# Crystallon courses

> **PAACADEMY offers online Crystallon courses, teaching computational designers how to generate open-cell beam networks and complex space-frame lattices for structural 3D printing.**

Crystallon is a Grasshopper plugin for generating space-frame and beam-based lattice structures from volumetric inputs. It takes a defined volume and fills it with a repeating lattice geometry based on configurable unit cell types, strut connectivity patterns, and density distributions. Its primary output is beam-network geometry suitable for structural 3D printing, where open-cell lattice frameworks reduce material weight while maintaining structural integrity.

At PAACADEMY, Crystallon is a core tool in _Structural Evolution_ by Nolan Kim, where it is used to generate specific structural typologies:

- **Beam-Based Lattices:** Automatically populating solid volumes with connected strut networks.
- **Density Mapping:** Adjusting the thickness of lattice struts dynamically based on structural load zones.
- **3D Printing Prep:** Ensuring that the generated space frames result in clean, watertight geometry for additive manufacturing.

## At a glance

- Software hub: Crystallon
- Courses listed: 1
- Canonical: https://paacademy.com/software/crystallon

## Courses

- [Structural Evolution](https://paacademy.com/course/structural-evolution)

## FAQ

### What is Crystallon and what lattice types does it generate in Grasshopper?

Crystallon is a Grasshopper plugin for generating beam-based lattice structures from volumetric inputs. It fills a defined volume with repeating lattice geometry based on configurable unit cell types and strut connectivity patterns, producing open-cell beam networks for structural 3D printing. At PAACADEMY, it is taught in _Structural Evolution_ by Nolan Kim for beam-lattice midsole and footwear structural design.

### How does Crystallon differ from Axolotl and Chromodoris in the Structural Evolution course at PAACADEMY?

Crystallon generates volumetric beam-network lattices where strut connectivity defines structural behavior. Axolotl generates Auxetic sheet geometries with negative Poisson's ratio behavior. Chromodoris generates triply periodic minimal surfaces through isosurface meshing from implicit functions. In _Structural Evolution_, each plugin addresses a different structural family within the four types covered: beam-based lattices, Auxetics, TPMS and Voronoi structures.

### What does Structural Evolution by Nolan Kim cover at PAACADEMY?

_Structural Evolution_ by Nolan Kim is an 8-hour beginner course across 8 lessons covering: parametric design techniques in Rhino and Grasshopper; structural families including Auxetics, beam-based lattices, triply periodic minimal surfaces and Voronoi structures; and case studies from New Balance, Adidas, Puma and Formlabs showing production applications of parametric structural lattice design in footwear.