Formex Configuration Processing

Remarkable advances in computer aided design, have made it possible to have effective techniques for organisation of graphics as well as data generation. In particular, the fields of architecture and structural engineering may greatly benefit from the concepts of formex algebra which is a mathematical system providing a convenient basis for generating and modifying configurations. Formian is the programming language of formex algebra which handles problems of data generation and computer graphics with ease and elegance. The concepts of formex algebra have found applications in many disciplines. However, this paper describes some of the basic concepts of formex algebra in relation to a variety of space structures. Some composite transformations have been illustrated in the paper, that allow the creation and manipulation of a number of families of surfaces used for representing membranes, pneumatic structures and lattice shells. The paper concludes by describing a convenient technique for projecting patterns on various surfaces such as spheres, ellipsoids and hyperbolic paraboloids. Also, a function is described for evolving configurations based on polyhedra. This function constitutes the kernel of the problem handling strategy for visualisation and generation of data for geodesic domes.