A new organization to accelerate digital fabrication

Streamlining Design to Fabrication

The Digital Fabrication Network (dFab Net) is a new community of fabricators and manufacturers; hardware and software suppliers; and academics, designers, and researchers, working together to improve design to fabrication.

Digital fabrication advancements are transforming industries at all levels. Designers have more and more sophisticated digital design tools. Yet design to digital fabrication remains slow and expensive.

“Design-to-fabrication problems are too complex to tackle alone,” said Bill Kreysler, President of dFab Net. “Finally there is an organization bringing everyone together to work on these issues.”

The organization’s diverse membership encourages innovation through cross-industry collaboration. Members can learn about processes and technology from many unrelated industries.

You are invited to join the world’s innovators who are embracing technology to change the game of design to manufacturing.

 Become a member today... 

Contact:
Digital Fabrication Network
Attn: Melissa Kroskey,S.E., Executive Director
101 West American Canyon Road, #508-278
American Canyon, CA 94503
(858) 527-9340
www.dfabnet.org

Using Grasshopper for snowshoes

When you live in Norway you must understand snow. And snowshoes. First, the Norwegian company Fimbulvetr did extensive research of 6000 years of snowshoe evolution -- give or take a few years. Then they used Grasshopper to help design a new snowshoe.

From their website: "We set out to create a stronger, lighter, more durable and ergonomic snowshoe from scratch. Previous snowshoes typically have many breakable parts, feel detached and limit movements. Through redesign, prototyping and testing we developed a high-end tool for superior, personal, winter mobility. The result is a whole new snowshoe experience, best described as a natural extension of the foot. Try it, and never go back."

Fimbulvetr currently sells their snowshoes through their website.

Fimbulvetr video . . . 

Advanced Grasshopper workshop: “Complex surface”

Advanced Grasshopper workshop: “Complex surface”
Mediterranean FabLab, Cava de' Tirreni (Italy)
March 18-21, 2014

The Mediterranean FabLab in Cava de' Tirreni (Italy) has organized a new Grasshopper workshop that will deal with the development of complex surfaces responsive to information from the environment and with digital fabrication techniques.

Tutor: Amleto Picerno Ceraso

Details and registration...

Quick shelters

Seeking shelter? Chuck Henderson of Conic Shelter has it. By using Rhino and Brazil, he is producing and designing flexible minimalist shelters. He ends up with flowing geometric curved surfaces that retain structural strength.

The thin-shell architecture is based on multiConic geometry. The construction is from thin materials like plywood or reinforced ferro-cement type concrete.

The Conic Shelters assemble quickly. Watch the video of the assembly of one structure.

DATA BODIES Grasshopper workshop, Paris (France)

“Data by itself has no meaning. It fills databases. This data must be examined in order to become meaningful. Humans must interact with it. Information arises when humans examine the data. Knowledge is created when information is transformed through human social interactions.” 

Richard Gayle via spacecollective

DATA BODIES Grasshopper workshop
Paris, France
May 9-11, 2014

The space in which we live can be monitored in many aspects and appears to be to be a gradient of data in continuous evolution and change. One of the major advantages of parametric tools is to be able to inform the design processes with accurate, specific and variable, in space and time, data streams.

DATA BODIES is a Grasshopper workshop that will focus on how its nature as an information processor and how it can be (ab)used in order to manipulate data, streaming inputs from various sources and use datafeeds to inform geometry or data structures from the very simple up to more complex ones. The aim is to give an understanding of information and data articultion as already a spatial and architectural operation; results may range from pure data communication protocols, dataviz or data-driven geometries depending on the skill levels and aspirations of each participant. The brief is also open to the suggestions and opportunities that may rise during the workflow.

Rhino 5, Grasshopper, gHowl, MeshEdit, WeaverBird, Firefly, Lunchbox will be used during the workshop.

TUTOR: Andrea Graziano, Co-de-iT
CURATOR: Francesco Cingolani, superbelleville coworking

Details and registration...

Rhino 5 Service Relase 8 Available

Rhino 5 Service Release 8 (SR8), built 5-Mar-2014, is now available.

SR8 eliminates the 25-save evaluation limit. Instead, evaluations are fully functional for 90 days*. After 90 days, Rhino will not save.

Dozens of stability improvements and bug fixes are included in SR8.

Rhino will download Service Release Updates in the background and prompt you to install, or you can download manually.


* The 90-day evaluation starts when Rhino is installed. Previous releases of Rhino will have already started your 90-day evaluation period, so upgrading to SR8 may result in an expired evaluation.

D.LOFT, a new plug-in by Evolute

Single curved surfaces, also known as developable surfaces, are extremely important to modelling in various fields like marine design, architecture, product design, and art works. They help reduce manufacturing costs and tooling, yet no other software allowed designers to use them in a straightforward way with a high degree of precision and control. 

Things changed! EvoluteTools D.LOFT enables users to create developable surfaces between arbitrary 3d curves with a push of a button, hassle free.

A quick introduction video is available on Evolute's YouTube and YouKu channels.

Details and download...

More Evolute News:

• Le b-Shack Pavilion 
• Dodekaederstern project 
• Evolute videos on YouKu 

Architecture in Fashion workshop, Bucharest (Romania)

Architecture in Fashion Workshop
Bucharest, Romania
April 20-27, 2014

Parametrica [Digi Fab School] invites you to participate in a series of computational design and digital fabrication workshops.

Fashion and Architecture are both based on basic life necessities – clothing and shelter. However, they are also forms of self-expression – for both creators and consumers. Both fashion and architecture affect our emotional being in many ways. The agenda of this workshop is to investigate on the overlap between these two areas of design, art & fashion.

Rhino, Grasshopper, Kangaroo, WeaverBird, Lunch Box, ghHowl, Geco will be applied for the parametric design, analysis and fabrication of your models.

Complete details and registration...

3D Events in Vienna

Interested in 3D Modeling, Rendering and 3D Printing? Don't miss the following free events in Vienna (Austria):

ThreeKC Open House 
06.03.2014

Come visit authorized Rhino reseller ThreeKC to learn more about Rhino 5 and V-Ray for Rhino. Details... 

Vienna 3D Print Congress
27.03.2014

ThreeKC will be one of the exhibitors at the first 3D Conference in Austria. Details... 

Control Revit with Grasshopper

LMN tech studio just released Lyrebird which provides a tight connection between Grasshopper in Rhino and Revit.

Learn more...

Zoo 5 Service Release 8 available

Zoo 5 Service Release 8 contains two new features:

1. License monitoring - Zoo 5 now allows users to monitor license usage from the convenience of their web browser. Just visit the status page, provided by your Zoo server, by entering http://<zoo_server_host_name>/status into your favorite web browser. For example, if your Zoo server's host name is zooserver.mycorp.com, then you would enter http://zooserver.mycorp.com/status into your web browser.
2. Serial number exporting - Prior to Service Release 8, there was no way to export licensing information out of Zoo 5. Now, it is possible to export a comma-separated-value (csv) file that contains the serial numbers (not CD keys) of all licenses maintained by Zoo 5. This can be useful if you have difficulties in locating all of your product licenses. You can export the serial number and then email them to McNeel, who in turn can look up your misplaced license information.

Download...

New RhinoGold 4.0 SR 9 Now Includes RhinoEmboss

RhinoGold 4.0 users can now download the new update. 

RhinoGold 4.0 Service Release 9 new Features:

RhinoEmboss 1.0 included
Integrated to Asiga Composer
Print 3D command allows selecting any application to output

RhinoGold 4.0 Service Release 9 Improvements:

Edit	Edit command integrated with RhinoEmboss
Voice Control	Voice Control gets the dictionary and grammar active
Rope	Geometry Smoother even with one single span closed curves
Gumballs	Accept values higher than 100
3D Printing	Default 3D Printer save it in User Profile
Localization	Improvements in Traditional and Simplified Chinese
Gems by Curve	Allow negative gaps between gems.
Channel	Create sharps corners
Pave	Improvements in algorithm and user interaction
Tripod	Improvements in user interaction

Grasshopper Training - ITESM - Leon, Mexico

This course is for design professionals who are looking to efficiently learn concepts and features of Grasshopper at an accelerated pace in an instructor-led hands-on instruction environment. This workshop will provide students a functional understanding of Grasshopper concepts, necessary to obtain effective algorithmic and computational knowledge to model parametric 3-D shapes for design studies and concept development. Participants should have basic knowledge of Rhino 5.  

• Date: March 6,7,8, 2014
• Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm 
• Place: ITESM - León, a certified RhinoFabStudio
• Instructor: Andrés Gonzalez worlwide RhinoFabStudio Director
  

For more information, please contact: 
Iliana Gutiérrez Hernández - Coordinadora de Líderes Académicos - ITESM Campus León - Tel: 7109000 Ext-3004


What is a RhinoFabStudio? 
A RhinoFabStudio™ (fabrication studio) is a small-scale digital workshop, certified by McNeel, with an array of Rhino and Rhino compatible software and computer controlled tools and training. These tools cover the various leading-edge industrial methods and materials needed to design, analyze, and fabricate almost anything.

Rhino and Grasshopper workshops in Lebanon

Rhino Level 1
February 28th - March 2nd, 2014
Suite 101, Verdun Twins
Beirut, Lebanon

The Rhino Level 1 course organized by Built by Associative Data Research in Beirut is aimed at professionals, educators, and student architects, engineers, and designers that are interested in enhancing their creative capabilities, while at the same time increasing efficiency.

This introductory course will acquaint the participant with Rhinoceros’ surface modelling capabilities, model visualization, model data extraction, model translation from other CAD packages, and a variety of other crucial strategies for effective workflows.  The course is particularly geared towards exposing Rhinoceros’ capabilities in a production environment, where data fidelity, model translation, and output precision are involved.  

Instructor: Luis E. Fraguada - Director of Research Built by Associative Data, Authorized Rhino Trainer

Complete details and registration...

Parametric Design with Grasshopper - Level 1
March 5th - 8th, 2014
Suite 101, Verdun Twins
Beirut, Lebanon

The workshop on Applied Parametric Design serves as an introduction and immersion into the world of associative design with McNeel’s Rhinoceros and Grasshopper software.  Rhinoceros is an advanced Nurbs modeller where we will learn about precision modelling, project workflow and organization. Grasshopper is an associative modelling plugin for Rhinoceros that allows us to parametrically define the logics of our model in order to explore variations and optimized solutions. These two tools are a powerful combination for any architect, designer, engineer, professional or student who is interested in exploring how parametric design can benefit their workflow.

Instructor: Luis E. Fraguada - Director of Research Built by Associative Data, Authorized Rhino Trainer

Complete details and registration...

RhinoBIM beta 3.27.130 is Now Available

 RhinoBIM beta 3.27.130 includes:

• Added new Australian database
• Added new Z shape type profiles
• Fix bug selecting objects using stretch mode
• Fix Rotate button disapears
• Fix rotate real time only allowed 90 degrees
• IFC plugin updated to latest IFC revision

Learn more...

Design for Manufacturing Summit #5

DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING SUMMIT #5
Creating a leaner decentralized manufacturing ecosystem
Thursday, March 29, 2014
Dumbo*, New York

Design for Manufacturing Summit #5 will cover distributed manufacturing, Design for Cost, the product development process from concept to manufacturing and the latest in creative industrial design. The semi-annual Design for Manufacturing Summit brings together the thought leaders in the digital manufacturing revolution; industrial designers, engineers, manufacturers, and digital entrepreneurs.

Register now and save 50% with 'DFM'.

*Dumbo, an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn

Rhino-DAY - Guadalajara, Mexico

 Rhino-DAY Workshops and Lectures, April 2-5 April

Tec de Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico - Campus

   

RhinoFabStudio and  Tecnológico de Monterrey-Guadalajara will host 2 days of workshops + 2 days of lectures on April 2-5, 2014.

Presenters will talk about their professional fields and how they use 3-D modeling and design in real life projects; from jewelry to product design, furniture, and architecture. Join us and discover the principles of designing interactivity; learn how to rationalize complex geometry into a format that is suitable for analysis and fabrication, or discern validated environmental simulations directly to the conceptual design environments in Rhino and Grasshopper.

Important: 

• The 2-day conference fee is $95, but if you are a student or a faculty member, you will receive a Rhino 5 EDU license with the registration (proof of status required, the regular educational license price is USD $195). 
• To register for the conferences April 4 and 5, please go to: http://mcneelmiami.com/rhino_day_2014
• The 1-day workshops are also $95 each, space is very limited so please register soon. There will be 4 workshops on April 2 and 4 different workshops on April 3.
• For the list of workshops on April 2 and to register, please go to:  Dhttp://mcneelmiami.com/april_2nd_courses
• For the list of workshops on April 3 and to register, please go to: http://www.mcneelmiami.com/april_3rd_courses

Take advantage of these incredible prices!!!.  

You can register to any of the workshops or lectures by clicking here.  

Rhino used in extremes: both old and new architecture

Next door to the Fulton Transit Center, a contemporary design using Rhino and Grasshopper, is the historic 124 year-old Corbin building.  A new entrance to the Corbin building and street-level access to the subway is part of this Metropolitan Transit Authority project in New York. Another Rhino client, Boston Valley Terra Cotta is fabricating the terra cotta replacement parts on the historic building.

The Corbin building restoration was given an 2013 Award of Merit in Adaptive Reuse and Historic Preservation by the New York AIA.

For the terra cotta restoration details see Retrofit Magazine . . . 

AA Visiting School Los Angeles, June 16-27

AA Visiting School Los Angeles
June 16-27, 2014

The AA Visiting School Los Angeles is now accepting applications! Registration is open to students and professionals alike, who are interested in participating in a 10 day design charrette focused on exploring the legacy of experimental housing in LA through the lens of contemporary design methodologies.

Expect to explore computational design strategies, implement digital fabrication processes, work with a global network of like-minded designers, researchers, and educators, and experience the iconic legacy of LA's mid-century modernist homes.

Details...

RhinoGold & 3D Printing in Miami

Join CAD BLU at one of their upcoming RhinoGold+Solidscape seminars in Miami. They will present two group sessions on how you can use jewelry design software and a 3D wax printer to grow your business.

Date: Wednesday, February 19
Choose from Morning or Afternoon session:
     Morning:    9:30AM - 11:30AM
     Afternoon:  1:00PM - 3:00PM

Location: Hyatt Regency Miami
   400 SE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33131

Note, each two-hour session will cover the same material. Reserve the time slot that works best for you.

Register online...

Intermediate Grasshopper class starts next week

 

Intermediate Grasshopper - Online Training

February 18-21
9:00am-1:00pm Pacific time
US$215.00 per person

Join instructor Andres Gonzalez as he explores the intermediate concepts of generative modeling in Rhino 5 using the Grasshopper add-on. He will apply these concepts to Grasshopper intermediate design and development numerous in numerous real-life examples with you.

This course is for design professionals who are looking to efficiently learn concepts and features of Grasshopper at an accelerated pace in an instructor-led online environment. This course requires "Intro to Grasshopper" training or equivalent. More....

Sign up today!

Bongo 2 Service Release 2 now available

Hi all,

Bongo 2 SR 2 is now available from:

http://www.rhino3d.com/download/bongo/2.0/commercial

The complete list of changes in this Service Release can be found here.

Enjoy!

HAL 5 for ABB, KUKA and Universal Robots

We are pleased to announce the release of the new version of the HAL Robot Programming & Control plug-in for Grasshopper.

HAL 5, compatible with Rhino 4 and 5 and 0.9x or above Grasshopper versions, is proposing an extremely versatile set of tools (+600 functionalities, subdivided in 154 components) offering you the possibility to simulate, program and monitor ABB, KUKA and Universal Robots machines*.

This version is proposing a new highly flexible workflow based on “toolpath” objects allowing you to use all the powerful tools that HAL embeds, independently from the complexity of your robot process. It is then possible to combine, edit, and organize complex operations on massive amounts of objects with only a few clicks, while keeping a clean and lossless structure of machine movements. These new objects are also generating an advanced and customizable representation of the robot process, including the target orientations, approximation zones, interpolation attributes, position names, Digital Output values and channels, simulation of mechanical tools and parts manipulation, preview of stocks of material, etc.

With HAL 5, it is also possible to optimize the size of your programs by choosing the declaration syntax to be used in the post-processor in ABB RAPID, KUKA KRL and Universal Robots URSCRIPT. Advanced programming and IO management functionalities have also been translated in these three languages to allow you to switch from a language to another by a simple “right-click” on any component.

In addition to these new global updates, some advanced functionalities have been added or improved for ABB robots: the HAL to ABB Controller component, allowing for program uploading, real-time control and data streaming has been entirely redesigned to reach a minimal communication latency (approx. 30ms), and has new multi-threaded monitoring features to analyze joint positions, TCP position, digital IO values and program execution in real-time.

As an educational and research-oriented package, HAL 0.05 is extensively documented: right-click on any component to instantaneously access a selection of comprehensive annotated examples, or to start a tutorial search on YouTube.

HAL 5, developed by Thibault Schwartz, is available on Food4Rhino and the HAL website.

*For more information about these features and their compatibility with your machine, see this page.