Building

Architecture & Planning

Civil

Structural

Rhino

Grasshopper

Grasshopper, with its visual programming capabilities integrated into Rhino, is a game-changer for numerous disciplines. Designers, architects, engineers, and artists can unleash their creativity and explore boundless possibilities through incredible parametric designs. Its user-friendly node-based approach, extensive plugins, and vibrant community make it the ultimate tool for parametric modeling across fields, from architecture and engineering to art and fabrication. With Grasshopper going web-based, users can expect a whole new level of collaboration, scalability, and accessibility.

## Why use a Grasshopper web app?

Here are some key advantages of using web applications with Grasshopper models:

- **Easy Distribution**: Web apps can be accessed across different devices and platforms, ensuring widespread accessibility within your organization.
- **User-Friendly and Easy to Operate**: The user-friendly interface of web apps simplifies interaction and operation, making it accessible even to non-technical users. Meanwhile, script access is granted to developers!
- **Security:** By hosting your Grasshopper models on secure servers, you can safeguard your valuable code and data from unauthorized access or theft.
- **Easier Maintenance with Version Control:** Web applications benefit from streamlined maintenance through version control systems, facilitating updates, changes tracking, and effective collaboration.
- **Integration Capabilities:** Web apps can seamlessly integrate with various software pieces, enhancing interoperability across different software ecosystems.

## Your Grasshopper scripts in a web app

VIKTOR offers a solution that fulfills all these possibilities. By connecting the VIKTOR app to your Grasshopper model running on a server using Rhino Compute, you can create a real-time connection between the web app and the Grasshopper script.

![compute.png](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/compute_9f1242a818.png)

The advantages of using VIKTOR for this purpose are:

- **Use the plugins you need:** VIKTOR seamlessly integrates with the necessary Grasshopper plugins you require for your projects.  
- **Host it on your own server/computer:** Retain full control over your data and ensure the security of your models by hosting them on your server or computer.
- **Integrate it into a bigger workflow:** VIKTOR smoothly fits into your existing workflow, accommodating other disciplines. For example, integrating Architects, Structure Engineers, and Geotechnical Engineers on the same app.
- **Advanced visualizations of Grasshopper results:** VIKTOR provides advanced visualization capabilities, allowing you to present your Grasshopper results in an engaging and informative manner.

## Demo app: Twisting tower and environmental analysis with Grasshopper!

Grasshopper finds common applications in both geometrically configuring architectural designs and conducting environmental analysis for these designs. This workflow heavily relies on the powerful capabilities of [Ladybug](https://www.ladybug.tools/) environmental analysis and simulation plugins within Grasshopper. With our new Grasshopper integration, we have made it possible to run this complex analysis behind a simple UI on a web app. The demo app offers a parametric twisting tower set in an urban context. Moreover, it includes a Direct Sun Hour Analysis, revealing which areas are exposed to sunlight and for how long throughout the year.

<iframe height="600px" frameborder="0" src="https://demo.viktor.ai/embed/grasshopper-sunlight-analysis" style="
    transform: translate(-50%);
    width: 90vw;
    max-width: 1028px;
    margin-left: 50%;
    box-shadow: 0px 0 2px 0 #888;
    "></iframe>

Understanding the areas with the most sun exposure proves incredibly valuable! It enables efficient placement of solar panels, identification of potential shading opportunities, and informed decisions on façade engineering systems to optimize energy usage and environmental impact.

## More Grasshopper plug-ins

Users have the freedom to integrate more robust plugins (like Karamba3D for structural analysis), it becomes feasible to create a comprehensive cloud app capable of providing performance analysis for various aspects of the design. This all-in-one solution allows users to access multiple functionalities within a single platform, streamlining their workflow and enhancing overall project efficiency.


## Ways to build your app!
There are 2 ways to integrate VIKTOR with Rhino/Grasshopper:
1. Connect to Rhino/Grasshopper on your local computer via the Hops component and a Generic worker
2. Connect to a Rhino Compute Server

We recommend using the worker (1) when you don't have a Rhino Compute server yet and you want to get started quickly. You can go for setting up a Rhino Compute server (2) when you want to go for production with your app.

![Grasshopper pic 1.png](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/Grasshopper_pic_1_a8d58be1d5.png)

## Do it yourself!

Do you want to turn your Grasshopper script into a VIKTOR app? Start now with a [VIKTOR free account](https://www.viktor.ai/start-building-apps), then explore the open-source demo app from our [GitHub](https://github.com/viktor-platform/sample-grasshopper-analysis/tree/main) page. Or this [GitHub](https://github.com/viktor-platform/Sunlight-Hours-Analysis-with-Grasshopper-and-Ladybug) for connecting to a Rhino Compute server. For developers eager to dive in, our comprehensive [documentation](https://docs.viktor.ai/docs/getting-started/tutorials/grasshopper-tutorial/) provides elaborate explanations to create your own app. Curious how web apps are reshaping AEC? Our vibrant [community](https://community.viktor.ai/tags/c/inspiration-gallery/9/grasshopper) page is the ultimate hub for passionate minds to share questions, ideas, and experiences. Let's create together and elevate design to extraordinary heights! 



## Let's Innovate together!

Through close collaboration with [McNeel](https://www.rhino3d.com/), this near real-time integration is made possible through the Hops component for Rhino Compute. We are working together to provide AEC professionals with secure web-based abilities by Grasshopper/Rhino and VIKTOR. Thank you for making this possible! 

large_Group 1259 (1).png

medium_Group 1259 (1).png

small_Group 1259 (1).png

thumbnail_Group 1259 (1).png

Group 1259 (1).png

Turn your Grasshopper models into web apps 15x faster with our new integration. Share 3D models, enhance collaboration, and make complex scripts user-friendly.

Enable Instant Collaboration: Easily Turn Grasshopper Models into Web Apps with VIKTOR Integration

Easily Turn Grasshopper Models into Sharable Web Apps with VIKTOR

1. What is parametric design, and how is it evolving
2. Collaborative parametric design: working together for better results
3. How to make tools available to others
4. Active collaboration on parametric design tools
5. Parametric design in a billion-euro project
6. What collaborative parametric design means for you



large_Viktor White Paper The future of parametric design is_ COLLABORATION.jpg

medium_Viktor White Paper The future of parametric design is_ COLLABORATION.jpg

small_Viktor White Paper The future of parametric design is_ COLLABORATION.jpg

thumbnail_Viktor White Paper The future of parametric design is_ COLLABORATION.jpg

WP_white

large_parametric_steel_structure.png

medium_parametric_steel_structure.png

small_parametric_steel_structure.png

thumbnail_parametric_steel_structure.png

WP_white_2

Parametric design is a design approach that uses flexible models that can be adjusted and solved quickly. The goal is to see the effect of specific choices on your design by just changing the input variables. 

The benefits are:

- **Flexibility:** Parametric design allows you to react quickly to changes at a low cost. Always generate the best solution for your project no matter the time pressure.

- **Better decisions:** Automatically calculate thousands of different solutions, get deep insight, and mitigate risks. Make better decisions and provide more added value to clients.

- **Digital Assets:** Create models and data that are reusable in new projects. Improve them over time, building up digital capital

This white paper is for engineers, architects, project leaders, and innovation and business managers. You will learn how collaborative parametric design in the cloud helps organizations get better results with real study cases such as a billion-euro infrastructure project.
 
Additionally, we talk about how you can transform Python, Dynamo and Grasshopper scripts into user-friendly web apps and significantly impact your organization performance. 

Learn how collaborative parametric design models allow you to work together for better solutions.

Download the white paper and get INSPIRED

This white paper is for engineers, project leaders, and innovation and business managers that want to learn more about what collaborative parametric design can mean for them. Discover more about this new way of working in which stakeholders collaborate to find the best solution for a project.

The Future of Parametric Design is COLLABORATION

Geotechnical

Mechanical

Environmental

Water

Electrical

Energy

Sustainability

Creating the app with the VIKTOR App Builder is only the tip of the iceberg, as it is part of the broader VIKTOR platform. In the examples below, I will show you how I use the platform’s different components throughout the workflow, from the knowledge base that stores engineering information specific to the industry and the company, to VIKTOR Desktop, which connects the application to Rhino and Grasshopper on my computer. I will also show you how to test, validate, and scale the application throughout your organization. 

![Screenshot 2026-07-15 132530.png](https://cms.viktor.ai/uploads/Screenshot_2026_07_15_132530_1e43c82bb8.png)

</br>

We will build a complete application for designing and analyzing a parametric canopy. These are the prompts I will use throughout the process:

- Prompt 1: Create a parametric canopy structure in VIKTOR, powered by Grasshopper and [Kangaroo](https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/kangaroo-physics). We will use VIKTOR input fields and a 3D view to automate the workflow and explore design alternatives faster. 
- Prompt 2: Optimize footing sizing with VIKTOR and Grasshopper. We will automate pad foundation sizing in VIKTOR, then use Grasshopper to update the geometry with the calculated dimensions for a more optimal design. 
- Prompt 3: Automate carbon footprint analysis. We will use VIKTOR to run multiple Grasshopper design alternatives and estimate the carbon impact of each one for more sustainable design decisions. 

## Automate canopy design with VIKTOR, Grasshopper, and Kangaroo 

I will start by turning a Grasshopper definition file (.ghx) of the canopy structure into a VIKTOR app. 

This used to be a manual process. I remember my colleague Rick had to translate Grasshopper definitions into VIKTOR apps by hand. It was a time consuming task. Now, you can change the .ghx file extension to .xml, attach the file in the App Builder, and let it handle the conversion.

I found this especially useful because it makes the process more accessible to people like me who are not Grasshopper experts but simply want to solve an engineering problem on the VIKTOR platform, regardless of the software they use.  

Let’s see this in action by using the prompt box below to open the VIKTOR App Builder and describe the engineering problem we want to solve. 

 

Build a VIKTOR app from a Grasshopper definition. 

Then download the [Grasshopper file](https://drive.google.com/file/d/14JQ0_csMfLhXtiM0PtVLhcQc0izy2clQ/view?usp=sharing) (I’ve already renamed it to `.xml` for you), attach it to the VIKTOR App Builder, and run the second prompt below.

Copy this prompt to expand your app!

After the App Builder creates the app, make sure the following components are installed and running before you continue: 

1. Make sure [Rhino](https://www.rhino3d.com/download/) is installed. 

2. [Download and install VIKTOR Desktop](https://docs.viktor.ai/docs/create-apps/software-integrations/viktor-desktop/). VIKTOR Desktop is a Windows application that gives you one place to install, configure, run, and monitor your personal integrations, so you can manage the connection to Grasshopper from your computer. 

3. Sign in to VIKTOR Desktop and configure the Grasshopper worker. 

4. Open Rhino, type `Grasshopper` in the Rhino command bar, and press Enter to open Grasshopper. Create a new empty Grasshopper document and keep it open so VIKTOR Desktop can run jobs locally from the app. 

Now you can return to the VIKTOR app and run it! 

<div style="padding:75% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1214582165?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Automate canopy design with VIKTOR, Grasshopper, and Kangaroo"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

</br>
You should end up with a VIKTOR app that exposes the Grasshopper inputs as clear fields and shows the canopy in a 3D view. This lets us use the parametric power of Grasshopper and Kangaroo without changing the definition by hand every time, making it much easier to explore design alternatives directly from the VIKTOR interface. 

## Optimize footing sizing with VIKTOR and Grasshopper 

The first prompt gave us a working connection and returned the Grasshopper results. From there, we continued in the same VIKTOR App Builder conversation and extended the application with the next engineering step. 

For the next step, we want the app to collect axial loads and bending moments, calculate pad foundation dimensions, and send those new dimensions back into the geometry workflow. 

Optimize footing sizing with Grasshopper and VIKTOR. Try it now!

<div style="padding:70.68% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1214582163?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Optimize footing sizing with VIKTOR and Grasshopper"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

</br>

The geometry and engineering checks were connected instead of becoming separate workflows. I did not need to move between a Grasshopper file, a separate foundation spreadsheet, and another geometry viewer. The inputs, calculation, and updated model stayed in one application where the team can review and verify the complete process. 

## Automate carbon footprint analysis with VIKTOR and Grasshopper 

For the final step, we wanted to compare several design options instead of running only one geometry at a time. So we continued in the same VIKTOR App Builder conversation and added one final step to the application. 

The carbon sweep changes the width and shell rise across a user defined range. It runs the alternatives in Grasshopper, reads the estimated volume, and calculates the total carbon using one combined carbon factor. 

Automate Grasshopper analyses now!

<div style="padding:70.68% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1214582167?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Automate carbon footprint analysis with VIKTOR and Grasshopper"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

</br>

The value of this final prompt was orchestration. VIKTOR defined and ran the sweep logic, Grasshopper produced the geometry and volume for every case, and VIKTOR presented the results in a clear and polished visualization. 

 

## The value of the VIKTOR platform and Grasshopper 

 

Grasshopper gives us a powerful way to create parametric geometry. VIKTOR gives us a place to save the results from several projects instead of leaving files scattered across local computers. This makes it easier to find, reuse, and review the work later. 

 

The VIKTOR platform also gives the team one place to improve the application. We can ask for feedback, create a revision process, and keep different versions of the app in one place. Administrators can control who has access to the app, so the right people can use it and the team can keep track of the approved version. 

 

In addition to supporting collaboration and governance, the VIKTOR platform is built on years of experience in the AEC sector. It maintains a knowledge base with industry and company-specific engineering information, giving the VIKTOR App Builder more context when it helps create apps and workflows. This helps teams build tools that reflect their own engineering standards and ways of working. 

 

Teams can also use a virtual machine to run the Grasshopper and VIKTOR workflow. This means users can use the application without having Rhino and Grasshopper installed on their own computer. 

 

## Conclusion 

 

With these three prompts, we created one application that connects to a Grasshopper definition, visualizes Rhino geometry, sizes pad foundations, and compares volume and carbon across several design options. This let us explore design alternatives faster and share the workflow with others instead of keeping it as a local Grasshopper file. The process showed us that we did not need to master every tool before we could start building a useful workflow around it. 

 

If your team has valuable Rhino and Grasshopper files that are difficult to share or scale, use the same approach to turn them into reviewed applications. [Sign up for VIKTOR and try it yourself](https://www.viktor.ai/sign-up).

large_Grasshopper Rhino blog header.png

medium_Grasshopper Rhino blog header.png

small_Grasshopper Rhino blog header.png

thumbnail_Grasshopper Rhino blog header.png

Grasshopper Rhino blog header.png

Learn how to automate Rhino and Grasshopper workflows with VIKTOR AI. Build shareable engineering applications, automate calculations, compare design alternatives, and scale workflows across your team.

Automate Rhino & Grasshopper Workflows with AI | VIKTOR

How to automate workflows on Rhino and Grasshopper with VIKTOR AI 

VIKTOR Blog

How to automate workflows on Rhino and Grasshopper with VIKTOR AI

Easily Turn Grasshopper Models into Sharable Web Apps with VIKTOR

VIKTOR Blog

How to automate workflows on Rhino and Grasshopper with VIKTOR AI

Easily Turn Grasshopper Models into Sharable Web Apps with VIKTOR

Customer Cases

White Papers & Guides