Scripository Modelling Challenges
You've probably seen them all over LinkedIn: twisted towers, flowing facades, and parametric pavilions that seem to defy gravity. If you're a drafter or engineer or a practical person like me, you might be thinking: "Why should I learn to create these models when my day-to-day work is nothing like this?"
Tools like Grasshopper get a bad reputation because social media is full of people only showing these seemingly impractical and irrelevant models.
I understand your confusion, I didn't learn Grasshopper by creating these fancy models either. I was lucky and had a mentor that threw me in the deep end to solve practical problems early on. [You can read about that here].
But the truth is that when you can't find computational problems to solve in your work, these fancy models are actually your best path to mastering tools like Grasshopper. Because you don't yet have the skills to identify problems, you need a way to get some practice in.
Sure, you may never use these models in real life, but they give you the experience you need to use tools like Grasshopper in your own work. Through making these models, you might learn how you might applied the skills you've learned to solve the real problems at work.
Why Most Online Examples Don't Help
While there's no shortage of impressive parametric models online, they suck as learning tools because:
- There's no clear way to start
- There's no way to verify your solution
- The complexity can be overwhelming
Most examples online only focus on showing off how complex their models are but rarely do they ever show you how to build it. You also don't know what you'll learn by creating the model.
The Scripository Modeling Challenges
That's where these modeling challenges come in. Yes, we're still creating these fancy models, but with a focus on learning and gaining experience with Grasshopper or Dynamo.
It's also a simple format. You get a brief at the start about what we're modeling, and then you're free to start on your own. When you're done (or stuck), there's a detailed walkthrough and the complete script waiting for you.
Why "Challenges"?
These aren't called "challenges" by accident. They're designed to push you outside your comfort zone. The idea is to throw you into the deep end and push you to experiment and think through the process. That's where the real learning happens.
By going through this process, you gain a deeper understanding of not just the tool, but also your own problem-solving approach.
The Learning Process
Here's how it works:
- Attempt: Try solving the challenge using your current knowledge
- Struggle: Experiment with different approaches, even if they fail
- Compare: Review the walkthrough and compare it to your solution
This cycle of attempt-struggle-compare is how expertise is built.
How to Get Started
Each challenge comes with:
- Clear prerequisites so you know what you need to know
- Reference materials to guide you
- A comprehensive walkthrough and scripts to compare against
The goal isn't to create portfolio pieces, it's to get the reps in and build up your computational thinking skills that will transform how you approach problems.
Ready to start? Choose a challenge that interests you and dive in.
The most valuable learning happens not in the model, but in the process of creating it.