Semantic Categories

The classification system for Smart Geometry.

Categories define what an object IS. Every object in Balarhinos must be assigned a category to become "Smart Geometry".

Available Categories

Categories are organized by their domain:

Urban Morphology

boundary

  • boundary: The outermost limit of a site or analysis area.

block

  • block: A large urban unit that contains multiple plots.

plot

  • plot: An individual parcel of land, often containing a building.

road

  • road: Transportation infrastructure that defines urban connectivity.

Architecture & Massing

building

  • building: A primary architectural volume.

floor

  • floor: Horizontal subdivision within a building.

core

  • core: Vertical circulation and service volumes.

facade

  • facade: The external skin of a building.

Environmental & CFD

Inlet / Outlet

  • inlet / outlet: Defined regions for wind or fluid simulation.

refinement-region

  • refinement-region: Areas where analysis resolution should be increased.

ground

  • ground: The base plane of the site.

Analysis & Sensors

sensor

  • sensor: A point or surface designated for data collection (e.g., light level, temperature).

measurement-point

  • measurement-point: Specific coordinates for urban metrics calculation.

How Categories Affect Behavior

Assigning a category does more than just add a label:

  1. Analysis Mapping: The sunlight-analysis engine only computes exposure for specific categories (e.g., building surfaces and ground).
  2. Parameter Templates: Choosing building automatically provides parameters for "Number of Floors", while road provides "Width" and "Lane Count".
  3. Visibility: Different categories can be styled or filtered in the Rhino viewport using the Balarhinos display conduits.

Category Inheritance

Some categories have natural relationships. For example, a plot often inherits properties from the block it belongs to. This inheritance is managed by the Semantic Graph.