Alex Schreyer's Blog, Projects, Books, and More
You can find many of my projects here (with the most recent on top). These tend to be larger projects. I usually post smaller projects (and news) in my blog under the respective categories.
Following is an index of my Projects pages on this site.
This code editor extension offers an easy-to-use and visually appealing way to write and modify Ruby scripts directly within SketchUp. These scripts can then be used to create geometry, add functionality or add data within the SketchUp 3D modeling environment. The SketchUp Ruby API provides an extensive set of functions to automatize SketchUp in many ways or create scripted, computational geometry.
This project explored the application of the visualization capabilities of Infrared Thermography in conjunction with three-dimensional models of buildings. Three-dimensional modeling is a powerful tool for visualizing and representing building conditions that is used by architects, builders, and contractors. Also, a three-dimensional model is better understandable than a more abstract two-dimensional representation (like a floor plan or an image).
This SketchUp extension was created out of a need for having extensions available in a “locked down” computer lab setting (similar to my solution for AutoCAD). It also provides an easy way to use extensions in SketchUp without having to install them – therefore making SketchUp start (and possibly run) faster. In addition, you can use this tool to run any external ruby code (e.g. for development purposes).
I conceptualize, design, implement and am maintaining a fair number of websites for myself, UMass and other entities. Most of these are WordPress-based CMS-type sites.
To keep track I figured I should keep a list of all of them. You can find it here.
A little while ago, I had a need for calculating centroids for planar shapes in SketchUp. To be more exact, my students had the need since I gave them an assignment that required this. Not knowing of a plugin for SketchUp that would accomplish this feat, they did it in Rhino or AutoCAD instead.
To rid SketchUp of this shortcoming, I decided to re-use some old Pascal code of mine and try my hand at writing a plugin for this. Here is the result.
MillRenovation.org has been created as an open, web-based directory of successful and potential post-industrial re-use case-studies of mill buildings and other commercial structures.
It is the aim of MillRenovation.org to provide a collection of redevelopment case-studies.
This (now older) world-wide directory of web links related to wood construction and timber engineering (“Holzbau” in German) is designed as an edited but open central node for professionals, academics, students or the general public to quickly find information related to this exciting topic.
This was an early attempt of mine to get a handle on font sizes in web design.
This study examined the strength properties of a new timber connector that consisted of a sectioned steel tube embedded into the end grain of heavy-timber structural members using a vinyl-ester based mortar. The steel cap of the connector featured a threaded hole that allowed for the attachment of a variety of connecting steel elements.
The DOWEL program is a finite-element modeler for dowel-type connections (e.g. nails, bolts, lag screws) in wood-wood, wood-steel or any other type of connection material configuration. The underlying model has even been used for pile modeling in soil. It calculates load-displacement curves for monotonic and cyclic loading applictions and plots deformed shapes at predefined displacement steps. Material inputs consist of basic material embedment data. All material data is stored in a database that can be appended by the user.
This project, which was completed in the summer of 2003, was aimed at evaluating the structure of a 1918 Western Massachusetts paper mill, which sat empty and had been deteriorating for 13 years. Ultimately, the feasibility of any redevelopment on the site was to be investigated.