Explore a population
Build a record of alternatives instead of evaluating one parameter combination at a time.
Morpho 2.1 · Generative design for Grasshopper
Morpho Design Explorer. Make room
for possibility.
Explore, compare, and refine a world of design alternatives.
Generative design for Rhino and Grasshopper, guided by you.
+ FORM IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
01 / THE POSSIBILITY SPACE
Good design is a conversation between what you imagine and what is possible.
m.
Morpho turns a parametric model into a space of alternatives. Generate, compare, and refine—while keeping your judgment at the center of every decision.
DESIGN EXPLORATION, EXPLAINEDAN OPEN QUESTION IS A GOOD START
What is Morpho?
A way to explore what could be.
Morpho Design Explorer is a multi-objective, evolutionary design exploration tool for Rhino and Grasshopper. It generates alternatives from your parametric model, records their performance and images, and helps you choose where the search goes next.
Your model sets the possibilities.
Your judgment gives them direction.
Some design goals are numerical. Others live in the proportions of a form, the character of a space, or the intent of a project. Morpho lets you consider both: compare the values supplied by your analysis tools, examine the alternatives visually, and select the designs worth developing.
Understand the method01
02
Keep what you learn
Retain saved solutions, their data and their views as the study develops.
03
Choose the next direction
Use performance criteria and selected solution IDs to define the parents of the next generation.
ONE IDEA. MANY POSSIBLE FUTURES.
Start with
what if.
A curve. A span. A set of parameters.
Give your idea room to change.
Let possibility
take shape.
Explore different combinations with the Gene Generator. Keep each solution, its images, and its performance data.
Your intuition.
In the loop.
Choose promising parents. Adjust your criteria. Continue exploring with everything you have learned.
PARAMETRIC SURFACE / DEFINING THE SPACE
DefineGenerateRefine
02 / A LITTLE EXPLORATIONYOUR TURN ↙
Different forms.
Different futures.
Change a parameter. See a new possibility.
A small taste of thinking with Morpho.
LIVE FORM STUDY
FORM / 064Drag to rotate
ARCHED TRUSS / PARAMETRIC STUDYFind your
Find your
point of view.
A structure is a family of possibilities.
Make this one yours.
—drawn members
24millustrative span
Interactive illustration, not an engineering analysis. Run your own models and simulations in Grasshopper.
03 / THE MORPHO VISUALIZERLOOK CLOSER
See the bigger picture.
And every detail.
Move freely between the shape of a solution
and the numbers that tell its story.
Morpho VisualizerDESIGN SPACE
THE COMPLETE TOOLKITONE CONNECTED WORKFLOW
From a variable
to a point of view.
Six connected capabilities turn a Grasshopper definition into an exploration you can generate, record, revisit and explain.
Generate with an evolutionary search.
Start with random alternatives, then generate from selected parents. Slider ranges and precision define the variables. Mutation Probability introduces new gene values; Spread Factor controls how widely children vary around their parents. Set an iteration limit and inspect the eligible parents directly.
Meet the generation tools ↗Select on your terms.
Choose IDs, set numerical thresholds, rank values, or combine rules with AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR and XOR. Write an expression when it is the clearest way to describe your criteria.
Explore every filter ↗Capture the whole alternative.
Collect named inputs, numerical analysis outputs, multiple viewport images and textual files. Each saved solution connects its visual character to its recorded values.
See how capture works ↗Make relationships visible.
Browse a gallery, change image views and captions, filter and sort results, and inspect individual solutions. Compare two or three parameters with scatter plots, or more with parallel coordinates.
Explore the Visualizer ↗Keep your study close.
Organize by folder and project name. Save to a local SQLite database, a regenerated CSV, and tagged media folders. Revisit saved alternatives and export values for further analysis.
Understand your project files ↗Stay inside your design process.
Work with Rhino 7 or 8 on macOS or Windows. The setup application detects Rhino and includes an alternative manual installation. Use the embedded viewer on supported Windows configurations or the browser viewer on macOS and other supported modes.
Installation & compatibility ↗04 / MADE FOR YOUR WORKFLOWRHINO + GRASSHOPPER
Familiar canvas.
New possibilities.
From the first parameter to the next generation.
All connected in Grasshopper.
Generate with intention.
Set intervals, mutation probability, and spread. Connect your model to Gene Generator and explore within the bounds you define.
Keep the whole story.
Combine inputs, analysis outputs, and viewport captures. Save each solution to your local population database and CSV.
Choose what comes next.
Use IDs, expressions, rankings, and Boolean filters to select parents. Let your design priorities guide the next generation.
YOUR IDEA, CONNECTED.
INPUTParametersIntervals ●
EXPLOREGene Generator● Genes ●
RECORDData Aggregator● Model + analysis ●
LEARNSave to Population● Your design space
Fitness filters ↻
THE DESIGNER STAYS IN THE LOOP
PRECISE WHEN YOU NEED IT.Your criteria.
Your criteria.
In your own terms.
FILTER EXPRESSION
ID IN (46, 73) AND Weight < 40000Select specific parents and apply performance criteria in a single expression. Parameter names match your model.
QUESTIONS WORTH EXPLORINGYOUR MODEL. YOUR OBJECTIVES.
A different brief.
The same curiosity.
How much structure
does a form need?
Explore truss rise, depth and subdivision. Compare the quantities your analysis provides—such as member lengths, material use or displacement—with the form you want to create.
Where do competing
priorities meet?
Connect a façade or shading model to your own analysis tools. Compare recorded performance with captured views to investigate the compromises among your design goals.
What can a population
help you understand?
Make relationships between variables and outcomes visible. Keep an inspectable record of alternatives and use exported data and charts to communicate your decisions.
These are possible applications of your own models and analysis tools. Morpho supplies exploration, recording and review; it does not include structural or environmental simulation engines.
Explore the possibilities ↗More than finding
an answer.
Finding your direction.
Inspired by the Morpho butterfly.
Built for the way designers think.
05 / KEEP EXPLORINGTHE KNOWLEDGE BEHIND THE TOOL
A little guidance.
A long way to go.
Meet the components. Understand the method. Find your way from a first generation to a meaningful design decision.
DOCUMENTATION · PDF · 35 PAGESMorpho 2.0 User ManualRESEARCH · KHODADADI & VON BUELOWDesign exploration with GA + TRIZQUICK START · MORPHO 2.1Build your first Morpho workflow
GO A LITTLE DEEPERFROM FIRST STEPS TO FINER DETAILS
Everything you need
to find your way.
01 / PRACTICAL GUIDE
Build your first study.
Install Morpho, connect your definition, capture results and select the next generation.
Start here ↗02 / COMPLETE REFERENCEMeet every component.
Explore all 16 active components, their connections, the full filter language and selection behavior.
Browse the toolkit ↗03 / VISUALIZER GUIDERead your design space.
Move between image galleries, scatter plots, parallel coordinates, datasets and exports.
Look closer ↗
YOUR NEXT POSSIBILITY STARTS HERE.Let your ideas
take flight.
Morpho 2.1 for Rhino 7 & 8.
Ready for your next Grasshopper definition.
Free to download. Rhino is required. Includes setup and manual installation packages.
Morpho 2.1 · Includes the Morpho 2.0 workflow documented in the user manual.
Installation & compatibility
Extract the ZIP, open Morpho Setup, and select Install Morpho. Save your work when Rhino asks to close. Reopen Rhino and look for the Morpho tab in Grasshopper.
The installers are unsigned. macOS may require “Open Anyway” in Privacy & Security. Windows may show a SmartScreen prompt. Rhino 7 on Apple Silicon uses Rosetta.
Full installation instructions ↗What does Morpho do?
Morpho generates parameter combinations for a Grasshopper model, saves the resulting inputs, numerical outputs and media, and provides a viewer for comparing alternatives. You select the parents and criteria that guide further exploration.
Does Morpho build or analyze the model for me?
You supply the parametric definition and any analysis tools it needs. Morpho drives its parameters and records the values you connect. It does not supply a structural solver, environmental simulator or automatic model-building system.
Is this generative AI?
Morpho uses a genetic-algorithm-based exploration workflow. It works with your explicit parameter ranges, model and selected parents. It is not a text-to-image service or a language-model-driven geometry generator.
Can I consider more than one objective?
Yes. Record multiple numerical outputs, combine fitness conditions, and compare parameters visually. You can also choose particular solution IDs based on qualities you assess in the images. The process supports both measurable objectives and designer judgment.
What happens if no saved solution matches my filter?
A valid filter with no matching parents produces random parameters. An invalid expression stops generation and reports an error. Check the Parents output and component messages before continuing.
Does the Visualizer choose my next parents automatically?
No. Its filters control the displayed alternatives. To guide a new generation, use their IDs or numerical criteria in the Grasshopper fitness filters connected to Gene Generator.
Where are my project results stored?
In the local folder and project selected through Directory: a SQLite database, a CSV export, and tagged image or text folders. The CSV is regenerated after saves, so manual CSV edits are replaced. The core workflow needs no Morpho cloud account.
Can I use Morpho on my Mac?
The downloads support Rhino 7 and Rhino 8 on macOS Intel and Apple Silicon, as well as Windows 64-bit Intel/AMD. Rhino 7 uses Rosetta on Apple Silicon. Use an operating system supported by your Rhino version; the macOS Visualizer opens in your browser.
Is there an automatic Pareto-front button?
The manual explains Pareto fronts, but the current bundled 2.1 viewer does not expose an automatic Pareto-front calculation or highlight control. Use its plots to inspect trade-offs, or analyze the exported values separately for exact non-dominated selection.
Why does the manual say 2.0 when the download says 2.1?
The illustrated manual was published as the Morpho 2.0 User Manual in October 2026. The downloadable software is version 2.1.0. These website guides describe the current build and explain the relevant differences.
Is Morpho free to download?
Yes. A separate Rhino installation is required. The manual identifies Morpho under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International; consult its terms for your intended use and contact the project team about licensing questions.