Technical documentation

AeroField user manual.

Installation, ten-minute quick start, component reference, five visualization methods, advanced settings, baking, animation export, troubleshooting, and interpretation limits.

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Installation.

AeroField requires Rhino 8.30 or newer with Grasshopper. Keep AeroField.gha and AeroField.Core.dll together in the same plugin folder. The Yak package is the preferred public release file for Rhino 8.30+.

After changing plugin files, restart Rhino completely. Avoid duplicate installations: Grasshopper should find only one AeroField assembly.

Ten-minute quick start.

Create or reference a closed building mass, add an AeroField Study component, and connect the geometry to Geometry. The Study calculates automatically; there is no Run input because Grasshopper updates when inputs change.

Minimum wireRhino building geometry -> Geometry parameter -> AeroField Study.Geometry

Default wind10 m/s, wind from 0 degrees, 1.5 m analysis height, Standard quality

Status panelsConnect Summary and Diagnostics to Grasshopper panels for interpretation and troubleshooting.

Three public components.

AeroField Study

Main component. Accepts buildings, computes the field, previews the selected method, bakes the view, and outputs Summary, Flow Paths, Analysis Plane, Study, and Diagnostics.

AeroField Advanced Settings

Optional controls for quality, resolution, domain extents, wind profile, streamline density, scalar fields, line width, and live viewport graphics.

AeroField Animation Export

Connect the Study output to prepare Full HD frames and export a locally supported movie format.

One-wire standard workflow

Advanced Settings and Animation Export are optional; a normal study starts with a single wire into Study.

Study reference.

The Study component is the center of AeroField. It accepts ordinary study inputs, displays five visualization buttons, and includes BAKE VIEW TO RHINO for persistent geometry output.

GeometryClosed masses or meshes; multiple buildings may be supplied as a list.

Wind Speed m/sIncoming reference wind speed. Keep constant when comparing geometry alternatives.

Wind From degreesMeteorological source direction: 0 from north, 90 from east, 180 from south, 270 from west.

Analysis Height mHeight above ground for the horizontal analysis plane; default is 1.5 m.

QualityPreview, Standard, or Detailed. Leave unconnected for Standard in ordinary work.

Advanced SettingsOptional object from the Advanced Settings component.

The five visualization methods.

1. Detailed 3D Streamlines

Overall three-dimensional wind routes around, over, and behind the buildings.

2. Wake and Vortex

Downstream wake organization and rotational indicators.

3. Pedestrian Wind Map

Horizontal scalar map at the selected analysis height.

4. Flow Sections

Horizontal or vertical scalar-field sections through the stored 3D field.

5. Surface Exposure

Relative speed-up, speed, or pressure-proxy exposure on facades and roofs.

Wake and vortex visualization — Method 2 - Wake and Vortex.

Advanced settings.

Use Advanced Settings after the basic workflow is understood. Connect only the controls you want to override; unconnected advanced inputs inherit the selected Base Quality preset.

ResolutionTarget Resolution and Maximum Cells balance detail, memory, and calculation time.

Wind profilePower Law is the normal conceptual setting; Uniform is useful for controlled comparisons.

Domain extentsUpwind, downwind, side, and top extents change the calculated field volume.

Visualization controlsLine width, color range, scalar fields, opacity, context paths, and live viewport labels.

Animation export.

Connect AeroField Study.Study to AeroField Animation Export.Study. Frames are prepared automatically, then use EXPORT MOVIE or SAVE AS to write the movie path.

Interpretation and limitations.

AeroField is intended for conceptual studies, education, and qualitative comparison. Use it to form questions, compare options, identify areas that deserve attention, and prepare a clearer brief for specialist analysis.

Do not present AeroField output as certified pedestrian comfort, validated facade pressure, indoor natural ventilation, code compliance, or life-safety engineering.