Even though digital weaving may only be useful for planning weaves on the Jacquard Loom, the algorithmic problem-solving for the basic weave structure is important for studying generative design. The basic weave is a very old technique that has proven to be durable, flexible, and incredibly adaptive. Weaves are a great analogy for how craft transforms into design and slowly becoming more and more automated. The loom as a machine has evolved over time and as more components are automated, it is still the action of weaving, the weft going over and under the warp, the action of intertwining, is what gives it strength and the material is what gives it flexibility. Sure, models of weaving can be done digitally but the qualities of weave cannot be substituted for digital fabrication. The digital world relies on the tried and true structures of the tactile world and it is a slow and continually improving translation of languages between the two disciplines.
Anna Huff 