A method for visualization of volumetric acoustic wave propagation in Rhinoceros 3D

Wave-based simulation methods are valuable tools in room acoustic modeling due to their natural ability to incorporate both geometrical behavior and diffraction by directly solving the wave equation in three spatial dimensions. These simulations can enhance both education and architectural acoustic design by enabling detailed visualization of acoustic wave propagation, particularly early reflection patterns in performance spaces. PFFDTD is an open-source implementation of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for 3-D room acoustics by Brian Hamilton incorporating frequency-dependent impedance boundaries (Hamilton, 2021). This paper gives a method for visualizing volumetric room impulse responses taken as an output from PFFDTD in the NURBS-based modeling software Rhinoceros 3D, using the Grasshopper plug-in as a control interface. We present case studies of early reflections in models of music performance spaces, showcasing the potential for Rhino-based wave visualization in architectural acoustic design.