Use this when you want to create building massing with customizable corner, offset, and corridor conditions within a flow, for example generating garden apartment massing or multi-family buildings.

Inputs

Name	Abbreviation	Type	Access	Description
Input	I	Feature	List	The input data
Transform	T	Object	Item	Transform controls (overridden by individual parameters) (optional)

This node's settings come from the paired Transform node through the T connector. You can't wire a value straight into a single setting. To drive one setting from your flow, override it with a Write Property node between the Transform node and T.

Outputs

Name	Abbreviation	Type	Access	Description
Segments	S	Feature	List	List of segment edges
Edge Polygons	E	Feature	List	List of edge polygons
Inner Corners	I	Feature	List	List of inner corners
Outer Corners	O	Feature	List	List of outer corners
End Cap	E	Feature	List	List of end-caps
Corridors	C	Feature	List	List of corridors
Enclosures	E	Feature	List	List of enclosures
Points	P	Feature	List	List of points
Blocks	B	Feature	List	List of block points placed on cores, outer corners and end-caps

Warnings and errors

Message	Cause	Fix
`No input provided to skeletonEditor`	Nothing is connected to the input, or the connected node returns no geometry.	Connect a polygon to the input, and check that the upstream node is returning geometry.

If the node returns nothing and shows no message, it could not build a skeleton from the shape. Try a simpler shape with fewer very short edges.

How to

Add the skeleton editor node
1. Connect the skeleton transform node into the T connector.
2. Edit the settings by clicking "edit defaults"
Connect the outputs to a write features node
1. Or, connect outputs to additional nodes to further process the geometries
2. The outputs are lists of geometries. Use a map node if needed.

Connect the Skeleton Editor Transform node

The Skeleton Editor node needs the Skeleton Editor Transform node connected to its T connector to use your settings. Without it, the Skeleton Editor node runs on Giraffe's built-in default settings, and you can't change any of them in Edit Defaults or the Properties Palette.

Skeleton Editor Transform settings object

The Skeleton Editor Transform node creates a set of inputs in the Properties Palette for anyone using the flow to fill out. It converts those inputs into a plain JSON object and sends it to the Skeleton Editor node through the T connector. The object has type set to skeletonEditor and the settings inside parameters. The values below are the built-in defaults.

{
  "type": "skeletonEditor",
  "parameters": {
    "leftOffset": 10,
    "rightOffset": 10,
    "hasCorridor": false,
    "corridorWidth": 2,
    "endcapExtension": 0,
    "endcapWraparound": 0,
    "blockMode": false,
    "innerCoverageOffset": 7.62,
    "outerCoverageOffset": 3.35,
    "enclosureUsage": "Landscape - Simple",
    "edgePolygonUsage": "Residential",
    "endCapUsage": "Residential",
    "innerCornerUsage": "Core",
    "outerCornerUsage": "Residential",
    "corridorUsage": "Corridor"
  }
}

The Skeleton Editor Transform settings in the Properties Palette show lengths, areas, and volumes in your project units. The JSON always stores them in meters, square meters, and cubic meters, so a value you write into it with Write Property must use those units too.

To drive one setting from elsewhere in your flow, override it with a Write Property node. Put Write Property between the Skeleton Editor Transform node and the T connector, and set Property to a path like parameters.leftOffset.

Skeleton Editor Settings

The Skeleton Transform automatically adds all of the required settings for the Skeleton Editor to your properties palette. Edit the values to change the flow result.

Dwelling Depth
1. Equal Offsets: both sides of the building are equidistant from the centerline
2. Left/Right offset: set the width of the building from the centerline
3. Endcap Extension: set the distance the endcap extends from the end of the building
4. Endcap Wraparound: set the distance endcap units wrap back into the building
Corners
1. Inner core size: set the size of the core/amount the inner units are offset from corner
2. Outer corner wraparound
3. Inner / Outer corner type: set the style of corner (miter or straight)
Corridor
1. Has corridor: add a corridor to the center line
2. Corridor width: set corridor width (total width)
Default Usages
1. Dwellings: edges
2. Enclosures: when the skeleton self-intersects
3. End Cap
4. Inner Corner
5. Outer corner
6. Corridor
Limbs: Click to add another arm/limb/extension onto the main shape
Edit Mode: detail edit the corners, end caps, and sides.
Use shortcut shift + a to enter edit mode!
1. Drag nodes to change wraparound sizes
2. Click corner edit nodes to change corner type
3. Click the enclosure edit control to open Enclosure Settings. Set the enclosure's Usage, or turn on Remove Inner Units to remove the units on the sides of the skeleton that face into the enclosure.
Reset: set everything to defaults

Use with Subdivide Rectangles

The Skeleton Editor and Subdivide Rectangles nodes work as a pair. The Skeleton Editor sets the building's shape: its edges, corners, end caps, corridors, and enclosures. The Subdivide Rectangles node then fills those edges with units.

Change the massing and where units go in the Skeleton Editor. Change the unit sizes and mix in the Subdivide Rectangles node.

Example: wrap-style development

In a wrap development, apartments wrap around a central parking garage. The Skeleton Editor and Subdivide Rectangles nodes model this layout without any extra nodes.

Draw the skeleton so it creates an enclosure in the middle.
Select the building and press Shift + A to enter edit mode.
Click the enclosure edit control to open Enclosure Settings.
Set the enclosure's Usage to Carpark - Multi-Deck.
Turn on Remove Inner Units. The Skeleton Editor removes the units on the sides facing into the enclosure.

The Subdivide Rectangles node fills the outer edges with units, and the garage stays clear.