UPB's 7th Edition - Minor in Digital Fabrication Commencement Ceremony

Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana's (UPB's) RhinoFabStudio invites you to join the 7th Edition of their Commencement Ceremony honoring 37 students who have successfully completed the Minor in International Digital Fabrication.

A certificate will be awarded to students who have successfully completed the required courses for the Minor including Rhino and four electives. 

To learn more about UPB's RhinoFabStudio watch this video!

Date: Tuesday, August 27th, 2019
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Ignacio Vieira Auditorium Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana - Medellín, Colombia

For additional information please contact Ovidio Cardona Osorio.
ovidio@mcnnel.com

What is 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.

To become a Certified RhinoFabStudio please visit this link!

Rhino DOF Training @ McNeel Miami

Register for the Rhino DOF - Rhino Design Optimization & Fabrication training by McNeel Miami, home of the RhinoFabStudio.

Course description:
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. Also, you'll learn the concepts and features of Grasshopper at an accelerated pace in an instructor-led hands-on environment. The advantages of using Grasshopper in preliminary design and concept development come to life since the students may be able to create their models on a 3D printer and a laser machine, if times allows.

D+O+F Training:

USD $799

Date: September 16-19, 2019

Time: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (EST)*

If you are not able to attend the 4-day Rhino D+O+F workshop, choose between these two options:

1) Rhino Training Level 1: Day 1 & 2

USD $495

Date: September 16-17, 2019

Time: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (EST)*

2) Grasshopper: Day 3 & 4

USD $495

Date: September 18-19, 2019

Time: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (EST)*

*Note: All times listed are Eastern (Miami) time zone

Location for all courses: 
McNeel Miami
1538 NW 89th Court
Miami, FL 33172

Space is limited. Register here!

For more information please contact Jackie Nasser or call 305-513-4445.

What is 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.

Photogrammetry file transfer for Rhino

Background image in Rhino with overlaid CAD data, showing the difference between the original and adjusted photos.

You might consider using photogrammetry instead of laser scanning.

Photogrammetry generates the 3D coordinates of selected points, usually applied targets. Export the points to Rhino and then work with the points in Rhino.

To do this, you apply targets, take your photos from varied locations, process the images on the computer, and export the results to Rhino.
You can integrate photogrammetry into your Rhino workflow using PhotoModeler. Import solved camera positions, rotations, and undistorted image backgrounds directly in the Rhino's native .3DM format. 

A few things PhotoModeler can do:

• Comprehensive Rhino 3DM export with geometry (2D and 3D points, lines, surfaces, textures, and NURBS, layers & materials), camera position and orientation data, and two styles of image background.
• Transfer complete 3D models with NURBS, surfaces, textures, etc.
• Work with the same layers and materials in both programs.
• Transfer accurate scale and coordinate systems for accurate dimensioning.
• Transfer project notes to Rhino notes.
• Set up orthographic image backgrounds in Rhino.
• Work with 2D patterns and templates for camera-based digitization.
• Transfer an accurate camera view for each original project photo.

PhotoModeler Technologies wrote a blog post with tips for using photogrammetry and PhotoModler with Rhino.

Optimus - new metaheuristic optimization plug-in for Grasshopper

Optimus is a new metaheuristic optimization plug-in for Grasshopper. The first version implements the Self-Adaptive Differential Evolution with Ensemble of Mutation Strategies (jEDE). While the self-adaptive approach updates crossover and mutation rates, the ensemble of mutation strategies uses three operators to find the optimal result. The main purpose is to support the Performative Computational Architecture framework during the design decisions in the conceptual phase.

The plug-in experimented with using standard test problems, some of the test problems proposed in IEEE CEC 2005, and one design optimization problem. (All these are below). The results show that Optimus (jEDE) outperformed some of the single-objective optimization algorithms available in food4Rhino by finding much better solutions for 20 out of 21 problems. The target audience of the tool is frequent users of parametric design modeling, e.g., architects, engineers, and designers.

The algorithm background and the results are here.

ShapeDiver now supports Pufferfish plug-in

The Pufferfish plugin is a set of 280 components which focuses on Tweens, Blends, Morphs, Averages, Transformations, & Interpolations - essentially shape-changing.

That said, it provides tweening tools for almost all geometry primitives in Grasshopper, and its real power is when those operations are executed on more complex primitives such as meshes and surfaces.

On top of the traditional categories of geometry, Pufferfish offers extended support for twisted boxes. Like any other primitive, they can be used for tweening operations. The good news is that all components are now supported without restrictions by ShapeDiver.

See the example model uploaded to ShapeDiver, which uses the "Twisted Box Loft" component to create the array of boxes and the "Morph to Twisted Box" component to morph different types of tileable elements to array on the following article.

UK Rhino Summer School 2019

September 2-4, 2019
The University of Liverpool
School of Engineering
Brownlow Hill, L69 3BX

Join the Simply Rhino Summer School for a free Rhino and Grasshopper training to educators from schools, colleges, and universities.

This course is suitable for anyone new to Rhino or those who want a thorough refresher on the basics. It's being delivered by Certified Trainers from McNeel and Simply Rhino. The course includes an introduction to Grasshopper.

More information...

Rhino and Grasshopper training in Russia

Limited Liability Company VOPLOSHENIE, Authorized Rhino Trainer and Reseller, has organized a series of online training classes in Russian during the next months.

Details and registration here (in Russian)...

Interested in a case study of a Thai airport?

Paul Wintour of Parametric Monkey published a case study for the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport Midfield Satellite Concourse in Bangkok.

Read about the software and processes used in the design studies. And read about what worked and what didn't.

Case study of Suvarnabhumi International Airport...

Rhino3DMedical - Creating CAD models straight from medical images with Rhino

Mirrakoi announces its new product, Rhino3DMedical, enabling users to create manufacturable and 3D-printable designs directly from medical images. 

“We provide powerful medical image analysis tools within a high-end CAD environment in an all-in-one workspace. You no longer need to import and export between different tools or switch software for the different steps in the workflow,” says Daniel Schmitter, CEO of Mirrakoi.

The software is still under development and is currently available for testing purposes.

Complete info, download and manual...

Steam bent theater seating

Photographer: Greg Mooney

Rhino contributed to the renovation of Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, a project combining steam bending with laser technology.

To achieve the sinuous design and installation, Trahan Architects borrowed the form-making ideas of celebrated furniture and design artist Matthias Pliessnig.

How do you scale an artist’s handcrafted quality to outfit a 650-seat theater? Pliessnig and Trahan’s team used steam to soften hundreds of reclaimed white oak slats, and then bend them into place around the theater to create a serpentine surface along the theater's balcony railing and side terraces. The custom-shaped and -positioned slats provide outstanding acoustics inside the theater. And steam bending the wood was more efficient than milling it on a lathe.

Working with the Plaistow, N.H.–based wood fabricator CW Keller Associates, in Rhino, the team devised a model that called for approximately 100,000 linear feet of wood slats placed around the theater. In locations where the acoustics needed a reflective surface, the slats were spaced close together. Where absorption was needed, the slats were set further apart.

The curvy, undulating aesthetic required laser scanning and projection. The laser projection allowed the assembly team to take the fabricated oak panels and place them without relying on measuring tape and plumb lines. The projector projects placement points on the theatre wall. 

Watch the process in the Faro video Alliance Theater, Atlanta, Georgia.

More photos and details are also in Architect Magazine's article.

Gridopolis Games wins IDA awards

The International Design Awards (IDA) recently announced the winners of its 12th annual design competition. Each year, the IDA competition receives thousands of designs submitted by companies and designers from over 90 countries, all competing for the top prizes in this prestigious award. These awards recognize, celebrate, and promote legendary design visionaries, uncovering emerging talent in design.

SchultzeWORKS designstudio's Gridopolis Games received Gold honors in two toy design categories:  Educational Toy and Board Game.

SchultzeWORKS designstudio is using Rhino extensively for its innovative startup company, Gridopolis Games.

Gridopolis Games is a game-design laboratory founded by Dave Schultze to break the mold of traditional board games by challenging gamers to think creatively and strategically in three dimensions.

Gridopolis Games is now on Kickstarter!

More information on Gridopolis Games and the awards....

BIMscript by BIMobject

BIMscript® is designed to streamline and speed up the process of BIM content creation. This delivers both an open and freely accessible scripting language as well as a BIM object authoring solution. 

Download and details on food4Rhino...

Below is an interesting set of articles by BIMscript Developer team:

Why BIMscript? What is it?

From a single digital content model, BIMscript simultaneously creates digital building product content to be used in many of the most popular building modeling software systems. Learn how to become an Accredited BIMscript Content Developer (ABCD). Bring us your questions.

Full article here...

Manufacturer Specific Content, Why Does it Matter?

Digital content is far more than a simple visual representation. Learn how BIMscript addresses the powerful features of the BIMobject Cloud platform in delivering digital content that serves the full building lifecycle.

Full article here...

Configurable Objects

BIMscript is the modern solution for content developers to create multi-format parametric BIM objects at scale. Join us to see how it works along with the BIMobject® Cloud, which supports on-the-fly browser-based configuration of parametric products before you download for insertion into your projects.

Full article here...

Is BIM Another Word for Software?

Is BIM Another Word for Software ? Or vice-versa for that matter. Well it seems the more people ask, the more creative the definition becomes. Allow us to set the record straight and clarify the confusion once and for all.

Full article here...

NURBS and Polygon Mesh - Why Both Models Are Needed

Both NURBS and meshes are capable of producing high-quality, three-dimensional models, but the difference is in the details. Non-Uniform Rational Basis Spline (NURBS) represent curves and surfaces, whereas a polygon mesh usually consists of triangles, quadrilaterals or other simple convex polygons. Clear as mud, right? Join us to see how both can work together with BIMscript to generate intelligent BIM objects.

Full article here...

ArchiCAD + Grasshopper Intensive Summer Course Paz Academy, Zurich

AC+GH SUM2

August 12-16, 2019

PAZ Academy (Parametric Academy Zurich)

Zurich, Switzerland

Join the ArchiCAD-Grasshopper Summer Camp and learn how to connect an early-stage design with Building Information Modeling.

Learn Rhino and Grasshopper through simple exercises and all the technical steps to make these two software work together.

At the end of the course, you’ll be able to understand, edit, and develop your first usable definitions. Optimize your daily work in a fun summer environment!

Complete details and registration…

PureWeb Spaces for Rhino

Introducing Spaces for Rhino from PureWeb on Vimeo.

Spaces for Rhino(R) (formerly LaunchPad for Rhino) enables CAD designers and engineers to safely share CAD models with others directly from Rhinoceros. Collaborators navigate to a URL in their browser to view and interact with a live stream of the CAD model.

How does it work? A plug-in installed into your Rhino 6 captures the view of the 3D model and streams it into a browser (Enter "cast" into the command line to start Spaces for Rhino). Sharing your model requires a PureWeb Spaces account. You can invite other users via a URL to your permanent meeting space (part of your PureWeb Spaces account) to view the model and interact with it. Communicate via built-in audio conferencing by clicking the microphone button (available in the browser and Spaces for Rhino plug-in dialog).

The advantage of Spaces for Rhino is that you can stream your models instantly without the need to share the source files or the use of cloud storage solutions. You can share from an environment you are comfortable with and can make ad hoc changes to the model that will be immediately reflected for all collaborators viewing in the browser.

Download Spaces for Rhino from food4Rhino...

"Why we integrated our real-time CAD collaboration platform with Rhino 3D".

Parametric Design—Beyond Conventional 3D Modeling

Please join the Inside/Outside speakers on August 8th and 9th, 2019. Each day includes a keynote talk from an emerging technology expert, industry and faculty presentations, and interactive workshops on scanning, print preparation, and applied case studies.

On Saturday, August 10th, we will host intensive Grasshopper/Parametric Design Training with Andrés Gonzalez, director RhinoFabStudio.

Grasshopper is the visual programming environment which is now included in Rhinoceros 6. Grasshopper scripts are represented by visual elements that progressively develop across the Grasshopper canvas. By creating visual Grasshopper scripts, designers explore and develop their models from concept to fabrication.

This workshop will concentrate on exploring parametric design methods and techniques with a strong focus on architectural geometry. It will start with fundamentals but will quickly address modeling geometry and data-driven design, data structures, and integrating digital fabrication tools.

Place: New York University Tandon School of Engineering

6 MetroTech Center
MakerSpace

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Date: Saturday, August 10th, 2019

Time: 9 AM to 5 PM (EDT)

For more information and to register...

Docofossor - Landscape modeling components for Grasshopper

Docofossor is a collection of landscape modeling components in 2.5D with distance functions.

Docofossor is used as a component library for Grasshopper. It is developed to model cut and fill operations by a robotic excavator in landscape architectural design. It allows a continues transformation of the topography by point, path, area, or surface on a digital terrain model (DTM).

Written in Python and free to use (MIT License).

Details and download on food4Rhino...

SectionTools New Release

A new version of the SectionTools plug-in for Rhino 6 for Windows is now available, with the following updates:

• Fixed "stCreate" command when loading vertical sections from a file.
• Fixed "HatchPattern" option in "stCreate" command. It used to be omitted in some cases (when no hatch patterns were loaded in the document).
• Changed the "Dir" option names in "stCreate" command to use Horizontal, Vertical and Custom (instead of X-Axis, Y-Axis and Pick).
• Updated the manual and made the example model available to download.
• Other minor bug fixes.

Details and downloads...

Open position: Rhino developer at DesignConnected.com

DesignConnected.com is the developer of Connecter, the popular free digital asset manager. 

"We are looking for an experienced Rhino Plugin Developer for a long term collaboration. The goal is to build, support and further improve integration between Connecter and Rhino, similar to the ones we already offer for 3DS Max and Cinema 4D. That’s a feature that has been heavily requested by the community."

Job offer details at www.rhino3d.com/jobs

The Sparrow has landed - Discover this new productivity boosting plug-in

Sparrow delivers a productivity boost by enhancing middle mouse button functionality and making 3D views manipulation more intuitive. It works as a standalone or inside other commands.

Main enhancement modes:

[ MMB Click]: Instantly focus the view on the specific area of any object under the cursor
[ MMB Hold]: Intuitive view manipulation based on point under the cursor (pivot)
[ Key Combos + MMB Click]: Customizable macro or Sparrow-specific function assignments for quick access with Ctrl, Alt, Shift and other key combinations

Download and details on food4Rhino...

Concrete Choreography by ETH Zurich / NCCR DFAB

A collaboration between Digital Building Technologies and the Origen Festival in Riom (Switzerland), the installation Concrete Choreography consists of nine, individually designed, 2.7m tall columns. Each column is concrete 3D printed at full height in 2.5 hours with the process developed at ETH Zurich, with the support of NCCR DFAB. 

Students of the Master of Advanced Studies in Digital Fabrication and Architecture explore the unique possibilities of layered extrusion printing, demonstrating the potential of computational design and digital fabrication for future concrete construction.

Project details...

Wind - Peter Donder's latest furniture project

A Swiss collector ordered a bench, and Belgian designer, Peter Donders, imagined Wind.

A 220cm long and 100cm wide, Wind is made entirely of birch wood. It is composed of 1265 sections over 85 layers which were combined into 220 numbered pieces before being assembled by hand.

From conception to completion in just 500 hours, this is the most ambitious of Peter's projects.

For more information about the project, contact peter@peterdonders.com.

Design NXT Week - Atlanta

Design NXT Week is the first conference in the southeast to focus on emerging technology in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. It will be a groundbreaking, four-day, educational deep dive into the converging technologies shaping the process of designing, creating, and maintaining the built environment. Details and schedule are here.

When: Tuesday, Aug 20, 2019, 5:00 PM 

to Saturday, Aug 24, 2019, 5:30 PM EDT

Where: The MET Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30310

Symposium 

Tuesday, Aug 20, 2019, 5:00 PM - Thursday, Aug 22, 2019, 5:00 PM EDT

Masterclasses

Friday, Aug 23, 2019, 8:00 AM - Saturday, Aug 24, 2019, 2:30 PM EDT

Building.NET Integrations:

Instructor David Manns, CORE|Thornton Tomasetti

Rhino.Compute + Rhino3DM: 

Instructors Dale Fugier and Travis Serio, Robert McNeel & Associates

and More!

Ladybug Tools 101 - Environmental Analysis

Ladybug Tools 101 - Environmental Analysis

In this new video course from ThinkParametric, you'll learn the basics of Ladybug Tools, a suite of varied plug-ins and tools designed for architects and engineers to make environmentally conscious design decisions. The skills taught in this course will allow you to gain awareness of climate conditions of your project early on in the design process to identify areas of opportunity and vulnerabilities to create more performative designs right from the start.  Enroll and watch today!

Exploring Forms with Grasshopper workshop, August 28-29

Exploring Forms with Grasshopper workshop

Robert McNeel & Associates, Seattle, WA

August 28-29, 2019

$495.00

Is it time for you to learn Grasshopper for Rhinoceros? Join us for this fast-paced two-day workshop. Andres Gonzalez Posada from McNeel Miami will be coming to our Seattle office to teach this class. You don't want to miss it!

Seats are limited. Sign up today!

Grasshopper is the visual programming environment which is now included in Rhinoceros 6. Grasshopper scripts are represented by visual elements that progressively develop across the Grasshopper canvas. By creating visual Grasshopper scripts, designers explore and build their models from concept to fabrication.

This workshop will introduce you to Grasshopper and take you to an intermediate level. It will provide you with a functional understanding of Grasshopper and parametric design. The workshop will cover:

• Understanding the interface
• Modeling geometry
• Data structures
• The logic of using trees 

A detailed class outline is available here.


Notes:
Basic working knowledge of Rhino 5 or 6 is required.
Our Seattle classroom is outfitted with computers for each attendee to use during the training; laptops are not necessary.

Details...

Inside/Outside symposium, Grasshopper workshop at NYU Tandon MakerSpace

Grasshopper Workshop 

Inside/Outside Symposium 

NYU Tandon Makerspace 

August 8-9, 2019

Inside/Outside is a two-day technical symposium that brings together two lenses for leveraging professional desktop 3D printing for professionals.

Inside focuses on medical uses and how to communicate and prototype around the very small. 

Outside focuses on built environments, working with scales greater than 1:1 and uses that to extend architectural models to communicate and develop ideas with the aid of desktop printers.

Each day includes a keynote talk from an emerging technology expert, industry and faculty presentations, and interactive workshops on scanning, print preparation, and applied case studies.

Location:
NYU Tandon MakerSpace
6 MetroTech Center
Brooklyn, NY, 11201

For more information and to register...

Robotic Manufacturing for Architecture in Peru

Revolutionize your designs by using robotic tools and new technologies. Come to our iRobotic manufacturing for architecture workshop!

Date: August 8-17, 2019
Location: Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Peru

Price: The AA Visiting School requires a fee of £695 per participant, which includes a £60 visiting membership fee.

For information and to sign up visit this link!  
Limited spaces! The deadline for applications is August 1, 2019.

For professionals and students of architecture, engineering, and design. 
#aavslima #lima #peru #rhino #kuka 

For more information please email fdunkelberg@dessin-technisch.com.

What is 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.

Ameba lightweight structures algorithm released

Like its namesake, the single-cell ameba or amoeba, the software app Ameba can change its shape in different environments.

Per your design requirements, apply different loading and boundary conditions to the initial design domain. During the computational process, the design domain will evolve into various shapes, and eventually reach an organic form that is structurally efficient.

Ameba is based on the BESO method, which provides topology optimization for 2D and 3D geometrical models.

You can learn more about Ameba in the YouTube video.

Download a free trial from food4Rhino!

Grasshopper tutorial: Weave Pattern

In this 10-minute Grasshopper tutorial, Parametric House shows you how to use Mesh+ and Weaverbird to model a weaving pattern on a NURBS surface.

First, you model a Surface in Rhino using Sweep1 and then use Mesh+ to model the pattern. Finally, the tutorial shows how to use Weaverbird to smooth the results and make the weaving pattern.

This is just one of a series of courses by Parametric House that you can enroll in.

Weave Pattern tutorial by Parametric House...

Rob|Arch 2020 at Beijing: Call for Workshops

September 2020

Beijing, China

In September 2020, the Rob|Arch 2020 Conference on Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art, and Design takes place in Beijing, China, and you are invited to present a workshop.

Rob|Arch 2020 is cohosted by Tsinghua University, in cooperation with the Beijing Design Week.

Rob|Arch is looking for high-end, hands-on workshops that appeal to both experienced robot users as well as interested beginners from a variety of backgrounds. The workshop should lead the participants along the entire fabrication workflow, from design to production.

 

Workshops can involve any kind of robots, from robotic arms to drones, autonomous vehicles, and completely new machines.

The three-day workshops are selected by a committee of the local hosts and the Association for Robots in Architecture.

Submission deadline: September 15, 2019

More information and to propose a workshop...

MAGIX-LOCK, the magic closure system

MAGIX-LOCK PROTOTYPES from imagodesign on Vimeo.

The MAGIX-LOCK closure system is a patented innovation taking advantage of the power of magnets. Instead of the normal attraction of magnets, the magnets are reversed and repel each other forcing the object to lock in place. Once the female and the male parts of the closure system are joined and locked, they can be released by applying force on the male part to unlock the system.

The preliminary design concept served as the first step in the production process of the prototypes. The analog sketches were transferred to the digital space and constructed precisely in 3D by using Rhinoceros. The first generation of prototypes in different variations was 3D printed based on the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and manually assembled with efficient Neodymium magnets. Based on the result of the first generation prototypes, the 3D models were further optimized in material thickness and fabrication tolerances in Rhinoceros. 

The second generation of the improved prototypes was cast using the Lost-wax technique, which better reflected the precise feel of the final materials and appearance. 

The current third generation of the prototypes has been completely re-engineered, improved in functionality, and constructed to be produced entirely with CNC milling, which is focusing on mass production. Rhinoceros has been an integral part of the design and construction process which served as a direct output for the final fabrication process (sketch-construction-production).

This simplicity of the MAGIX-LOCK functional design opens up a whole new line of closure systems, ranging from watches, jewelry, bags, helmets, and many more.

MAGIX-LOCK official website...