New OctaneRender 2 for Rhino

OTOY Inc. announces the availability of OctaneRender 2 for 
Rhino, the latest version of the company’s real-time rendering 
software. OctaneRender 2 adds more than a dozen features 
allowing artists, designers, and engineers to create the most 
realistic renders possible in less time than ever before.

Some of these new features are:

• Displacement mapping
• Object motion blur
• Vertex motion blur
• Hair and fur
• OpenSubDiv surfaces
• Rounded edges
• Random color texture for instances
• Improved sky rendering 
• Region rendering
• Network rendering
• Compatibility with Brigade

Feature details...

Converting a shop to a student lounge

Photos by Michael Moran Studio

Now the Sullivan Family Student Center, this University of Wyoming building was originally a conversion from a shop building. The floor plan consisted of nondescript and ill-defined open floor areas crisscrossed with circulation. In the rehab, the architect pushed the circulation to the perimeter, then used screens to separate it from the main student lounge area. The perforated bamboo panels are about 40 percent open with even porosity and density throughout. The apertures in the screen, ranging from small slits to full doorways, allow glimpses between the two areas. The patterns do not repeat.

Though we may be a bit slow to notice this 2011 project, it is an interesting use of Grasshopper script. Sarah F. Cox of Curbed interviewed Paul Lewis from Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, the New York architects.

Interview with Paul Lewis . . . 

New Atlanta Falcons Stadium

Read* about how Rhino and Grasshopper were used in the design of the new Atlanta Falcons Stadium in the July 14/21 edition of Engineering News-Record.

"To develop the geometry, Johnson credits as instrumental the use of a graphical algorithm software editor, called Grasshopper, in conjunction with 3D modeler Rhinoceros."

Watch the video to hear more about the design from Bill Johnson, 360 Architects.

*You need to be an ENR subscriber to read the article online. 

Advances in Architectural Geometry workshops, London

Advances in Architectural Geometry 2014 

London, UK

September 18-21, 2014

Advances in Architectural Geometry (AAG) is a symposium where theoretical and practical work linked to new geometrical developments are presented. This symposium gathers the diverse components of contemporary architecture which push the building envelope towards free form and respond to the multiple current design challenges. It involves architects, engineers, mathematicians, software designers and contractors. We aim to connect researchers from architectural and engineering practices, academia and industry. AAG has become a reference in the professional field and is supported by the direct participation of the most renowned architectural design and engineering offices, along with academic laboratories.

The list of accepted papers and workshops for AAG 2014 is now available. These include Grasshopper, RhinoPython, RhinoCommon, Kangaroo, Karamba, RoboFold plug-ins, Evolute, SpiderWeb, Syntactic and Configurbanist.

Rose Pavilion opening at ETH Zurich

The opening of the Rose Pavilion at the Polyterrasse of the ETH in Zurich will take place on July 23 at 8 pm.

This multimedia pavilion has been developed by a group of young architects under the direction of Dimitry Demin in collaboration with the ETH Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design CAAD, led by Prof. Dr. Ludger Hovestadt.  It will be open to the public July 28-30 on the Polyterrasse of ETH, which commands views over the rooftops of Zurich.

The structure of the 1.2-ton pavilion is divided into five columns. The main supporting parts are harmoniously joined together from the dome. The pavilion areas consist of curved, weather and scratch resistant aluminum sheets glued and bolted together into a Möbius strip. The Möbius strip, discovered by the Leipzig mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius, has the mathematical property of being non-orientable and has a surface with only one side and one boundary component.  Thus the endless form revolves around itself.

The use of modern media technology generates a network of spaces which allow visitors to watch live shows or immerse themselves in diverse artistic and musical experiences. Projections transform the pavilion into a space/time capsule.

The idea for the Rose Pavilion was inspired by late XIX and early XX century freestanding constructions that served the purpose of outdoor entertainment. The polygonal structure of the pavilion was derived from the natural beauty of Wildrose Rosaceae Rosa canina, a rose which has a pentagonal symmetry and a double curvature of its petals. The pavilion was developed in Zurich and, as a modern spatial aesthetic object, acts as a focal point and brings people together. The music and voice reproductions of the oscillating surface of the pavilion produce a piezoelectric effect, transforming it into a large speaker.

The Rose Pavilion was designed by Dimitry Demin (architect), Jürgen S. Wassink (engineer) and Achilleas Xydis (architect and robot Support production): www.rose-pavilion.com 

The authors thank the sponsors and material suppliers who have made it possible to realize the construction of the pavilion: Novelis AG, Libs, Hasler + Co AG, Switzerland Sika AG, TRUMPF Maschinen AG, Kamoo AG, Blumer-Lehmann AG, Haller AG, Lift-Ex AG.

Rose Pavilion opening...

More images...

Webinar: Animating with Bongo, July 23

Webinar: Animating with Bongo - The Basics
Wednesday, July 23
9:00 am - 10:30 am PDT
Free to attend... space is limited... pre-registration is required.

Sign up now!

Scott Davidson of Robert McNeel & Associates will cover the basic Bongo features, commands, and workflow used to create animations of your Rhino model.

This webinar will look at the types of animations Bongo can create and the process for setting up and producing a basic animation. This presentation will help you plan and start creating your own Bongo animations. Questions will be taken following the presentation.

Marika Almgren, Bongo Product Tech Lead (McNeel Finland) will also join the session and be available to answer questions during and after the presentation.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

System requirements:
PC-based attendees
  Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
  Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
  Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

Register and reserve your spot today!

Online Intro to Grasshopper class, July 28-31

Join us for our Intro to Grasshopper for Rhino 5 online training course. This course is for design professionals who are looking to efficiently learn Grasshopper concepts and features at an accelerated pace in an instructor-led online environment. The advantages of using Grasshopper in preliminary design and concept development come to life in many real-life examples.

Dates: July 28-31

  Orientation: July 28, 9:00 am-10:30 am PDT
  Grasshopper training: July 29-31, 9:00 am-1:00 pm PDT

Price: US$195

Details and registration... 

Please note, all times noted above are Pacific time zone. Calculate your time zone.

Architecture students digital models

Check out these rendered digital models from first degree students at Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura (ESARQ UIC). Students learn how to use Rhino while confronting three architecture buildings where geometry progressively becomes more complex: Fujimoto NA House, Dieste Iglesia del Cristo Obrero, Gehry DZ Bank.

Images... 

Robots in Architecture Update

In case you missed the last Rob|Arch conference early this year, here is what you missed.

Also, plan on visiting Sydney in 2016 for the next ROB|ARCH conference.

Mesh2Surface new version

The new version of the Mesh2Surface reverse engineering plugin is available as a free upgrade to all existing customers. Simplify the reverse engineering process in Rhino by using powerful, yet easy-to-use, tools to extract surfaces from scan data. Build planes, spheres, cylinders, revolved and extruded surfaces direct from noisy polygonal meshes. Remove the limitations of the imperfections of the scan data from laser line, white light, or CT scanners.

Buy Mesh2Surface now on food4Rhino...

Retro design in small appliances

The Italian appliance company SMEG has expanded its refrigerator and freezer line to small appliances. Two notable products are the toaster and the kettle.

Rhino models were used to check the aesthetics and ergonomics in the retro design.

Featured in the magazine DEVELOP3D . . . 

Generative Furniture Design by Matt Dennis

Matt Dennis is a M.F.A. candidate at the Savannah College of Art and Design. His thesis, Smarts and Crafts: Digital Technology in Furniture Design, explores ways that digital technology is changing all facets of furniture design; design creation, fabrication and distribution. Open design as well as parametric and generative design have played a large role in shaping his thinking about design.

For more information, you can contact Matt Dennis 

More of his work and designs can be found at:  MA.DE DESIGN

You can join and post your furniture designs at GFD3D too.

RhinoPolyhedra update available

The RhinoPolyhedra plugin for Rhino 5 for Windows lets you create and visualize a variety of polyhedral shapes—over 400 different shapes.

RhinoPolyhedra supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Rhino 5 for Windows.

The Polyhedron command dialog now includes a preview image, plus it also displays the number of vertices and faces of the selected polyhedron. Many new geodesic and dual geodesic icosahedron solid shapes have also been added.

RhinoPolyhedra is free!

Requires Rhino 5 Service Release 9 (SR9) or newer.

Download...

Regolo new classic 6 boat

 

Regolo Studio offers innovative solutions side by side to cutting-edge technology to give life to its customers' creativity. Regolo Studio is also a Certified RhinoFabStudio that offers training programs including different plug-ins.

The new classic 6 boat is their newest project: engineering and the mock-up of the boat was done with Rhino modeling software. Post-processor generation, wood CNC cutting, and metal water jet cutting were all done in-house also.

Become a member of RhinoFabStudio.

Watch the video.

For more information, you can contact Regolo Studio on Facebook or at http://www.regolostudio.com

Rhino Summer School for teachers in London

Rhino Summer School 
London, UK
September 2014

SimplyRhino UK, in collaboration with McNeel Europe and Chaos Group, has organized a free training and networking event for design teachers and lecturers—six classes over eight days.  Separate courses cover three areas: modeling, rendering, and generative design.

All courses are delivered by leading individuals from the software developer plus certified trainers from Simply Rhino. All courses are taking place at Imperial College London, Skempton Building in the newly refurbished South Kensington campus.

All classes have a focus on training the trainer. All content (except for the Rhino 5 Level Class, which is identical to our standard class) is tailored to help inform any teacher or lecturer in the key aspects of that subject—quite different than our commercial classes where the focus is very much on professional use. The aim is to enable teachers to teach rather than become professional users. 

Class titles:

• Rhino 5 Level 1
• Rhino 5 in Architecture & Engineering
• V-Ray Level 1
• V-Ray Advanced
• V-Ray Advanced for Architecture
• Grasshopper Introduction

Complete info and registration...

GeMo, an army of 3D printed vases

Mehran Gharleghi and Amin Sadeghy from studio INTEGRATE, are seeking support to launch a crowd funded exhibition of an army of 3D printed vases in London. 

With a keen interest in exploring  the legacy of Middle Eastern art, combined with advanced methods of digital fabrication, they have created an army of over 500 mass customized 3D printed vases, called GeMo. GeMo utilizes the potentials of 3D printing technologies by creating a non-repetitive series of objects that are otherwise very cumbersome to manufacture using conventional methods. The form of each vase is generated from one of the fundamental components of Islamic art. It is made of two symmetrical octagons that merge into each other by using an algorithm. The algorithm uses repetition, rotation and symmetry to merge and develop  the original shapes. This method is often used in creating traditional Islamic drawings and art.  The word algorithm itself originates from, Al-Khwārizmī (c. 780-850), a Persian mathematician, astronomer, geographer and scholar. Digital tools were used to capture these steps to create over 500 unique variations that can only be realized by a 3D printer. By using this method, GeMo retained its cultural roots while leading to a novel set of artifacts.

Each 3D printed GeMo is individually unique, yet resembles its neighbouring relative which is called "Genetically Modified" (GeMo). Around 10% of the geometries that are generated out of this algorithm are mutants and due to their center of gravity cannot stand. So, these will not to be 3D printed. 

GeMo embodies the potential of what 3D-print fabrication is offering to contemporary design culture. Hence, with the aim of raising awareness of the possibilities of 3D printing, Mehran and Amin are turning to Kickstarter to raise funds to launch an exhibition in London, showcasing their army over 500 individually unique 3D printed vases. Their supporters will become the only owners and exhibitors of GeMo, which will be sent to them after the exhibition. By supporting the GeMo campaign, you will help a one-of-a-kind and exclusive design become recognized by a wider audience of art and design enthusiasts from around the world. Each GeMo(s) will be named after its (their) supporter. 

GeMo will be printed in multiple materials, such as stainless steel, plastic, resin and alumide. This is a possibility that has emerged from the world of digital design and production. Now, the army of GeMo is ready and they need them to be born. 

Check the kickstarter campaign...

Fab10 Barcelona

Fab10 Barcelona is one week of events focused on open and accessible technologies that will change the world. It will gather the Fab Lab Network and the citizens of Barcelona to make it a Fab City. Fab10 Barcelona will gather the international Fab Lab community, which has more than 350 laboratories based in more than 40 countries in the world, and will host the Fab Festival and Fab City Symposium, open to all Barcelona citizens.

McNeel Europe will host a FabKids workshop during the week and will exhibit together with iCreatia.com at the Fab Festival during the weekend!

www.fab10.org