formots

Formots are a class of modular units used in parametric and generative design frameworks to encode geometric form and material attributes. A formot functions as the smallest building block for composing complex shapes and structures within a form-based design workflow.

The term formot combines form and motif and is used to describe repeatable, attribute-bearing units that can be arranged, rotated, and modified to explore design alternatives. The concept emerged in discussions of computational design in the early 21st century and has since been used in educational and research contexts.

Each formot carries data fields for geometry (shape parameters, size, orientation), material properties, and functional constraints. Formots connect through adjacency rules or joints to create a larger tessellation or lattice. Variants include solid formots, shell formots, and porous-formot types.

Formot-based workflows enable automated exploration of form spaces via optimization, simulation, and machine-learning guidance. They are used in architecture, product design, and additive manufacturing to balance performance, cost, and manufacturability. In practice, formots are evaluated with metrics such as stiffness-to-weight ratio, stress distribution, and printability.

Formots share similarities with voxels, cells in cellular automata, and morphs in topology optimization. They intersect with parametric modeling, topology optimization, and generative design. See also voxel, morph, topology optimization.