Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Foster + Partners launches Cyclops plugin to enhance sustainable design
The Foster + Partners Applied R+D team has developed Cyclops, a free, bespoke design plugin for Grasshopper in Rhino.
Cyclops is a ray-tracing analysis plugin for Grasshopper that utilizes the power of modern GPUs to accelerate environmental simulations. It supports a range of analyses, including radiation, sunlight, and daylight, and can efficiently manage large-scale, complex geometries and high-density analyses.
Cyclops seamlessly integrates into existing workflows and provides analytical feedback to designers in real-time. It turbocharges ray tracing simulations that are fundamental for environmental analyses.
Martha Tsigkari, Senior Partner and Head of Applied R+D, Foster + Partners, said: “Cyclops is the latest iteration of a tool that we have been extensively developing, refining, and actively using on projects, over the past fifteen years. During this time, we have experimented with different technologies and user interfaces, allowing designers to run environmental analyses that used to take hours, or even days, in a matter of seconds. We believe that Cyclops will play an important role in supporting positive change within the architectural and engineering industry – enhancing sustainability across a wide range of global projects.”
The development of Cyclops is driven by Foster + Partners’ commitment to sustainability. It is being released as a free plugin to encourage widespread adoption and the integration of more sustainable design practices across the industry.
Cyclops also enhances the professional development of junior designers by allowing them to rapidly gauge their designs' performance in real-time. In doing so, they will quickly develop an intuition for what makes a building or master plan perform better.
Cyclops is in a beta phase and includes a 90-day expiry period. An upgrade will be required within 90 days to renew the expiry and ensure access to the latest updates.
Find out more and install the Cyclops plugin...
Free Rhino & Grasshopper for Architects Workshop by How to Rhino (May 4th-14th)
Are you an architect struggling to integrate Rhino, Grasshopper, or Rhino.Inside.Revit into your workflow? Do you find the interfaces daunting, lack architect-specific tutorials, or feel unsure where to even begin with parametric design?
You're not alone. That's why How to Rhino, an Authorised Rhino Training Centre, is hosting a Free Online Rhino & Grasshopper for Architects Workshop from May 4th to May 14th.
Led by architects Dusan and Lazar, this workshop provides a clear, step-by-step path to mastering these powerful tools. Forget generic tutorials – this is tailored content designed by architects for architects, covering everything from basics to advanced applications.
What You'll Learn:
Rhino Confidence: Navigate the interface, understand core concepts, and start creating the complex geometries your projects demand.
Grasshopper Clarity: Demystify the logic, build practical scripts from scratch, and leverage parametric modeling for architectural design.
Revit Integration: Understand Rhino.Inside.Revit, connect Grasshopper to your BIM workflow, and learn how to seamlessly integrate the design and construction phases of the project.
This year, benefit not only from Dusan and Lazar's expertise but also from insights shared by special guest speakers from the industry!
Workshop Structure:
In-depth video lessons for all skill levels
Live interactive teaching sessions including QnA and discussion (15+ hours)
Bonus materials to support your learning
Certificate of attendance upon completion
Key Information:
When: May 4th - May 14th
Where: How to Rhino Skool Group
Investment: Free!
Access: Content available only during the workshop duration.
Monday, April 28, 2025
Become an Authorized Rhino Trainer (ART) Training in Spanish
For Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina + Latin America
Authorized Rhino Trainers (ART) are technical experts who meet the requirements to deliver official Rhino training. Earning the ART credential places you in an exclusive network of instructors known for top‑quality teaching and certified by their regional McNeel office.
Why become an ART?
Upcoming Mandatory ART Candidate Training
(offered only twice a year)
Call for Applications: April - May 2025
Acceptance Notifications: May 12 - 16, 2025
Training Sessions: June 11 – 13 & June 18 – 20; Six live online sessions (Wed‑Fri, two consecutive weeks)
Already an ART for Rhino 6 or earlier?
You’ll need this course to renew your certification.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Authorized Rhino Trainer - Required Training May 2025
Your certification will allow you to stand out from others offering Rhino training.
Your school or training center may also want to offer training as an official ARTC with you as their ART.
As an ART, you can post your school or training center's class schedule to the Rhino Learn page for all Rhino users visiting the website. This schedule can be searched by format, region or country, language, learning level, and market, helping students find your training based on their needs.
ART Certification Requirements include participation in this online class.
This online class is for ART candidates in the North American Region. (Other regions may also give permission for you to join our class.)
Online Class Format
- Six Sessions
Week 1: May 13, 14, 15
Week 2: May 20, 21, 22
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) x 2 weeks - Time: 8 am-12 pm PDT
"Live" Attendance for 90% of class is required for ART credit.
Webcam check-in at the beginning of each session is required for class credit.
This class is typically offered twice a year.
Minimum of 6 students required for class to be presented: sign up now so we know you are planning to attend. Payment due by April 30th.
See the ART Requirements for all Regions.
Questions? Please email Mary Ann Fugier.
Dutch course Grasshopper & AI by PAOTM together with RHDHV
CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, July 9-10 in Amsterdam
The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge-sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.
The next event in Amsterdam, to be held July 9–10, features a curated single-track program exploring computational workflows, generative design, AI-driven simulation, geometry optimization, and advanced manufacturing.
Keynotes will be delivered by Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President of Design at Samsung Electronics, and Mathew Vola, Arup Fellow and Director of Computational Design.
Speakers from organizations including MIT, McNeel, SimScale, Carbon, Spherene, DTU and more, will present work that bridges theory and application—from architected materials to architectural planning.
Explore the full program featuring over 30 experts sharing their work at the forefront of computational design.
Space is limited for this in-person event. Registration here...
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
C# Programming and plugin development online course for Rhino/GH, May 21-23, 2025 (McNeel Europe)
These are the main topics that will be covered:
- Introduction to C# language concepts such as : variable, data types, conditional statements, loops, object oriented programming, etc...
- Working with the C# Script component in Grasshopper
- The RhinoCommon library, where we can programmatically access pretty much all features of the Rhino software (such as creating and editing geometries)
- The basics of making plugins for Grasshopper using C# and Visual Studio (a powerful modern software platform for coding)
- Basic algorithms and algorithmic thinking that is essential in general coding as well as in Rhino/Grasshopper coding.
Course requirements: This Level 1 course does not require any prior experience in programming. You only need to be familiar with Rhino and Grasshopper. Software requirement: Rhino 8
Online course fees for each course: EUR 395,- (+VAT); full-time students and university teachers get a 50% discount (proof of status required). Please note that we will confirm your seat after your payment has cleared.
Maximum number of participants for each course: 25. If there is no quorum, the course will be canceled 15 days before.
Online beginner’s course for Grasshopper by Agata Kycia
In this beginner-friendly and compact course, you will learn the principles of parametric design using Grasshopper, a powerful visual programming tool for Rhino. The course is designed to give you a solid foundation, enabling you to create Grasshopper definitions from scratch and apply them effectively for design, modeling, and visualization. During the course, you will gain a clear understanding of data management and manipulation, including how to create, visualize, and organize lists and data tree structures, as well as how to match data streams accurately. Additionally, you will learn how to automate design processes in Grasshopper, streamlining repetitive tasks to boost efficiency, and discover how to optimize your workflow by leveraging Grasshopper’s shortcuts and preferences. Whether you are an architect, designer, engineer, artist, or hobbyist, this course will help you develop valuable parametric design skills that you can apply directly to your own projects.
About Agata Kycia: The course is led by Agata, an architect and researcher with over 14 years of experience in Rhino. Agata specializes in computational design, digital fabrication, and material science. She earned her doctorate from TU Berlin for research on self-shaping textiles and currently teaches CAD and generative design at the International University.
What will you learn?
- The principles of parametric design using Grasshopper.
- How to create Grasshopper definitions from scratch.
- How to manage and manipulate data: creating, visualizing and managing lists and tree structures; matching data streams
- Grasshopper Basics: GH UI, components and operations of Grasshopper
- Automation of design processes: Using Grasshopper to automate repetitive tasks, enhancing efficiency
- Workflow optimization: streamlining the design process using Grasshopper’s shortcuts
- Surface parametrization and panelization
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Rhino User Meeting in Porto (Portugal) - Early Bird tickets now available
Rhino User Meeting Porto
📅 Date: May 30, 2025
🕓 Time: 9:00-18.30
📍 Venue: Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP)
Early Bird tickets are available until May 1st. Book your seat now!
Some of the confirmed speakers are:
🏢 Jose Pedro Sousa and Pedro Azambuja Varela from Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto and DFL - Digital Fabrication Lab
⚙️ Bárbara Rangel, João Teixeira and Manuel Jesus from Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto and DIGI@feupMod3DC
🐍 Gonçalo Castro Henriques from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and LAMO Laboratorio Modelos 3D e Fabricação Digital
🏄 Rodrigo Aranha Pereira Lopes from ShaperBay (ShapeDiver)
🔥 Julia Karnaś from Dosta Tec
🏙️ Jose Nuno Beirao from Faculdade de Arquitetura - Universidade de Lisboa
🦗 Nuno Almeida from OOAU
Agenda and more information...
Monday, April 14, 2025
Building 3D web apps with Rhino Compute and Modelup - Recorded webinar now available!
If you could not attend the latest Rhino User Webinar live, the recording is now available!
Do not miss it if you want to build 3D web apps and configurators with Rhino Compute and Grasshopper.
Emil Poulsen has shared his best tips and tricks for creating an excellent user experience while avoiding common pitfalls.
Friday, April 11, 2025
Developing a Rhino Plugin with Python - Recorded webinar now available!
If you missed the latest Rhino User Webinar, it is now available!
Get guided by Michael Redder-Howard in the process of building and managing a Rhino plugin with Python. Based on the experience he built at 3XN, you will learn about his path in developing a collaboration-focused plugin that offers a centralized hub with low maintenance requirements for sharing project visuals, Grasshopper scripts, and Rhino files.
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Advanced Computational Planting Workshop
The workshop series will provide you with the techniques for detailed planting design using Land Kit. Learn how to implement a rules-based planting approach using various methods to consider all relevant environmental and design factors. Get comfortable with customizing Grasshopper scripts to expand your Land Kit planting capabilities beyond the reach of the Land Kit Workflows. Follow along and begin mastering the wide range of planting tools available in Land Kit!
Details
This 3.5-hour workshop session is divided into two main segments. The first and shorter segment will focus on understanding how the tools work using our new and improved planting workflow. The second segment will dive into more advanced parametric design concepts, showcasing purpose-built tools to set up your planting layout, design, and documentation, all within the Grasshopper scripting space. More details on the workshop.
Some knowledge of Grasshopper is encouraged for this workshop.
Participants will be given exclusive access to presentation materials, live instructional demos, and interactive work time with direct assistance from the LANDAU team.
Instructors:
Chris Landau, LANDAU
Ben Summay, LANDAU
Cost:
- $300 for Professionals
- $100 for Students (with verification)
Sign up for the Advanced Computational Planting Workshop!!!...
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Webinar: BIM Meets Algorithmic Design - April 30, 2025 at 6 PM CEST
Webinar: BIM Meets Algorithmic Design
Join us for our upcoming webinar, where Graphisoft, McNeel, and Enzyme APD experts will demonstrate the uniquely powerful combination of BIM workflows, algorithmic design, and freeform modeling.
- Discover how Archicad’s robust BIM capabilities and seamless integration with Rhino and Grasshopper let you elevate your algorithmic designs into fully-fledged BIM models with Graphisoft Product Marketing Expert, Pelin Haynes.
- Sync and translate geometry into BIM elements within Archicad to automate repetitive tasks, accelerate design iterations, and refine every aspect of your project —whether it's complex geometry or energy-efficient building strategies—using Rhino and Grasshopper with McNeel Product Expert Carlos Pérez Albà.
- How you can optimize your designs with real-time area, cost, and compliance data. Whether by refining early concepts or leveraging energy efficiency analysis, discover how geographic analysis, site modification, and automation in large-scale design can help you create standardized, constructible solutions faster than ever with Enzyme APD Founder + Managing Director, Jorge Beneitez.
- A live Q&A with our speakers and Enzyme APD Founder + Director, Eugenio Fontan.
Monday, April 7, 2025
Using Rhino for the First Time to Design an Engagement Ring
Qbitec for Rhino - new large-scale point cloud data plugin
Qbitec for Rhino - new large-scale point cloud data plugin
Qbitec are in the early stages of development and would love to hear from the Rhino experts. Your experience and insights are invaluable to them, and they would like to know:
- What challenges do you face when working with point cloud data in Rhino?
- Are there specific features or tools you wish to enhance your workflow?
- What’s your vision for an ideal point cloud processing experience in Rhino?
- Download the plugin and test it out!
- Share your thoughts, wishes, and feedback directly with Qbitec at support@qbitec.com
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Elytra: Parametric Façade Design Online Workshop by Sustainable Design Network (April 25, 5-7 PM CEST)
Participants will learn to set up Elytra, define panel parameters, integrate solar radiation with Ladybug Tools, and run energy and comfort.
The session begins with an introduction to adaptive façades (10 min), followed by Elytra setup and parameter definition (20 min).
The core hands-on segment (45 min) guides participants in creating a parametric façade, adjusting panel properties dynamically, and conducting solar radiation analysis.
This is followed by environmental performance analysis (30 min), including energy modeling and thermal comfort optimization. A technical breakdown (40 min) explains how Elytra processes environmental data, concluding with a Q&A and troubleshooting session (15 min).