They are an important component used in advanced telecommunications, imaging, medicine, and robotic vision. But they can also be found in mundane things such as kids' toys and Christmas trees.

In theory, in a perfect vacuum with no scattering/reflectance loss of light would continue to propagate to infinity and beyond. However, in reality, if anyone was to touch the light guide or if it was to come into contact with any other materials it could cause the light to unpredictably escape. This makes acrylic light guides good for short distances or to demonstrate TIR but not for long-distance communication or other technical applications where signal quality is important.

“Delete All” will go through the Tekla components in the GH link, it can’t keep track of any other objects that might have been generated by your API code. What you could do instead is to collect your objects and all other model objects into a Model Object param, then use the right click option “Delete objects in Tekla” on that one.

Thank you, Sebastian! Works as a charm now! And C# script gives two beams as a result properly. Though observed, that if I click Delete All Objects in Tekla this second beam after splitting is not getting deleted. Now struggling with putting it into Grasshopper Component, there C# script is not getting resolved at the proper time - the splitted beam does not have any connections. I was trying to stop execution of the script via a Boolean toggle and Stream filter, does not help much. Any ideas on this? Think to put splitting itself and subsequent beam splice connections into a separate definition. Not convenient, but, hope will do at least. Splice test21216×502 52.5 KB

What issplitting the beamin Gymnastics

This was somewhat an odd behavior even with proper saving/reloading/False mode. Copying to a new file helped eventually. Now I am kind of happy with the achieved result, though it is a separate GH definition for split/splice, and exploding of the original “structure” component is required. If it would be possible for you to implement Tekla Split command into GH itself one day, I would be happy to have it there. Thank you a lot for your guidance, Sebastian!

Thank you for your reply! I thought in the proposed direction, but the beam at first is connected to other elements, and those components get disturbed with this approach - they remain to be a part of the initial beam. Assemblies are incorrect. Still more thinks in pure Split command in Tekla as it does nicely what I want, even when there are all the connections in place, they do not get disturbed. I was trying to make a C# script (please do not laugh much, this is my first C# script ever). But effect is the same as with the approach that you proposed. Not related to the matter, the script itself does not wanna take the middle point directly, and do not return the created beam after splitting, only the original one. Please refer to the attached definition, I have take a part of your file “InsertConnections_Example” and modified the connection type to a seated one for better clarity. A snap from Tekla is atached as well. Splice test.gh (24.5 KB) Splice test1341×735 106 KB

To overcome this, a coating is added over the core with a lower index of refection (RI) than the core. This is called cladding. When the light is traveling through the core of the optical fiber and encounters the lower RI cladding, it will TIR and continue to transmit through the core. This cladding layer is what makes a light guide a fiber optic.

If that Stream Filter switch is a recent addition, make sure the definition has been saved and that you’ve reloaded the definition from the GH component dialog in Tekla, and then made sure the Splice option is set to False in the UI before modifying.

Now by this same principle, if a light ray is traveling through water and encounters a medium with a lower RI such as air, it will refract out as long as the angle of incidence is below a certain value called the critical angle. If the angle of incidence is above this critical angle, it will reflect back into the water.

I think the API command you found does the same thing as the ‘Split’ command in Tekla, i.e. it moves any connections to the new beam if necessary. It might just need a

Three years later in 1973, Bell Laboratories developed a modified chemical vapor deposition process that heats chemical vapors and oxygen to form ultra-transparent glass that can be mass-produced into low-loss optical fiber. This process still remains the standard for fiber optic cable manufacturing and was a significant contribution which led to fiber optic adoption.

Still wondering how Grasshopper Component pushes C# script for run and get split done though it should not work as per the definition (refer to the snap).

Refraction occurs when a light ray passes from one medium to another. As it crosses the boundary, the light ray will bend. The angle of this bend is determined by the difference in the index of refraction of the two mediums. This is governed by Snell’s Law:

In 1854, John Tyndall demonstrated to the Royal Society that light could be guided through a curved stream of water.  His famous experiment was the first official demonstration of TIR, although he had no explanation for why this phenomenon was occurring. [source]

after the Split call, to make sure the original beam gets modified (in the example script this probably happens anyway because of the other Tekla components).

How to make Split of a beam via GH in Tekla? Would like to split beams based on their length and provide beam splices afterwards. Reckon that it is possible through C# script, but I am not much into it yet.

Long distance cables for communication usually run underwater can be up to 10,000 km in length. Over that distance, signal quality is extremely important and they typically have multiple cores and more layers for protection.

Fiber optics are one of the most significant inventions in our history. Currently more than 2 billion kilometers of optical fiber is deployed around the world.

Splitting the beamage

To understand how light propagates through an optical fiber, you need to understand two basic concepts: refraction and total internal reflection.

If you coat the core with a perfect mirror, it would reflect and transmit the light but in reality, a perfect mirror is difficult to achieve. It would be very expensive and you could end up with an imperfect mirror that would lead to a lot of absorption and scattering. A cladding layer is a much more practical approach.

image credit:  By Meganbeckett27  Pencil in glass showing refraction [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

The problem is that when the C# script runs, all the connections haven’t been placed yet and so the Split command can’t move them to the new beam. One solution in this case could be turn off “Run in Background” for the Component component to make sure that it completes before the C# component is solved.

Splitting the beamvideos

In 1970, A team of researchers from Corning Glass invented fiber optic wire or "Optical Waveguide Fibers" (patent #3,711,262) by experimenting with fused silica. They were able to solve the challenges presented by Kao and created a fiber that could carry light waves to a destination a thousand miles away.

By the end of the century, more than 80 percent of the world's long-distance traffic was carried over fiber optic cables.

An interesting application of this technology was discovered by the medical team of Roth and Reuss of Vienna who used a bent glass rod to illuminate body cavities in 1888. It was used to illuminate the larynx, nose, and even some ophthalmological surgeries. This is something that Lumitex has perfected and now manufactures in-cavity instrumentation lighting for many surgical applications.

Hmm, that shouldn’t be the case looking at the pic - it would try to solve the C# component, but that component wouldn’t have any input to work with and so shouldn’t do anything.

Splitting the beamyoutube

That same year, Harold Hopkins and Narinder Kapany at Imperial College in London succeeded in making image-transmitting bundles with over 10,000 fibers and subsequently achieved image transmission through a 75 cm long bundle which combined several thousand fibers. Kapany went on to coin the term “fiber optic” and is considered the “Father of Fiber Optics.”

In 1953, Dutch scientist Bram van Heel first demonstrated image transmission through bundles of optical fibers with a transparent cladding.

Maybe you have been lucky enough to see the fiber optic starry ceiling in the cabin of Emirates newly redesigned Boeing 777 or in the interior ceiling of a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

It seems the Split command doesn’t move the connections to the new beam when executed within a Tekla plugin. You can try this manually as well by using the Split command from Tekla on an inserted plugin instance (using “Select objects in components” selection mode) - that doesn’t seem to work either.

If the light ray was in the air and it encounters a higher RI such as water, it will always refract into higher RI. An additional note is that in reality some light will always reflect and some light will always scatter when interfacing a boundary.

As a company, we engineer light where it is needed and create solutions that have a positive impact on life. We have brought many innovations to the fiber optic backlighting world in the Medical, Transportation, and Electronics markets. One is the integration of light into medical tools.

Thank you for Model Object advice, I so got used to “normal” delete button, did not think about the proposed way even. Your observation is true. There is no result with manual way from Tekla. It seems to be the easiest workaround to have a separate definition for splits and splice connections. Once a structure is ready based on the main definition parameters from Grasshopper Component, then this component could be exploded in Tekla and the separate definition is to be used for playing with splits/splices. Otherwise, have no more ideas. Though was doing for one splice directly in GH, by making separate lines before creating beams. But afterwards to many exercises are requried for groupoing of correct elements for connections, though still achievable. But if there is a possibility for different quantity of splices, then this way would not do. Still wondering how Grasshopper Component pushes C# script for run and get split done though it should not work as per the definition (refer to the snap). Splice test31547×508 53.6 KB

Where n  represents the index of refraction and θ represents the angle of the incident and exiting light ray. A classic example demonstrating refraction is the visual distortion that occurs when a pencil is submerged in a glass of water.

In 1880, William Wheeler invented a system of glass light pipes lined with a highly reflective coating that illuminated homes by using light from an electric arc lamp placed in the basement and directing the light around the home with the pipes. While this accomplishes the same goal, this is not a fiber optic because it does not use TIR.

But it is the ability to transmit light from a source to a specific location that continues to evolve. And because of this never-ending progress, we decided to take you on a tour into the world of fiber optic lighting.

In 1964, Charles Kao and George Hockham published a pivotal paper that defined TIR and proposed that attenuation in fibers at that time was caused by impurities in the glass. At this time, the impurities in the silica and lack of a practical method of manufacturing had prevented long-term communication for breaching reality.

Splitting the beamolympics

The invention of our Woven Fiber Optic™ technology (flexible, lit fabric) occurred over 30 years ago in a garage using a repurposed loom. We have since refined this technology and invented different ways of delivering light.

There are many different kinds of fiber optic cables and they are optimized for different applications. For example, an optical fiber used for long distance transmission.

As light transfers from air, which has a refractive index (RI) of 1.0, to water, which has an RI of 1.33, the light bends.

We use fiber optics in many diverse applications. From delivering phototherapeutic light to treat babies with Jaundice, or allowing spinal surgeons to visualize deep in cavities, to backlighting components found in automobiles, keyboards, and even shoes.

If you had a light guide, imagine an acrylic rod, which has a refractive index of 1.49, and you coupled a laser to one end, the light would continue to propagate through the rod as long as the angle is greater than the critical angle.

Engineering and management professional with analytical and leadership skills, and passion for biomedical innovation. Vedang researches advancements related to biomedical applications leveraging Lumitex's core technology, building working prototype models, developing business plan and identifying a strategic path to market.

Fiber optic lighting utilizes optical fiber (flexible fiber made of glass or plastic) to transmit light from a light source to a remote location.  It is comprised of a core and cladding (coating) that trap light, allowing light to travel long distances.

The second coating layer has a lower RI than the cladding to ensure that any stray light that makes its way into the cladding is reflected back into the core. The cable is then wrapped in a strong covering, such as Kevlar, and then covered with a thick cable jacket to protect it from the environment. The buffer zone isolates the fiber optic from the stresses in the cable.

Splitting the beamtiktok

It’s an interesting question because there were many people with significant contributions that advanced our understanding of light transmission that led to the fiber optic we have today.

In the paper, he proposed that if someone could create fiber with an attenuation reduced below 20 decibels per kilometer (dB/km), that would enable long-term communication. They correctly and systematically theorized the light-loss parameters needed to create such fibers and Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009 for this discovery.

At Lumitex, we counteract this process by using proprietary processing techniques to cause the fiber optics to emit light in a controlled manner.