Shape grammar - Wikipedia

Abstraction: Production system generating 2D/3D geometric shapes via formal rules

Key points:

• Shape grammars are production systems that generate 2- or 3-dimensional geometric shapes; introduced by George Stiny and James Gips in 1971
• A shape rule has a Left-Hand Side (condition: shape + marker) and Right-Hand Side (transformation + new marker position); a minimal grammar requires a start rule, transformation rule(s), and termination rule
• Differ from Chomsky grammars in that rules may be applied in parallel (like L-Systems), not just serially
• Parametric shape grammars extend the formalism to include parameters so rules respond to structural context (e.g., beam widths depending on span)
• Applied primarily in architectural design (Palladian villas by William Mitchell), decorative arts, industrial design, and engineering; have not achieved widespread use in general CAD tools

Connections: George Stiny · Shape Grammar · Generative Design · Formal Language · Computational Design

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_grammar