New OctaneRender 2 for Rhino

OTOY Inc. announces the availability of OctaneRender 2 for 
Rhino, the latest version of the company’s real-time rendering 
software. OctaneRender 2 adds more than a dozen features 
allowing artists, designers, and engineers to create the most 
realistic renders possible in less time than ever before.

Some of these new features are:

• Displacement mapping
• Object motion blur
• Vertex motion blur
• Hair and fur
• OpenSubDiv surfaces
• Rounded edges
• Random color texture for instances
• Improved sky rendering 
• Region rendering
• Network rendering
• Compatibility with Brigade

Feature details...

DIVA Day in Seattle

The third DIVA Day will be on October 2, 2014, at Seattle City Hall.

DIVA-for-Rhino is a daylighting and energy modeling plug-in for Rhinoceros.

DIVA Day focuses on using DIVA and associated simulation tools to enhance design through performance-based workflows. 

The full-day event will include: 

• Presentations of research and case studies by practitioners and researchers at universities and architectural, consulting, and engineering firms.
• Introduction of new features by the DIVA team.
• A panel discussion on evolving daylighting credits in codes and point systems, such as LEED v4.
• Dinner following the event will provide an opportunity to meet with speakers and other attendees.

Full registration $350

Student registration $50

Student registration w/ dinner $100

RhinoShoe 2.0 - new service release

A new service release of RhinoShoe 2.0 is available now. This 
Rhino 5 plug-in for scaling and correcting shoes and patterns, 
now includes: 

• Scale3D: fixed various random crashes
• Scale2D: issue fixed when circles were deformed when offset
• Now takes the dimensions of all the soles
• Non-scalable objects can be added
• Ready for Windows 8.1 
• Discard the open curves and points bug fixed
• Language corrections

Try RhinoShoe 2.0...

Converting a shop to a student lounge

Photos by Michael Moran Studio

Now the Sullivan Family Student Center, this University of Wyoming building was originally a conversion from a shop building. The floor plan consisted of nondescript and ill-defined open floor areas crisscrossed with circulation. In the rehab, the architect pushed the circulation to the perimeter, then used screens to separate it from the main student lounge area. The perforated bamboo panels are about 40 percent open with even porosity and density throughout. The apertures in the screen, ranging from small slits to full doorways, allow glimpses between the two areas. The patterns do not repeat.

Though we may be a bit slow to notice this 2011 project, it is an interesting use of Grasshopper script. Sarah F. Cox of Curbed interviewed Paul Lewis from Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, the New York architects.

Interview with Paul Lewis . . . 

RhinoMold 4.0 released

TDM Solutions announces the new release of RhinoMold. 

RhinoMold 4.0 improvements include:

- RhinoMold 4.0 ready for the Zoo - license manager
- Major and Minor bugs fixed
- Localization improvements

RhinoMold details and download... 

New Atlanta Falcons Stadium

Read* about how Rhino and Grasshopper were used in the design of the new Atlanta Falcons Stadium in the July 14/21 edition of Engineering News-Record.

"To develop the geometry, Johnson credits as instrumental the use of a graphical algorithm software editor, called Grasshopper, in conjunction with 3D modeler Rhinoceros."

Watch the video to hear more about the design from Bill Johnson, 360 Architects.

*You need to be an ENR subscriber to read the article online. 

Advances in Architectural Geometry workshops, London

Advances in Architectural Geometry 2014 

London, UK

Sep 18-21, 2014

Advances in Architectural Geometry / AAG is a symposium where both theoretical and practical work linked to new geometrical developments is presented. This symposium gathers the diverse components of the contemporary architecture which push the building envelope towards free form and respond to the multiple current design challenges. It involves architects, engineers, mathematicians, software designers and contractors. We aim at connecting researchers from architectural and engineering practices, academia and industry. AAG has become a reference in the professional field and is supported by the direct participation of the most renowned architectural design and engineering offices, along with academic laboratories.

The list of accepted papers and workshops for AAG2014 is now available, these including Grasshopper, RhinoPython, RhinoCommon, Kangaroo, karamba, RoboFold plug-ins, Evolute, SpiderWeb, Syntactic and Configurbanist.

Rose Pavilion opening at ETH Zurich

The opening of the Rose Pavilion at the Polyterrasse of the ETH in Zurich will take place on July 23 at 8:00 pm.

This multimedia pavilion has been developed by a group of young architects under the direction of Dimitry Demin in collaboration with the ETH Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design CAAD, led by Prof. Dr. Ludger Hovestadt.  It will be open to the public July 28-30 on the Polyterrasse of ETH, which commands views over the rooftops of Zurich.

The structure of the 1.2-ton pavilion is divided into five columns. The main supporting parts are harmoniously joined together from the dome. The pavilion areas consist of curved, weather and scratch resistant aluminum sheets glued and bolted together into a Möbius strip. The Möbius strip, discovered by the Leipzig mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius, has the mathematical property of being non-orientable and has a surface with only one side and one boundary component.  Thus the endless form revolves around itself.

The use of modern media technology generates a network of spaces which allow visitors to watch live shows or immerse themselves in diverse artistic and musical experiences. The use of projections transforms the pavilion into a space/time capsule.

The idea for the Rose Pavilion was inspired by late XIX and early XX century freestanding constructions that served the purpose of outdoor entertainment. The polygonal structure of the pavilion was derived from the natural beauty of Wildrose Rosaceae Rosa canina, a rose which has a pentagonal symmetry and a double curvature of its petals. The pavilion was developed in Zurich and, as a modern spatial aesthetic object, it intends to represent a sensory attraction in a public space, acting as a focal point and bringing people together.  The music and voice reproductions of the oscillating surface of the pavilion produce a piezoelectric effect, transforming it into a large speaker.

The Rose Pavilion was designed by Dimitry Demin (architect), Jürgen S. Wassink (engineer) and Achilleas Xidis (architect and robot Support production): www.rose-pavilion.com 

The authors thank the sponsors and material suppliers who have made it possible to realize the construction of the pavilion: Novelis AG, Libs, Hasler + Co AG, Switzerland Sika AG, TRUMPF Maschinen AG, Kamoo AG, Blumer-Lehmann AG, Haller AG, Lift-Ex AG.

Webinar: Animating with Bongo, July 23

Webinar: Animating with Bongo - The Basics
Wednesday, July 23
9:00AM - 10:30AM PDT
Free to attend... space is limited... pre-registration is required.

Sign up now!

Scott Davidson of Robert McNeel & Associates will cover the basic Bongo features, commands and workflow used to create animations of your Rhino model.

This webinar will look at the types of animations Bongo can create and the process for setting up and producing a basic animation. This presentation will help you plan and start creating your own Bongo animations. Questions will be taken following the presentation.

Marika Almgren, Bongo Product Tech Lead (McNeel Finland) will also join the session and be available to answer questions during and after the presentation.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

System Requirements:
PC-based attendees
  Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
  Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
  Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

Register and reserve your spot today!

6OSME International Meeting, Tokyo

6OSME - August 10-13, 2014 - Tokyo, Japan

The 6th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics and Education (6OSME) will be held at the University of Tokyo. The 6OSME aims at providing a platform for researchers, educators, artists, and the community to share and discuss researches on Origami in science, mathematics, education, technology and art. Review the meeting schedule...

Register today!

Online Intro to Grasshopper Class, July 28-31

Join us for our Intro to Grasshopper for Rhino 5 online training course. This course is for design professionals who are looking to efficiently learn Grasshopper concepts and features at an accelerated pace in an instructor-led online environment. The advantages of using Grasshopper in preliminary design and concept development come to life in many real-life examples.

Dates: July 28-31

  Orientation: July 28, 9:00am-10:30am PDT
  Grasshopper training: July 29-31, 9:00am-1:00pm PDT

Price: US$195.00

Details and registration... 

Please note, all times noted above are Pacific time zone. Calculate your time zone.

Architecture students digital models

Check out these rendered digital models from first degree students at Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura (ESARQ UIC). Students learn how to use Rhino while confronting three architecture buildings where geometry progressively becomes more complex: Fujimoto NA House, Dieste Iglesia del Cristo Obrero, Gehry DZ Bank.

Images... 

Robots in Architecture Update

In case you missed the last Rob|Arch conference early this year, here is what you missed.

Also, plan on visiting Sydney in 2016 for the next Rob|Arch conference.

Algomad 2014 in Bolivia

After the successful  Algomad 2013, hosted by Sagrada Familia and Elisava in Barcelona, Algomad 2014 will be in La Paz, Bolivia. This year Algomad will reflect on the application and suitability of tools and processes explored in previous years to the latinamerican reality, where architecture, culture and resources are fairly different than in Southern Europe. Following its typical structure, Algomad comprises four instrumental workshops - Grasshopper 101, Grasshopper for Trainers, Digital Fabrication and Building Information Modeling - and a series of conferences that connect the work of Spanish professionals to the latest advances in Bolivian architecture.

Algomad will be in Spanish, at the Facultad de Arquitectura, Artes, Diseño y Urbanismo in La Paz, on August 5-9, 2014. 

More info and registration: www.algomad.org 

Algomad on Facebook: www.facebook.com/algomad 

Mesh2Surface new version

The new version of the Mesh2Surface reverse engineering plug-in is available as a free upgrade to all existing customers. Simplify the reverse engineering process in Rhino by using powerful, yet easy-to-use, tools to extract surfaces from scan data. Build planes, spheres, cylinders, revolved and extruded surfaces direct from noisy polygonal meshes. Remove the limitations of the imperfections of the scan data from laser line, white light or CT scanners.

Buy Mesh2Surface now on food4Rhino...

Retro design in small appliances

The Italian appliance company SMEG has expanded its refrigerator and freezer line to small appliances. Two notable products are the toaster and the kettle.

Rhino models were used to check the aesthetics and ergonomics in the retro design.

Featured in the magazine DEVELOP3D . . . 

Fine lapidary in Rhino

Rae bead

We were checking on our Rhino users and received a detailed and grateful response from one of our jewelers, Daniel Lopacki, a lapidary artist and jeweler in New Mexico. Daniel also now sells lapidary tools. Below he details his discovery of Rhino:

As a user of 3D software since the mid 90s nearly everything I designed was first done on my computer. When I was about 62 I designed my dream studio. When my studio was nearing completion I started shopping jewelry design software. I must be honest -- they all left much to be desired for a 'one-of-a-kind jeweler'. So I just started looking at 3D software in general and this is when I found Rhino. At the time I could download Version 4 with 25 saves. I fired up Rhino and started a design for a gold box that I had in my mind for years. With about half the saves I got far enough on this box to know that without a doubt Rhino was exactly what I was after. I could not only design my jewelry but if I could design anything I could come up with in my head.

I used Rhino 4 on and off, but the business kept me away from doing much with it other than designing wood working projects. Also, my old Windows XP graphics machine was a bit too slow in Brazil. I just recently purchased a new super hot rod graphics machine that is 64-bit. Needless to say, it was necessary to upgrade Rhino to Version 5.

My first main project was a ring for my daughter for a ruby we gave her for Christmas over three years ago. I am doing five ring designs and she gets her pick.

Personally, I think Rhino is without a doubt the top in its price range and most likely would top many of the other higher priced 3D design software. 

I also want to let you know what an asset your forums and videos are for both novice and somewhat experienced users. I have had a few questions regarding both Rhino and Brazil. I always get answers back quickly and so far someone has always put me in the right direction.

Daniel is featured in American Masters of Stone, a web site dedicated to North American artists working with stone using "Commesso" or "Intarsia" technique.

See more details on the Rae bead and gold box . . . 

Generative Furniture Design by Matt Dennis

Matt Dennis is a M.F.A. candidate at the Savannah College of Art and Design. His thesis, Smarts and Crafts: Digital Technology in Furniture Design, explores ways that digital technology is changing all facets of furniture design; design creation, fabrication and distribution. Open design as well as parametric and generative design have played a large role in shaping his thinking about design.

For more information, you can contact Matt Dennis 

More of his work and designs can be found at:  MA.DE DESIGN

You can join and post your furniture designs at GFD3D too.

RhinoPolyhedra update available

The RhinoPolyhedra plug-in for Rhinoceros 5 for Windows will allow you to create and visualize a variety of polyhedral shapes; over 400 different shapes.

RhinoPolyhedra supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Rhinoceros 5 for Windows.

The Polyhedron command dialog now includes a preview image, plus it also displays the number of vertices and faces of the selected polyhedron. Many new geodesic and dual geodesic icosahedron solid shapes have also been added.

RhinoPolyhedra is free!

Requires Rhinoceros 5 Service Release 9 (SR9) or newer.

Download...

Regolo - new classic 6 boat

 

Regolo Studio offers innovative solutions side by side to cutting-edge technology to give life to its customers' creativity. Regolo Studio is also a Certified RhinoFabStudio that offers training programs including different plug-ins.

The new classic 6 boat is their newest project: engineering and mock up of the boat was done with Rhino modeling software. Post processor generation, wood CNC cutting, and metal water jet cutting were all done in-house also.

Become a member of RhinoFabStudio.

Watch the video.

For more information, you can contact Regolo Studio on Facebook or at http://www.regolostudio.com

Rhino Summer School for Teachers in London

Rhino Summer School 
London, UK
September 2014

SimplyRhino UK, in collaboration with McNeel Europe and chaos group, has organized a free of charge training & networking event for design teachers and lecturers, six classes over eight days.  Separate courses covering three areas: modelling, rendering and generative design. 

All courses are delivered by leading individuals from the software developer plus certified trainers from Simply Rhino. All courses are taking place at Imperial College London, Skempton Building in the newly refurbished South Kensington campus.

All classes have a focus on “training the trainer”. All content (except for the Rhino 5 Level Class, which is identical to our standard class) is tailored to help inform any teacher or lecturer in the key aspects of that subject -- quite different than our commercial classes where the focus is very much on professional use. The aim is to enable teachers to teach rather than become professional users. We think this is what you need.

Class titles:

• Rhino 5 Level 1
• Rhino 5 in Architecture & Engineering
• V-Ray Level 1
• V-Ray Advanced
• V-Ray Advanced for Architecture
• Grasshopper Introduction

Complete info and registration...

GeMo, an Army of 3D Printed Vases

Mehran Gharleghi and Amin Sadeghy from studio INTEGRATE, are seeking support to launch a crowd funded exhibition of an army of 3D printed vases in London. Through the use of cutting edge technology, the vases are 3D printed in stainless steel, ceramic, resin and nylon.

With a keen interest in exploring  the legacy of Middle Eastern art, combined with advanced methods of digital fabrication, they have created an army of over 500 mass customized 3D printed vases, called GeMo. GeMo utilizes the potentials of 3D printing technologies by creating a non-repetitive series of objects that are otherwise very cumbersome to manufacture using conventional methods. The form of each vase is generated from one of the fundamental components of Islamic art. It is made of two symmetrical octagons that merge into each other by using an algorithm. The algorithm uses repetition, rotation and symmetry to merge and develop  the original shapes. This method is often used in creating traditional Islamic drawings and art.  The word algorithm itself originates from, Al-Khwārizmī (c. 780-850), a Persian mathematician, astronomer, geographer and scholar. Digital tools were used to capture these steps to create over 500 unique variations that can only be realized by a 3D printer. By using this method, GeMo retained its cultural roots while leading to a novel set of artefacts.

Each 3D printed GeMo is individually unique, yet partially resembles its neighbouring relative which is called "Genetically Modified" (GeMo). Around 10% of the geometries that are generated out of this algorithm are mutants and due to their centre of gravity cannot stand. So, these will not to be 3D printed. GeMo embodies the potential of what 3D-print fabrication is offering to contemporary design culture. Hence, with the aim of raising awareness of the possibilities of 3D printing, Mehran and Amin are turning to Kickstarter to  raise funds to launch an exhibition in London, showcasing their army over 500 individually unique 3D printed vases. Their supporters will become the only  owners and exhibitors of  GeMo, which will be sent to them after the exhibition. By supporting the GeMo campaign, you will help a one-of-a-kind and exclusive design become recognised by a wider audience of art and design enthusiasts from around the world. Each GeMo(s) will be named after its (their) supporter. GeMo will be printed in multiple materials, such as stainless steel, plastic, resin and alumide. This is a possibility that has emerged from the world of digital design and production. Now, the army of GeMo is ready and they need them to be born. 

Check the kickstarter campaign...

Mr.Comfy 0.21 released

Mr.Comfy 0.21 released: custom spatial thermal metrics and independent daylight visualization

Mr.Comfy 0.21 has two new main features: 

• Custom thermal variable expressions
• Improvements in how the daylight mapping functionality can now be used more independently of the thermal mapping inputs, requiring only a set of Daysim *.pts and *.ill files

The new metrics functionality is probably more exciting, so let’s see what that is all about:

One of the original development drivers behind Mr.Comfy has always been the insight that specific combinations of design intent, building typology and climate require custom analysis scenarios to achieve the highest projected early design-stage building performance. Environmental design procedures should be uniquely tuned to marry the process with data interpretation and generation scenarios, and to link performance display to geometry. That’s the interstice in which the tool operates. The newest version goes a step further by allowing a custom report variable generation from existing E+ report outputs.

Read more...

Download from food4Rhino...

BSO’14 Paper & Optimization Case Study...

Fab10 Barcelona

Fab10 Barcelona is one week of events focused on open and accessible technologies that will change the world. It will gather the Fab Lab Network and the citizens of Barcelona to make it a Fab City. Fab10 Barcelona will gather the international Fab Lab community, which has more than 350 laboratories based in more than 40 countries in the world, and will host the Fab Festival and Fab City Symposium, open to all Barcelona citizens.

McNeel Europe will host a FabKids workshop during the week and will exhibit together with iCreatia.com at the Fab Festival during the weekend!

www.fab10.org

FluidRay RT 1.0.4 now has Rhino 5 integration

With the new FluidRay RT 1.0.4 plug-in for Rhino 5 you can now create photo-realistic renderings in just a few seconds from inside Rhino 5.

• Rhino materials and textures are used directly in your renderings
• You can also use the extensive list of materials, textures and lighting environments from the FluidRay RT library
• All changes made inside Rhino are updated in real-time in the render window
• All additional FluidRay information is stored directly inside the Rhino file

Download FluidRay RT 1.0.4 with Rhino integration...      

Getting started with Rhino integration video...         

Fun RhinoCAM projects at ehlersdesign

Ehlersdesign specializes in 3-D milling and produces everything from wax molds for jewelry designers, architectural modeling, to custom projects using 2 through 4-axis machining. To generate the milling data, they use RhinoCAM and Rhino.

See how and why ehlersdesign uses RhinoCAM and Rhino...

Rhino DOF - Rhino Design Optimization & Fabrication Training

In this class you'll learn to create and edit accurate free-form 3-D NURBS models. This fast-moving class covers most of Rhino's functionality, including the most advanced surfacing commands. In addition, this workshop will give students a functional understanding of Grasshopper and Parametric design; this will allow them to build on this understanding into more advanced projects of their own. The class also covers information on fabrication techniques with RP 3D Printers or Laser machines and optimization and fabrication using RhinoCAM for CNC machines.

This workshop will be at McNeel Miami's RhinoFabStudio.

To download the outline, please click here.

For more information please click here or call  McNeel Miami (305) 513 4445 or email Jackie Nasser.

Airport design in Kutaisi, Georgia

Another Rhino user pulls off a striking project, the International Airport at Kutaisi, Georgia. UNStudio, a Dutch architectural design studio, has spent the last 20 years working in architecture, urban development, and infrastructural projects.

Details in article by Dezeen . . . 

Jewelry Modeling workshop in Zaragoza, Spain

Workshop RhinoJewel
Zaragoza Maker Show
July 17, 2014

Miguel Ángel Sarralde is hosting a free RhinoJewel workshop during the Zaragoza Maker Show.

Details and free registration...

RoboFold is hiring!

RoboFold is looking for a Computational Designer to join its team - primarily for robotics. Also, this summer they have organized a Robotics Experimentation Programme.

Apply now!