COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN SYSTEM FOR FUNICULAR NETWORK STRUCTURES.

Although funicular network structures possess many positive features, their use has been limited by the complexities inherent in their design. This paper describes an interactive computer graphics design program, STRETCH, which provides a simple, unified approach to the design of these structures. Structural geometry is input through a digitizing tablet, and equilibrium shapes are computed by efficient iterative routines. Options exist for dynamic perspective display of geometry, graphical structural editing, nonlinear displacement analysis, and the production of smooth-shaded color renderings.