The Elements For Computing With Shapes In The Gsg System

This paper shows the shape computation tools made available by a shape grammar interpreter interactive system, the GSG (Generic Shape Grammars), in development. The tools are presented through examples in the visual context of the system and include the interface and basic drawing, shape computations by applying shape grammar rules involving different similarity transforms and operations with shapes, different kinds of grammar rules and rule application strategies and visualization of results in the hierarchy of the shapes produced. Shape grammars are related to shapes in the same way that conventional, written language grammars are related to sentences in text. In its half century history, shape grammars have been used to analyze styles in visual arts (e.g., architecture, design, painting), as well as to synthesize original languages of designs with applications (as to architecture, urban space planning, industrial and decorative, marketing and brand image design) and exploited with creative/ exploratory and didactical purposes as well. The GSG system is a shape grammar interpreter with an environment within which the user can build his/her own shape grammars and test them and execute them, generating patterns according to the style coded in the alphabet of shapes and the shape relations of the rules of the grammar.