Monoceros - design the parts, fill the space

What is Monoceros?

Monoceros is a Grasshopper plug-in that takes a set of parts you design, the rules for how they can sit next to each other, and a volume to fill. It then finds an arrangement where every part fits, every connection is valid, and every cell in the volume is occupied. Run it again with the same inputs and you get the same result. Change the random seed and you get a different valid arrangement.

What problems does Monoceros solve?

• Facade and panel layouts - Arrange cladding panels, tiles, or brickwork patterns across a surface while respecting connection rules between neighboring pieces.
• Modular buildings and pavilions - Assemble rooms, structural bays, or prefabricated units into floor plans and building volumes that satisfy spatial constraints.
• Furniture and product systems - Generate shelf configurations, partition layouts, or any product built from a repeated kit of parts.
• Game levels and virtual environments - Fill a grid with terrain, rooms, or corridors for procedural level design in games, VR, or film.

What is discrete assembly?

Discrete assembly means building something from a fixed set of distinct parts. Think LEGO® bricks, but in 3D software: you design a few brick shapes, define which faces can connect to which, and the computer fills a volume with those bricks. Every piece connects correctly, every gap is filled, and the result respects every rule you set. The approach is used in architecture, manufacturing, and game design wherever a design is made from repeating, connectable units.

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this site.

How does it work?

Monoceros uses an algorithm called Wave Function Collapse (WFC). It starts with a grid where every cell could contain any part. Then, one cell at a time, it picks a part and removes options from neighboring cells that would violate the connection rules. This process repeats until every cell is filled. If it reaches a dead end, it backtracks and tries a different path. The result is guaranteed to be complete and rule-compliant.

WFC was created by Maxim Gumin and is widely used in game development for procedural generation. Monoceros extends it to three dimensions and to the architectural scale.

Why Monoceros?

• Built for architecture - The only WFC implementation designed for architectural and product-scale assemblies inside Grasshopper. Not a game-dev port.
• Fast enough to iterate - Results come back in seconds, not minutes. Change a rule, re-run, compare.
• Native to Grasshopper - Every Monoceros data type plugs directly into standard Grasshopper components. No conversion, no black boxes.
• You control every constraint - You decide which parts exist, how they connect, where they can go, and how often. Nothing is automated unless you want it to be.

Where has Monoceros been featured?

• Food4Rhino - official McNeel directory
• Parametric Architecture
• MESH Research - interview with Ján Pernecký
• ArchDaily - Computational Design: NEXT

What academic papers cite Monoceros?

• Leite et al. (2025). Parametric approach using WFC for hybrid building design. SIGraDi
• Lu, Meng et al. (2024). Clicking is All You Need. CAADRIA
• ZamaniGoldeh et al. (2025). Discretisation strategies in architectural design. Architectural Science Review
• Using Monoceros in academic work? Let us know.