Understanding Semantics

How Balarhinos gives meaning to geometry.

The core of Balarhinos is its Semantic System. Unlike standard CAD metadata, Balarhinos semantics are deeply integrated into the geometry's lifecycle, affecting how it's analyzed, subdivided, and visualized.

What is Smart Geometry?

Standard geometry in Rhino consists of points, curves, or meshes. Smart Geometry in Balarhinos is a richer object that includes:

  1. Geometry Reference: The link to the actual Rhino object.
  2. Category: What the object is (e.g., a "boundary", "building", or "road").
  3. Parameters: Quantitative data specific to that category (e.g., "target density" or "setback").
  4. Relations: How this object connects to others (e.g., "contained by block A").

The Schema

Balarhinos uses a unified schema to track this data. When you tag an object, it inherits the structure defined for its category.

interface SmartGeometry {
  id: string;              // Stable GUID
  category: SemanticCategory;
  parameters: ParameterSet; // Category-specific data
  relations: Relation[];    // Connection to other objects
  geometryRef: Guid;        // Reference to Rhino object
}

Why Use Semantics?

1. Automation

By knowing that a curve is a "boundary", Balarhinos can automatically run the Plot Division algorithm on it.

2. Intelligent Simulation

For Sunlight Analysis, the engine needs to know which objects are occluders (buildings) and which are targets (facades or ground). Semantics handle this mapping automatically.

3. Data Integrity

Parameters are validated based on their category. If a "plot" requires an area calculation, the system ensures that data is always present and up-to-date.

Next Up

Learn about the different Semantic Categories available in Balarhinos.