Model airplane earns spot in museum

A Kinetic 100 v2 model airplane is now hanging in the Deutsches Museum Technik in Munich on permanent display including credits and a narrative on dynamic soaring.  Deutsches is the largest technological museum of its kind and hosts a huge collection of historic originals.

The airplane, with its 130" wing span, has clocked 498 mph, the current recorded soaring speed.

Rhino and MasterCam were used in the design of the airplane.

Technical details on the design process . . . 

Online Rhino 5 class begins next week

Our Level 1 Rhino 5 online course begins next week on April 4th. The course will consist of seven sessions (a short orientation with GoToTraining plus six half-days of Rhino 5 training).

Dates/Times:

• Orientation: April 4, 9:00am-10:30am
• Training:  April 8, 9, 11, 15, 16 and 18, 9:00am-1:00pm each day
  
  Note: Times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. Calculate your time zone.

All sessions are instructor-led and will be recorded for later viewing. If you cannot make a session, watch the video and catch up before the class meets again.

Sign up today!

Conference: Computational Design and Architecture in Turkey

Computational Design Initiative Istanbul presents a conference bringing together architects focused on computation design theory, practices and methods.

Computer Generated Design in Architecture in Turkey and Globally
April 3, 2013 - 14:00-18:30h
Istanbul (Turkey)

Conference topic

Today in a non-Western context such as Turkey the nature of form making using computers is transforming the process of architecture and design. With the advent of computer-generated design software, architects and designers in Turkey now have access to a range of options to generate forms. But how are computational design methods being applied in a country like Turkey with a mix of industrial and hand-based construction methods? How are designers using computer-generated design in the design studio and then subsequently on the construction site? What kinds of practical problems are they facing when designs are sent for production and construction? How does computer generated design software interface with engineering and workshop software including BIM (Building Information Modeling)? What is the nature of data as it flows through this process? And also, critically, how does this use of computer-generated design in Turkey compare to global advances?

Speakers: Carlos Pérez (McNeel Europe), Luis Fraguada (LaN, BAD, IaaC), Sigrid Brell-Çokcan (II Architects int, Robots in Architecture), Gökhan Avcıoğlu (GAD), Durmuş Dilekçi (Uras X Dilekci), Elif Erdine (AA DLAB & AA Istanbul Visiting School), Gökhan Karakuş (Emedya Design), Nilufer Kozikoğlu (Tuşpa), Salih Küçüktuna (Uras X Dilekci, Faculty of Architecture, Istanbul Bilgi University).

Language: Turkish and English

Complete program and free registration...

facades+ PERFORMANCE, April 11-12

facades+ PERFORMANCE is just around the corner. Have you registered yet? It's not too late. This year's symposium will be held on April 11th with a full day of workshops following on the April 12th.

Workshops include:

• Grasshopper & Revit with Nathan Miller of CASE
• Grasshopper & DIVA with Jon Sargent of SOM
• Firefly with Andy Payne of LIFT Architects
• Python Scripting in Rhino with Gil Akos of Mode Collective

Locations:
Symposium: McGraw Hill Conference Center Auditorium, New York City
Technology Workshops: New York City College of Technology - CUNY, Brooklyn

Details and registration...

The Essentials Tutorial Bundle by PolyPlane

 

With The Essentials video bundle, you get all four PolyPlane releases of 2012 all in one ready to download package, all for $40!

This bundle includes:

Sketch to Model

Sketch to Model will show you the ins and outs of how to take a concept from rough drawing to finished model in 3D space.

Surfacing

In surfacing, these three videos will walk you through the complete process for dynamic surface generation and get you well on your way to creating amazing surfaces for your models.

Output

This two part video set entitled “Output” will walk you through the ins and outs of preparing a model for rapid prototyping. Whether your just curious about 3D printing technologies like MakerBot or have a model you want to actually hold in your hands, this video is for you!

Foundations

The most valuable PolyPlane videos in one giant package for you to enjoy all in one place.

The Essentials Details and Purchase...

Rhino Python workshop, May 11-12

The team at PointCrowd has announced a new workshop for this spring. Join them for their RhinoScripting in Python weekend workshop.

• Dates: Saturday & Sunday, May 11-12
• Location: DUMBO, 10 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY
• Cost: $595 Standard; $494 Early-bird (register before April 5th); Students $445

Topics include:

• Introduction to programming Python
• The mathematics of space
• Introduction to NURBS and Rhino data structures
• Systems for generative geometry

Details and registration...

ImportAlias Plug-in for Rhino 5

Digital Sculpture announces the availability of the Release Candidate of ImportAlias Plug-in for Rhino 5. (x64).

Please download the plug-in installer ImportAlias.rhi here

Prerequisites:

Rhino 5 x64 should be installed. An evaluation version can be obtained here.

Alias 2013 x64 should be installed. An evaluation version can be obtained here.

Installation:

Double-click the ImportAlias.rhi file to start the installation. Please note that the plug-in will work only on 64-bit version of Rhino 5.

Use:

Open the wire file by File -> Open and setting the Autodesk Alias wire file from the option.

Alternatively drag and drop Alias wire files to open them in Rhino.

License:

This a time limited public preview of the plug-in. The plug-in will expire by 10 May. By downloading the software you agree to the license terms as mentioned here.

More about Digital Sculpture Plug-ins...

Grasshopper workshop in Bucharest

How We Can Design Something That We Can't Imagine
Generative Optimization using Grasshopper
April 8-14, 2013
Bucharest, Romania

Over six days, participants will go through a global multidisciplinary overview. We'll define a fresh methodology to optimize an idea, starting from the concept and decision-making and continuing with digital and generative design tools to get the best solution for each problem. We'll also look at nature to inspire the evolutionary optimization process in architecture. Several tools to help in that task will be introduced.

Complete workshop details and registration...

Webinar: Grasshopper Interoperability with gHowl

Grasshopper Interoperability with gHowl
Data here, data there, data everywhere!

2013 April 9-10 + 12 (Q&A via email throughout the day)
17:00-20:30 CEST / 8:00-11:30 am PDT
Instructor: Luis Fraguada

Data truly is everywhere. gHowl is a set of components written to extend the functionality of Grasshopper when it comes to accessing external data sources and applications.  Do you need to create a spreadsheet with dimension data to your fabricator?  Would you like to control Grasshopper from your smartphone?  Would you like to communicate with Processing through Grasshopper or vice-versa?  Do you want to show clients your project in Google Earth?  Do you want to connect to a web site to drive your definition?  This course will show you how to open up Grasshopper to the outside world of data!

Complete details and registration...

RoboFold releases King Kong

RoboFold releases King Kong: Design software for their interior paneling system

"We want to make it easy for you to design beautiful interiors. The software translates paper models into fold simulations and arranges each panel on a surface in complex patterns. The output from the software can directly control the RoboFold production process. Explore the possibilities in a design workshop at Smart Geometry 2013 in London or in March, April, and May at RoboFold premises.

Complete software details, workshop dates, and tutorials at www.robofold.com

Now available for Grasshopper. Download and example files: www.food4rhino.com/project/robofoldkingkong

RhinoGold 4.0 and RhinoGold Render Studio 4.0

RhinoGold 4.0 and RhinoGold Render Studio 4.0 have been released!

Check out what's new in RhinoGold 4.0! More than 200 enhancements, including Clayoo, integration with Rhino 5 and RhinoGold Render Studio 4.0.

Mesh2Surface reverse engineering plug-in for Rhino

Fast and easy reverse engineering of scanned data with Rhino.

Check out the Mesh2Surface plug-in for Rhino to simplify most of the common tasks on polygonal meshes for creation of a CAD model. With numerous fitting tools, Mesh2Surface helps create fast and easy most of the common features for CAD modeling, such as planes, spheres and cylinders. With its easy-to-use interface Mesh2Surface creates revolved and extruded surfaces based on user defined sketches in an easy way directly from polygonal meshes.

Mesh2Surface 2.0 supports both 32 and 62-bit versions of Rhino 4 and 5.

Visit www.mesh2surface.com for more information, tutorials and videos...

RhinoDay Padova 2013

9th RhinoDay Padova 2013
Università degli Studi di Padova - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Ambientale
12-13 April 2013

The 9th Italian User Meeting, organized by Università degli Studi di Padova - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Ambientale and sponsored by ZEN's s.r.l.,  has been announced and registrations are now open:

April 12 - Workshop (educators and students only)

• Software workshop: Rhino 5, Grasshopper, Scan&Solve, VisualARQ, CAD/CAM, RhinoPython, Advanced Surface Analysis.
• Language: Italian (some classes in English)
• Workshop program and registration.

April 13 - User Meeting

• Case studies by expert users and overview of some new plug-ins. Round table at the end of the event with Bob McNeel.
• Language: Italian (some presentations in English)
• User meeting program and registration.

Grasshopper course in Seattle

Erick Katzenstein of LMN Tech Studio is teaching a Grasshopper course at MakerHaus in Seattle. The course will be a general introduction to Grasshopper with a focus on fabrication.

• Dates: April 9-May 7, Tuesdays, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
• Location: MakerHaus, Seattle, WA

Register...

About MakerHaus...
MakerHaus is the home of a digital fabrication shop in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. MakerHaus hosts courses on a wide range of topics from fabrication to Kickstarter campaigns, and also provides co-working opportunities in-house.

CTRL.SHIFT – the Control Shift in computational design

CTRL.SHIFT – the Control Shift in computational design
Grasshopper + Processing workshop
Vienna, Austria
02-07.04.2013

The workshop explores the manifold relations of creativity and control in computational design. The availability of increasingly complex and sophisticated tools shifts how control and sensibility are exerted and deployed within the design process. A new computational craft is required, one that allows the embedding in computational simulation of matter and agency so that ideas propagate in a deeper ecology with degrees of autonomy that provide complex feedbacks. Objects and systems are no longer simple assemblages of static parts but are generated from the interrelations of other complex objects within ecologies. The designer is not just merely using tools rather establishing a loop dialogue with their creative and autonomous possibilities: questioning their capacity and extension, evaluating and empathizing with the result that in turn allows configuring and being configured by them continuously.

We will explore matter and agency behaviors through Grasshopper (with Millipede plug-in) and Processing, interrogating the aesthetic potential of Topology Optimization and Multi-Agent Systems.

Info and registration here...

Procesos Generativos y Fabricación Digital

We are pleased to announce a presentation on Generative Design and Digital Fabrication with Rhino 5, Grasshopper, and RhinoCAM. Andres Gonzalez, Worldwide Manager for RhinoFabLab, will be visiting the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo - México.

Date/Time: Friday, March 15, 11:00 am

Location: Auditorio Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo.

For more information, please contact: RhinoMorelia - Lazaro Morales or click here.

Rhino Teacher Workshop in Bordeaux (France)

The ECOLE D'ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR D'ART DE BORDEAUX (EBABX) and McNeel Europe invite you to a free Rhino Teacher Workshop that will take place on March 25-27, 2013.

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 design while your students take advantage of the latest 3D modeling technology.

Using Rhino, you will be guided through a series of hands-on exercises that highlight 3D modeling concepts. You will also learn how Rhino is used to render models for visualization, translate 3D models to CAM products for manufacturing or prototyping, and export 3D models into 2D CAD or graphics programs.

• When: March 25-27, 2013 (9:30 to 17:30h all days)
• Where: EBABX (salle informatique), 7 rue des Beaux Arts, 2è étage porte 245 - Bordeaux (France)
• Instructor: Vanessa Steeg, Rhino Training Specialist
• Program: Rhino Level 1 training
• Language: French
• Registration: This workshop is free for educators. Contact Isabelle DURCI (i.durci@ebabx.fr) with a proof of educational status.
• Required software and material: Bring your laptop with Rhino 5 installed (an eval can be downloaded from www.rhino3d.com/eval) and a printed copy of the Level 1 Training Guide.

New Orca3D WIP 1.3

Announcing the release of a new Work-in-Progress (WIP) version of Orca3D. This new version (1.3 WIP 2013-03-06) will expire on June 7, 2013. Either the final version of Orca3D 1.3 will be released before then, or a new WIP will be released.

This release contains the evolving Stability Criteria Evaluation functionality, which has had significant user interface improvements, as well as new capabilities added. Minor changes to the grouping functionality of the weight/cost report were made to improve readability, and a bug was fixed in the porpoising calculation in the Planing Hull resistance feature.

Download Orca3D WIP 1.3...
Download Evaluation Orca3D...

RhinoBIM beta 3.16.89 Now Available

Fixes and Updates to IFC and CIS/2 translators
Fixes and Updates to Shapes Data Base
Fixes to BIM Reporter
Various general fixes

Download RhinoBIM beta 3.16.89...

T-Splines for Rhino Webinar 3/7/2013

Matt Sederberg and Autodesk CEO Carl Bass host a webinar on Thursday, March 7 to talk about the future of T-Splines for Rhino and what exactly that means for our T-Splines community, both in terms of product development and engagement with the community.

Webinar Registration, and Details...