You've Got to Keep Moving . . . around campus

Rhino instructor, Victor Gerardo Martinez, developed (in Rhino, of course) Velip, a prototype 'personal vehicle' to get around the campus at ITESM. Designed to be inexpensive, environmentally clean, and upcyclable (a term from the book Cradle to Cradle), the electric powered vehicle has a maximum speed of 18 km/h (11 mi/h), a range of 20 km (12.4 mi), and takes six hours to fully recharge. Victor is now talking with interested potential manufacturers.

Watch the YouTube video...

Pattern studies for Cleveland Medical Mart

With half the time typically allowed for a project of this scale, LMN Architects used Grasshopper and other software tools to speed up feedback from the fabricators and consultants for the Cleveland Medical Mart. They were even able to accommodate a new facade design in the last two weeks of the design phase.

Precast concrete designs were used to connect to the historic Cleveland Mall, designed by Daniel Burham, and the surrounding historical buildings from the early 1900s.

The design incorporated 8'x10' concrete and glass panels in a pattern reflecting the program requirements for the building, i.e. stairwells, sight lines. Immediate generation of documents such as the glazing schedule and precast panels specs aided in the project timeline.

The Cleveland Medical Mart is currently under construction and scheduled to be finished in 2013.

More details ...

iRhino 1.2 - new version available

iRhino 3D
Share your insight and inspiration



On the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch
There is nothing like showing your designs and ideas in 3D. Pan, zoom, and rotate with a tap or drag of your finger. The handy navigator lets you scroll through thumbnails, so you can quickly jump to any model you want. Load Rhino models from web sites, Google Docs, Dropbox, email attachments, or from iTunes. Save views as images for mark-up and emailing.

New in version 1.2

• Dropbox support
• Blocks are supported
• Missing thumbnails fixed
• iOS 3.2 or above is required
• Minor bug fixes

Details...

More Marc, More THEVERYMANY

Rhino user Marc Fornes' latest work in progress sculpture is at Frac Centre, Pavillion, Orleans, France. Marc uses computational protocols to generate these experimental installations.

More ...

SIGraDi conference in Argentina

The XV SIGraDi Conference will take place 16-18 November 2011 in Santa Fe, Argentina. It is being organized by the UNL School of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning through its Center of Informatics and Design, CID. After eight years SIGraDi returns to Argentina, revisiting the vision and arguments shaping its previous meetings.

Details...

About the conference...
Augmented Culture, the conference theme, addresses a combination of interdependent social and technological meanings in a complex, multiple, interactive, and interconnected context. It acknowledges that a new social and cultural paradigm is being developed as the old barriers of time, space, and language are ruptured and transcended. Read more...

HIGH-LOW: AA São Paulo workshop

HIGH-LOW: AA Design Workshop
Location: Escola São Paulo
Dates: 12-21 July 2011

Open to design professionals and students from all over the world, this studio-based summer workshop will include instruction in parametric modeling, environmental simulation, and digital fabrication. Attendees will use Rhino, Grasshopper, GECO, and Galapagos software programs and have access to a laser cutter, CNC milling, and rapid-prototyping machines.

Details...

AA Summer DLAB - London

AA Summer DLAB // 18-29 July // Architectural Association, London

Summer DLab experiments with digital design tools and rapid prototyping techniques as integrated systems of design development. Taking advantage of its unique location within the AA premises in the heart of the London, the workshop will create a vibrant atmosphere not only through its rigorous studio work, but also by its public lecture program that will share the diverse expertise of professionals from London’s leading offices in the areas of digital design and fabrication techniques.

Experimentation with digital tools and physical assembly techniques will be demonstrated through projects that explore a workflow between computational software, engineering-related analysis and digital assembly procedures leading to physical fabrication.

Participants will have full access to the AA Digital Prototyping Lab for the fabrication of prototypes and models in various mediums and materials, such as 2D milling (laser cutting), 3D milling (CNC), 3D printing and other forms of physical production.

The deadline for applications is 27 June. A late deadline of 11 July is also in effect, but this will incur a £50 surcharge. Application forms and additional information are available online at http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/VISITING/d_lab.php and http://dlab.aaschool.ac.uk/. Applications can be submitted to visitingschool@aaschool.ac.uk.

Eat-a-bug: RhinoVAULT - Shell Design for Rhino

Eat-a-bug: RhinoVAULT - Shell Design for Rhino: "RhinoVAULT is a plugin for Rhino, being developed at the BLOCK Research Group by Matthias Rippmann, myself and Philippe Block, that allow..."

Datakit Import/Export plugins compatible with Rhino 5

Datakit Import/Export plugins for Rhino now support Rhino 5 32- and 64-bit, and include Catia V6 Import.

Complete details...

Brick Dome project

click on the image to animate it

DOME is a collaboration between prof. Luigi Alini and studio AION. It is a research project which brings together the Siracusa-based Architectural Design Lab II students and the Building School students with a common goal of constructing a 1:1 low-tech shelter.

Brick arches, vaults, and domes become a basis for innovative experiments with traditional materials and techniques. The adopted method is based on using a revolving compass - a traditional Nubian technique explored by the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy and perfected by Fabrizio Caròla in Africa over a period of more than 30 years.

The research develops this traditional construction method further using Grasshopper for Rhino to define a parametrically-controlled brick pattern and to achieve a higher level of environmental performance. The digital advance goes in hand with technical innovation thanks to the introduction of a rotating arm which adds a higher degree of flexibility to the original compass.

This experimental building site is a homage to Fabrizio Caròla - “the stone man” as the Mali Dogon call him – whose work demonstrates a possible return to a balanced relationship between architecture and its environment in a context in which research, academic and professional domains no longer constitute separate domains.

You can follow the building site progress here. The preview night will take place at the end of June and will be accompanied by a series of lectures. Full information about the event will follow soon!

Marine trade shows in Norway and UK

NDAR, a Rhino authorized reseller, will be exhibiting at the following marine trade shows:

• May 24-27 - NorShipping, Oslo (Norway) - ShipConstructor booth (A1-10)
• June 14-16 - SeaWork - Southampton (UK) - NDAR/Draughtmark booth (B183)

Visit NDAR's booth to learn more about Rhino, Orca3D, T-Splines, RhinoParametrics and Rhinophoto.

Project: Design and Produce a Production Quality Chair

Sara Jane Rin's rocking chair, Ila

This semester third-year Industrial Design students at NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) designed and built chairs, following the constraints outlined by their instructor, Brook Atwood. The work included mock-ups, material studies, upholstering, welding, and even building their own jibs, clamps, and molds -- whatever it took to design, model, and fabricate the chairs.

The other tool they used? Rhino!

Four students, Sara Jane Rin, Benjamin Mui, Kyle Gulliford, and Avrami Rakovsky were shown at the 2011 ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair). Other students also used Rhino exclusively for their designs: Philip Caleja, Samantha Tartaro, Darshan Altar, and Alex Nizzardo.

See all of the designs ...

3D Print Mold for Plastic Injection

Visit RhinoFabLab to learn how to use your 3D printer to build molds for plastic injection. Paulo Kiefe of Creative Tools has been testing some new processes for printing molds ready for plastic injection on a Z Corp 3D printer.

Here is what Paulo has learned so far...

Free Rhinoceros 4 Teacher Workshop

Free Rhinoceros 4 Teacher Workshop

Learn how you can add 3D modeling to your design and design communication curriculum without burdening your students with yet another difficult software product. You'll be able to focus on teaching while your students take advantage of the latest 3D modeling technology. This workshop is free for active teachers and educators.

· When: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, June 2,3,4 2011. From 9:00 to 18:00.

· Program:

This course will be based on our Level II Training Guide, and will cover the basics of Rhinoceros 4 and how to teach them. Starting from simple 2D functions and curve creation tools we will move to more advanced features like freeform surfaces and surfaces blends.
Also, there will be extra exercises to show how Rhino is used in combination with CNC Milling, Rapid Prototyping and 3D Scanning.
The course will be held in English.

· Where:
MMLAB
Sint Lucas Architectuur Campus Gent
Hoogstraat 51, 9000, Ghent Belgium
T +32 (0)9 225 10 00

· Instructor:
Rodrigo Bárcena (McNeel Europe)

· Registration:
Send an email to (rodrigo@mcneel.com) including the following details:
- full name.
- short description of your background, why you are interested in Rhino.
- proof of your status as an educator (dated faculty ID, recent faculty/staff pay stub, etc.)
- contact email.

Seats are very limited, please register at your earliest convenience!


Best regards,

Rodrigo Bárcena

What's the big deal with Grasshopper?

Alex Webb explains computational design: What it is, its importance (or lack of), its future, and its resources.

Details ...

Design contest continues

The Rhinoarea.com/Flyingarchitecture.com Design Contest continues through the end of this month. If you haven't entered yet, the challenge is to design, model and render anything new, creative, and original that is suitable for "Futuristic Living". First place winner will win a license of V-Ray for Rhino.

Contest details...

Rhino 5 OS X - new WIP release

A new Work In Progress (WIP) build of Rhino 5 for OS X is now available. This Mac build is up-to-date with the Windows build.  There is a new Windows WIP release every week or so. Updated Mac Rhino WIPs are released shortly after each Windows release. 

You can download the Wenatchee 5 2011-05-12 build here.

The Rhino 5 for Mac version supports 64-bit Intel, 32-bit Intel, and 32-bit PowerPC architectures. This Mac version will automatically run in 64-bit mode on Core 2 Duo Intel processors or later, so running out of memory should no longer be a problem. It requires OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or later.

Recent enhancements include:

• The Squish command has been added.
• The PanelingTools module is now the same as Rhino 5 for Windows.
• Mesh settings panels are updated to V5.
• Make2D command and dialog updated to V5.
  
• The Smooth dialog now has the Fix Boundaries check box.
  
• The Linked check box in the Blend Bulge dialog has been fixed.
• Heightfield works with 16-bit gray scale images.
• The DWG Export module remembers custom export configurations.
• The Roadlike options in the Sweep1 dialog now work for all languages.
• Typing an invalid number into a numeric field popped up a second dialog from which you could not escape. This is now fixed.
• Other crashes have been fixed.

We invite everyone to download and use the OS X version of Rhino while it is in development.

Most of the core functionality has been ported from Windows and is very stable. There is still much to do to port the rest of the functionality and refine the interface.

We don't expect the first commercial release to be ready until next year. Don't worry if the build you are using is about to expire. New versions will be available every week or so. There will be a newer one available before the expiration date.

Details and download...

Notes:

• Some users have had crashes with the Hatch command. We have not been able to duplicate the crash. The Hatch command has some new error traps that will hopefully help us find the source of the crashes. Keep sending in crash reports.
• Python developers need to download the latest Python plug-in (32-bit only) from here.

JCK Las Vegas, June 3-6

JCK Las Vegas is the jewelry industry's premier event each year. Over 2,500 companies and vendors from around the world will come together for this spectacular event!

June 3-6, 2011
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
Register today!

Stop by and visit Rhino partner TDM Solutions, creators of RhinoGold, in Booth B6285.

Details...

New Rhino book available in Spanish

Modelado de Objetos con Rhinoceros 3D by Julian Antonio Ossa Cantaño has recently been published and is now available on Lulu.

Download and buy...

About the book... To transform a sketch, a drawing, or a simple idea into a physical model, requires a lot of work and effort. Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Computer Aided Industrial Design (CAID) provides designers with the tools to model their projects. Using Rhinoceros, the models can be used accurately in a variety of applications such as digital imaging/rendering, computer animation, CAE, and CAM. The book combines concepts and tutorials as examples of what a designer can implement in their professional activity to enhance productivity in different areas. Available in Spanish only.

Details...

AA Visiting School in Shanghai, August 2011

AA Shanghai Visiting School

University of Hong Kong

Faculty of Architecture Shanghai Study Centre

12-20 August 2011

The AA Visiting School is returning to Shanghai. Hosted by the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Architecture, AA will conduct an intensive nine-day studio workshop. Using Rhino and Grasshopper, participants will investigate new computational design approaches in architecture and urbanism in the context of Shanghai.

Application deadline is July 22nd. Sign up today!

Details...

Slingshot! work-in-progress released

Slingshot! allows Grasshopper to read, write, and manage MySQL databases, enabling greater interoperability and coordination between design software. This plugin is currently available as a work-in-progress. Download here.

Details...

RhinoFabLab workshop in Chile

Dum-Dum Lab continues their parametric design workshop series, Responsive Skins. You are invited to participate in the next session which will be held in Concepción, Chile. More...

Dates: May 30-June 3
Location: Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile

Details and registration...

Univ of New Mexico is a new RhinoFabLab

We'd like to introduce you to the University of New Mexico, School of Architecture + Planning. Please join us in welcoming UNM/SA+P as a new Authorized RhinoFabLab.

Rhino Development Team member, Rajaa Issa, will visit SA+P on Thursday, May 19th to discuss parametric concepts in design as well as architectural plug-ins for Rhino, PanelingTools and SectionTools.


What is a RhinoFabLab?
A RhinoFabLab™ (fabrication laboratory) 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.

Architecture Symposium on 19-20 May, Seattle

The University of Washington College of Built Environments is sponsoring High Performance Craft, a two-day symposium devoted to the multiple intersections between new technologies and new and traditional materials, in an investigation of high performance craft.

Symposium: High Performance Craft
Thursday and Friday, May 19-20, 2011
University of Washington, Seattle Campus
Gould Hall Court and Arch Hall 147

The event is free, but registration is required.

Register today!

The schedule includes presentations, panel discussions, exhibit/reception, and a lecture focused on high performance craft. A more detailed overview is provided below:

Thursday, May 19

• Afternoon Session, Gould Court (1:30 pm-5:30 pm)
  New Building Blocks: Contemporary High Performance Architectural Components
• Exhibit Opening + Reception (5:00 pm-7:00 pm)
• CAD/CAM Cafe and Corner Store Exhibit

Friday, May 20

• Morning Session (9:30 am-12:00 pm)
  Expanding the Performance Envelope of Traditional Materials and Artisanry
• Afternoon Session (1:30 pm-5:30 pm)
  High Performance Practice
• Reception + Evening Lecture (5:30 pm, Lecture begins at 6:30 pm)
  Digital Materiality in Architecture with Matthias Kohler, Lecturer

The symposium is co-sponsored by the UW Department of Architecture in the College of Built Environments and the Swiss Consulate.

Details and registration...

Grasshopper, VB, and Galapagos - a tutorial

Woo Jae Sung has just posted a new tutorial and the related files on his blog.  It is a good reference for those who are eager to find fun challenges using Grasshopper with Galapagos and custom VB script components.

Enjoy...

SnS, Analysis in Rhino - New Service Release

Version 1.1 (Service Release) of Scan&Solve™ is now available

This free service release includes all the features previously released in WIP version 1.1 of Scan&Solve and several additional enhancements:

• Redesigned load dialog   
• Loads applied in units of choice 
• Load units in report
• Interactive selection direction for vector loads 
• Visualization of component stresses (SigXX, SigYY, SigZZ)
• Visualization of principal strains 
• Early solution termination option   

Other improvements include minor bug fixes, streamlined error handling and improved stability.  Available to all licensed users and as free trial version.

Download Version 1.1 service release of Scan&Solve here.

NYC design event this weekend: Wanted Design

Rhino and Grasshopper user, David Trubridge, is showing his Seed System and lighting designs at the Wanted Design Show in New York, May 13th - 16th, alongside the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair).

David will also participate in a panel discussion 'Cultural Impact on Design' with design leaders Giulio Cappellini, Matali Crasset, Joe Doucet, Jaime Odabachian, and Frederick McSwain.

3D Digital Fabrication Certification in Medellín

3D Digital Fabrication Certification
Dates: May 16-August 1
Location: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín

In this certification program participants learn about new CAD/CAM technologies, focused on the relationship of design and digital fabrication. At the RhinoFabLab - UPB, participants will have the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with new machines, new software, and advanced techniques. Courses are focused on teaching design processes in industrial design and architecture using digital fabrication.

Topics include:

• 3D digital modeling
• Optimization in digital cutting processes
• New rapid manufacturing environments
• Parametric and generative processes - Grasshopper
• Digital Representation Project

Details...

EvoluteTools for Rhino 1.1

EvoluteTools for Rhino is an advanced Rhino plugin suite providing access to powerful geometry processing algorithms through a user-friendly interface.

Established computational tools from Evolute's core software library, as well as groundbreaking technology from our cutting edge research results, provide you with functionality not offered by any other system. EvoluteTools for Rhino is available in several modules, building upon each other, targeting architects, designers, manufacturers, and constructors.


New in EvoluteTools 1.1:

• Display detailed version information when loading plugin.
• Documentation for FairnessSprings was missing.
• Improved usability of floating license configuration (KeepLocal=Yes or KeepLocal=No).
• Added support for floating licenses via an online license server.
• Added command etWeld for simplifying the creation of coarse meshes for use with etSubdivide.
• Mesh analysis commands now support PolyMeshes.
• etSetVerticesCoplanar can now be used to constrain vertices to a given plane surface, or to planes parallel to a given plane surface.
• etMeshCut and etMeshLoopCut now support vertex selection, enabling their use for PolyMeshes.
• New commands etMeshDeleteEdge, etMeshDeleteFace, etMeshDeletePolyline, etMeshDeleteVertex.
• New subdivision rules for creating strip models from quad meshes, see etSubdivide and etSetRulingDirection.
• Many bug fixes.

Download the evaluation version...

Online Rhino training for marine designers

ProBoat E-Training has posted their updated Spring 2011 schedule. Sign up today for one of their Rhino Modeling for Marine Designers online courses. Select a course below for additional details and registration information.

May - Begins May 15June - Begins June 19

The six-week online course will be taught by Cliff Estes.

Food4Rhino - Plugin community service by McNeel

Food4Rhino is the new plugin community service by McNeel.

As a user, find the newest Rhino plugins, Grasshopper add-ons, Textures, and Backgrounds, add your comments, discuss new tools, get in contact with the developers of these applications, share your scripts...

As a developer, take advantage of the site's infrastructure and exposure, build your user community, get valuable feedback, easily manage your updates and new builds.

Food4Rhino is still in WIP (work in progress). Many new features are planned and we want to hear your ideas and suggestions.

Join the community now!

Point Crowd early-registration date extended

The early registration deadline for Point Crowd has been extended to May 13th.

Dates: June 8-10, 2011
Location: Boston, MA (location change, see map)
Early registration fee: $965; sign up today!

Point Crowd is a three-day Rhino.Python scripting workshop. Topics include:

- Intro to Python programming
- Mathematics of space
- Intro to NURBS and Rhino data structures
- Systems for generative geometry

Contact: Ari Kadasis or Masoud Akbarzadeh.

Python for Grasshopper

A new GhPython component brings the Python programming language to Grasshopper in Rhino 5.

• GhPython introduces RhinoScript syntax to Grasshopper
• The GhPython component is similar to the ones of C# and Vb.Net components in Grasshopper
• Control the number of inputs and outputs to the component
• Include libraries to the .NET SDK and huge number of Python add-on functions
• Integrates with the new Python editor included in Rhino 5

Python is a modern programming language developed for remarkable power with very clear syntax. Python supports multiple programming paradigms. Python is often used as a scripting language but is also used in a wide range of advanced programming contexts.

Details and download…

Ring Builder for Rhino

Ring Builder is a new Rhino plugin by Cadwax.

Features:

• Class Ring Builder
• Signet Ring Builder
• WeddingRingBuilder
• Dome Ring Builder
• Shank Builder
• Milling Hubs
• Personal Library
• Book of Materials
• Assign Gemstones
• Assign Metals
• Scale Carat Weight
• USA Ring sizes
• UK Ring sizes
• Europe Ring sizes
• Japan Ring sizes

Complete details and download...

RhinoNest 2.5 Webinar

TDM Solutions has organized a free RhinoNest 2.5 Webinar, scheduled on May 9.

Agenda:

- RhinoNest features
- RhinoNest within Grasshopper
- RhinoNest 2.5: what's new?

Details and registration...

3D Car Modeling with Rhinoceros

This is a 624 pages complete step by step guide on how to model an Audi R8 in high quality with mainly class-A surfaces in Rhino, out of just one piece of paper, the blueprint.

Learn how to construct the whole model from scratch up to the quality as seen on the renderings and on the animation.

Details and order...

Digital fabrication reaches the Idaho backwoods

From Seattle, it is a 14 hour drive (10 hours if you don't mind a few speeding tickets) to where you will find Bill Amaya's shop. And a few steps away, you are on the banks of the Big Wood River and minutes from Silver Creek. Perhaps the best fly fishing in the lower 48 states. And if that is not enough, the 2.3 million acre Frank Church Wilderness Area is just a few miles north. Oh, and did I mention the ski area and golf courses. I don't know how Bill gets any work done. That must be why he has so much digital fabrication equipment.

Learn more...

Robotic Fabrication of Parametric Chairs

Mark Meier just finished making some chairs he developed in Rhino and Grasshopper. They were hot wire cut from EPS foam using a 7-axis robot in the Digital Fab Lab at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture.

Watch the video...

Check out other projects that Mark has had a hand in...