Is Grasshopper hard to learn?

It has a learning curve, but PAACADEMY's beginner tracks assume zero coding experience.

What can I build with Grasshopper?

Parametric facades, structural lattices, generative patterns, and fabrication-ready geometry, among others.

What is Grasshopper 3D used for in architecture?

Grasshopper is a visual programming environment built into Rhino that enables parametric design, computational geometry, fabrication scripting, environmental analysis and generative design workflows. At PAACADEMY, it is the most widely used tool on the platform, featured in over 85 courses across parametric architecture, sustainability, fabrication and AI-assisted design.

Do I need programming experience to learn Grasshopper?

No. Grasshopper uses a visual node-based interface where components are connected graphically rather than written as text code. PAACADEMY offers beginner-level Grasshopper courses that introduce parametric design logic from first principles, with no prior scripting or programming background required.

What plugins extend Grasshopper at PAACADEMY?

PAACADEMY courses cover a wide range of Grasshopper plugins including Ladybug and Honeybee for environmental simulation, Kangaroo for physics and form-finding, Wallacei for multi-objective optimization, LunchBox for paneling and pattern generation, eleFront for advanced data management, Anemone for iterative loops and Dendro for voxel modeling. Each plugin is taught in dedicated courses alongside Grasshopper.

Grasshopper 3D Courses: 85+ Courses

courses per page

Tensegrity and Tensile Membranes in Kangaroo

Days

Hrs

Min

Sec

Full AccessNew

Tensegrity and Tensile Membranes in Kangaroo

Virginia Melnyk

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner

Full AccessNew

Tensegrity and Tensile Membranes in Kangaroo

8 HoursBeginner

What you'll learn

Understanding the principles of deployable structures in architecture (particularly scissor mechanisms)
Develop parametric workflows in Rhino and Grasshopper to create scissor mechanisms that deploy and collapse
Use Kangaroo physics to simulate membrane surfaces attached to deployable structures

Virginia Melnyk

Verified Account

Grasshopper Masterclass: Parametric Facade Generator

Days

Hrs

Min

Sec

Full AccessNew

Grasshopper Masterclass: Parametric Facade Generator

Ognjen Graovac

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner

Full AccessNew

Grasshopper Masterclass: Parametric Facade Generator

8 HoursBeginner

What you'll learn

Creative algorithmic thinking and problem solving
Building robust Grasshopper definitions
Debugging complex algorithms in Grasshopper

Ognjen Graovac

Verified Account

Full Access

Clay 3D-Printing: Beyond Digital Design

Edurne Morales

Verified Account

8 HoursIntermediate11 lessons

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Clay 3D-Printing: Beyond Digital Design

8 HoursIntermediate11 lessons

What you'll learn

Understand material behavior in digital fabrication and in clay 3D printing.
Design and model architectural elements using Rhino 8.
Develop parametric systems using Grasshopper.

Edurne Morales

Verified Account

Full Access

Dynamic Wearables for Fashion Design 2.0

RJ Weaver

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

Full Access

Dynamic Wearables for Fashion Design 2.0

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

What you'll learn

Create parametric modules for jewelry and wearable systems.
Build adjustable workflows in Rhino and Grasshopper.
Generate arrays, curve-based patterns, and modular distributions.

RJ Weaver

Verified Account

Full Access

Building Performance with Forma & Opossum

Olaf Olden

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

Full Access

Building Performance with Forma & Opossum

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

What you'll learn

Perform weather, wind, and microclimate analysis using Ladybug and the Forma Rhino plugin.
Run daylight and solar simulations using Cyclops.
Develop energy models and thermal comfort analysis using Ladybug & Honeybee.

Olaf Olden

Verified Account

Full Access

AI City Urban Design in Grasshopper & ComfyUI

Albert Sumin

Verified Account

16 HoursBeginner24 lessons

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AI City Urban Design in Grasshopper & ComfyUI

16 HoursBeginner24 lessons

What you'll learn

Design an urban city using AI and parametric workflows
Build and analyze city-scale geometry in Grasshopper
Generate AI visuals and concepts with ComfyUI

Albert Sumin

Verified Account

Full Access

Vibe Coding for Designers: Adaptive Toolmaking

Jacob Lehrer

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner12 lessons

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Vibe Coding for Designers: Adaptive Toolmaking

8 HoursBeginner12 lessons

What you'll learn

Understand the basics of coding
How to install and use Python
How to prepare data to move between software

Jacob Lehrer

Verified Account

Full Access

Parametric Pavilion Design: From Concept to Fabrication

Igor Pantic

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner10 lessons

Full Access

Parametric Pavilion Design: From Concept to Fabrication

8 HoursBeginner10 lessons

What you'll learn

Understand bottom-up design where form emerges from materials and fabrication constraints
Develop small-scale structures using design-to-fabrication workflows in Rhino and Grasshopper
Explore form generation and structural organisation through pavilion studies

Igor Pantic

Verified Account

Full Access

3D-Printed Wall Systems

Mirko Daneluzzo

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner10 lessons

Full Access

3D-Printed Wall Systems

8 HoursBeginner10 lessons

What you'll learn

How to translate 2D patterns into 3D-printable relief systems
Principles of fabrication-aware design, including no-support geometries
Advanced Grasshopper workflows for integration and slicing logic

Mirko Daneluzzo

Verified Account

Full Access

Dynamic Wearables for Fashion Design

RJ Weaver

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner10 lessons

Full Access

Dynamic Wearables for Fashion Design

8 HoursBeginner10 lessons

What you'll learn

Create parametric wearable designs that adapt dynamically to 3D body scans.
Capture and clean body scans using a smartphone workflow with Blender.
Use voxel-based methods to generate complex, 3D-print-ready geometries.

RJ Weaver

Verified Account

Full Access

Robotic Fabrication for Irregular Geometry

Zvonko Vugreshek

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

Full Access

Robotic Fabrication for Irregular Geometry

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

What you'll learn

Mastering computational concepts for managing complex toolpath arrays.
Understanding robot kinematics and how to visualise and validate reachability.
Mesh-to-Path Logic: Techniques for projecting vector paths onto 'noisy' scanned meshes.