A Methodological Approach for the Conversion of Cabin-Design CAD Models to CPACS Data via Visual Scripting in Grasshopper for Rhino3D

A Methodological Approach for the Conversion of Cabin-Design CAD Models to CPACS Data via Visual Scripting in Grasshopper for Rhino3D | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Methodological Approach for the Conversion of Cabin-Design CAD Models to CPACS Data via Visual Scripting in Grasshopper for Rhino3D Alexander Stickler, Mara Fuchs, Jörn Biedermann, Björn Nagel This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9419169/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The development of new aircraft concepts involves a large number ofdisciplinary fields, each with their own research foci, methods andtools. Integrating the results of these investigation fields, eachfocused on specific partial aspects, into a holistic evaluation andoptimisation process requires their data to be embedded in a continuousprocess chain. Concepts of a Digital Thread as the linking andintegration of data across multiple applications and systems in productdevelopment and lifecycle assessment are currently an active researchfield in aircraft design.Cabin design makes a significant contribution to the development ofthe aviation of tomorrow through novel disruptive cabin concepts,particularly in view of global challenges such as demographic change,political influences, and societal shifts in values and norms. Anessential aspect of overall aircraft design is the early and holisticinvestigation of these concepts, taking into account the integrationof the passenger and human perspective as input into the digitaldesign process.In particular, cabin design -- methodologically close to industrial andproduct design -- employs, from a design-methodology perspective, toolsthat differ in their media and data formats from those used by otherdisciplines involved in aircraft design. Tools and methods that allowimmediate visual feedback are therefore preferred. Depending on thedesign methodology, the process may begin with analogue hand drawingsas the initial tool.This paper addresses the question of how cabin-design methods and datacan be effectively coupled with classical engineering data formats. Amethodological interface is developed that enables the automatedconversion of geometry-based, CAD-modelled cabin layouts to data setsconforming to the Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema(CPACS), the central data standard for aircraft design at DLR. The3D-modelling environment Rhinoceros3D and its integrated visual scriptingapplication Grasshopper are employed as the implementation platform.The method is demonstrated using a disruptive cabin layout from the DLRproject EXACT, comprising heterogeneous seat configurations that deviatefrom conventional Layout of Passenger Accommodation (LOPA) standards.The resulting CPACS data sets enable downstream integration and iterativeoptimisation of novel cabin monuments and layouts via DLR's establishedanalysis chains.The approach is conceived as tool-agnostic and is transferable to anyCAD system supporting block definitions, instancing, user-definedattributes and API access. It contributes to the early integration ofcabin-system and structural analysis in aircraft preliminary design froma human-centred design perspective. CAD Cabin Design Digital Thread CPACS Visual Scripting Grasshopper Rhino3D Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9419169","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":641526042,"identity":"3cd2c72f-7f32-4959-9e4a-0617bd9c38b1","order_by":0,"name":"Alexander Stickler","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"German Aerospace Center","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alexander","middleName":"","lastName":"Stickler","suffix":""},{"id":641526043,"identity":"4aa4d00f-637f-4c47-aac3-09dc3130304e","order_by":1,"name":"Mara Fuchs","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"German Aerospace Center","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mara","middleName":"","lastName":"Fuchs","suffix":""},{"id":641526044,"identity":"4ab6238c-1239-4891-a907-d8c76649b8c7","order_by":2,"name":"Jörn Biedermann","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"German Aerospace Center","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jörn","middleName":"","lastName":"Biedermann","suffix":""},{"id":641526045,"identity":"536538bf-d74b-4167-9a73-f5850d31775c","order_by":3,"name":"Björn Nagel","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"German Aerospace Center","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Björn","middleName":"","lastName":"Nagel","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-14 19:39:00","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9419169/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9419169/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":109760084,"identity":"f76841eb-e37b-4f1b-bf75-9a266224e6f1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-22 07:28:09","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2731081,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"StickleretalDLRK2025.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9419169/v1_covered_2ee51f2a-2b88-4588-8de3-1e1c5cb7f5a6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Methodological Approach for the Conversion of Cabin-Design CAD Models to CPACS Data via Visual Scripting in Grasshopper for Rhino3D","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"CAD, Cabin Design, Digital Thread, CPACS, Visual Scripting, Grasshopper, Rhino3D","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9419169/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9419169/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe development of new aircraft concepts involves a large number ofdisciplinary fields, each with their own research foci, methods andtools. Integrating the results of these investigation fields, eachfocused on specific partial aspects, into a holistic evaluation andoptimisation process requires their data to be embedded in a continuousprocess chain. Concepts of a \u003cem\u003eDigital Thread\u003c/em\u003e as the linking andintegration of data across multiple applications and systems in productdevelopment and lifecycle assessment are currently an active researchfield in aircraft design.Cabin design makes a significant contribution to the development ofthe aviation of tomorrow through novel disruptive cabin concepts,particularly in view of global challenges such as demographic change,political influences, and societal shifts in values and norms. 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