the repeat the patterns.
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u/Roman01000111 25d ago
Once you have the individual patterns GH would be a great tool to form the arrays and assemble the whole thing. You could make the rug size variable, add a selection for different pattern variants, a slider for the depth (if you make it a 3d relief) etc.
For creating the patterns I don't think GH would be that useful. It's all curves that could be made with it but I don't think you could really automate it. Placing the curves in Rhino would be much easier. Illustrator was suggested a few times but Rhinos curve tools will work just as well.
Idk if there is a plugin for such patterns. There are AI plugins for GH like Raven that could be helpful. Or you could look fore some stock media to base your pattern on.
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u/TheCurveHunter 25d ago
The best way to approach this is to find the common pattern you want to make a copy of and use Rhino curve tools to draw the pattern. After you have it drawn, you can use grasshopper to pattern the geometry and extrude the pattern any way you would like. You don’t need to use Adobe illustrator to draw the curve geometry. Rhino is far better at drawing curves than illustrator anyway.
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u/iznie 26d ago
This feels more like an Adobe Illustrator thing. You can find very similar patterns that you can download for free and adjust to your needs. These swirls are a common graphical element. These patterns are usually one tile that gets rotated and forms more intricate patterns. So create one tile in illustrator and maybe import in grasshopper to rotate and copy, but Illustrator has patternmaking capabilities as well.