Friday, October 30, 2015

Power2Play - Power to build a Seahawks guitar for Paul Allen



Once again, Sherwood and Kelso High Schools are advancing education with their fab labs. (Just search in this blog for Sherwood and you'll see several posts.)

The two schools have collaborated with the Power2Work foundation to build a custom electric guitar and case. Commissioned for Paul Allen and the Seattle Seahawks 12s, it is one of the first guitars designed and manufactured through its program.

Projects are multi-school collaborations, where students experience a professional work environment. By engaging high school shop teachers and other partners, they've outfitted over 30 high schools throughout Oregon, Washington, and Alaska with digital fab labs. With the Power2Work's goal to teach meaningful skills, kids learn to build everything from guitars to houses.

A few fun facts about the Seahawks guitar:
  • The guitar case was manufactured out of old Sherwood High School bleachers. 
  • The pickups are Normandy Extreme Shielding Twangshifter.
  • The guitar is three kinds of wood: alder, black walnut, and maple.
  • The custom body artwork was donated by Shelby Tiffany.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Speckle.xyz - Share Grasshopper models online

Speckle lets you quickly share Grasshopper models online with just one double-click.
Developed by D/A/S, while working at The Bartlett, UCL Faculty of the Built Environment, within the InnoChain project.

3D Europa sculpture by Leonel Moura


This very large 3D-printed sculpture was created by Portuguese artist Leonel Moura. Moura, an artist with a history of combining art, robotics, AI, and 3D printing, shows work around the world. In the U.S. he has a piece in the permanent collection of the American Museum of Natural History.

The 5-meter tall woman figure stands with arms stretched wide like most 3D models, with a firm gaze fixed on the horizon in front of her. Made up of 300 multi-colored 3D printed blocks and fittings, she resembles a high-tech harlequin.

Moura created the pieces out of PLA plastic using eight permanent 3D printers in his studio. The creation of the piece, titled “3D Europa”, took six months to develop. It included collaborations of many people, plus a few companies like Beeverycreative, 3DFactory, and Wurth that sponsored and provided several fixing materials.

The model was done in Rhinoceros.

The sculpture was presented at the ICT 2015 conference organized by the European Commission in cooperation with the Town Hall of Lisbon.

It is no surprise that Moura has turned his attention to 3D printing as he has been fascinated with the non-human components of artistic creation. Tapping into this “artificial creativity”, as he terms it, means acknowledging that there is more to art than intention. After all, several art movements, since surrealism, tried to achieve art without conscience or intention. Moving from this complete intentionality, Moura works to integrate and create ideas and processes beyond his control in conjunction with the machine. He explained in his manifesto:

“I discard the relevance of the lack of intentionality and consciousness in robots. It is well known that in modern art history, there are many examples of art movements and artists that aimed to achieve precisely those goals. Actually, modern art is rooted in the exploration beyond common sense reasoning towards the fields of subjectivity, experimentalism, randomness, and more recently chaotic determinism and emergence. Machines can in fact ‘do their own things’ since, once the process is triggered, the result is not only independent from the human that originates it as it is unpredictable. This means that the product of ‘artificial creativity’ is human at the start but nonhuman at the end.”




Monday, October 26, 2015

Online Level 2 Rhino for Windows begins November 2


Image credit: Kyle Houchens, The Outside

Our Level 2 Rhino 5 for Windows online course begins November 2nd. Kyle Houchens will be the instructor for this course. Kyle is a very talented industrial designer, skilled instructor, an Authorized Rhino Trainer, the owner of The Outside Digital Design, and a McNeel technician.

Sign up today!


Dates/Times
  • Orientation: Monday, November 2, 9:00 am - 10:30 am
  • Training: Tuesday-Thursday, November 3-5 and November 10-12, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Note: All times listed are Pacific time zone. 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.

For a sample of Kyle's online Level 2 training, watch this video. Password: Test

Workshop in Barcelona: Nero | Mapping


Nero | Mapping
5-7 February 2016

Structured in multiple phases, this workshop offers firsthand experience with aerial robotics, data mapping, and data visualizations. The workshop aims to create a theoretical and experimental framework based on open-source tools. It focuses on extracting data from the air to better understand environmental conditions.

This Noumena workshop is at Green Fab Lab in Barcelona. Noumena is a collective group focused on design, research, and education based in Italy and Spain.

11th RhinoDay Italy


11th RhinoDay Italy
Università degli Studi di Padova - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Ambientale
13-14 November 2015



The 11th Italian User Meeting, organized by Università degli Studi di Padova - Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Edile e Ambientale and sponsored by ZEN's srl, has been announced. Registrations are now open.

Apart from the users' live presentations, Giulio Piacentino and Giuseppe Massoni (McNeel) will show the latest news on PythonGrasshopper, and Rhino, and other things.



Friday, October 23, 2015

Thea for Rhino contest


Thea Render announces the beginning of a new contest for Rhino users! Everyone is invited to join the contest for winning Thea for Rhino licenses.


Thursday, October 22, 2015

NewSchool Symposium: PRACTICE, October 24



NewSchool Symposium: PRACTICE
October 24, 2015, 8AM-8PM
NewSchool of Architecture and Design
San Diego, CA


The theme of this year’s symposium is based on ‘Practice’, one of the school’s ‘Institutional Pillars’, with a special focus on computational processes in the modern practice of architecture and design. Digital technologies and fabrication methods are becoming an important part of the integrated processes for design, analysis, and construction. This year’s symposium will focus on how computation is shaping the practice of architecture and its allied disciplines.

Workshops include:
  • Introduction to 3D Modeling (Rhino), Michael Riggin
  • Introduction to Parametric Design (Rhino and Grasshopper), Rajaa Issa

Evening Workshop Series in London by SimplyRhino UK

In this session, we introduce how CAD is used in the jewelry industry. Learn the principles of CAD through the digital construction of a crown set engagement ring, with thread and grain set shoulders. This practical workshop is suitable for beginners to CAD who have experience of the goldsmith trade. 



In partnership with the Goldsmiths' Centre, SimplyRhino UK presents a new series of evening taster workshops dedicated to those entirely new to CAD. Within these two-hour sessions, you'll have the opportunity to get hands-on and see how CAD can help improve your existing workflow.

We're commencing the series with a jewelry focus in recognition of the fantastic work produced in this area by the Goldsmiths' Centre itself. In future workshops, we plan to extend our scope to include other industries. More information on the 2016 sessions will be published in December 2015. 


BIM GeomGym IFC and BullAnt now available for Rhino 5 for Mac

GeometryGym just announced the availability of its plugins BIM GeomGym IFC and BullAnt for Rhino 5 for Mac:


BIM GeomGym IFC is an OpenBIM add-on for Rhino and Grasshopper. It enables IFC (Industry Foundation Class) models to be generated and exchanged to ARCHICAD, Revit, Bently, Tekla, and any other BIM software with IFC capability.



BullAnt is a Rhino/Grasshopper plugin primarily for architects and engineers (but also other Rhino/Grasshopper users). It features computational design tools to enhance and extend the parent program and other third-party plugins. BullAnt commands include mesh relaxation (minimal surfaces), mesh inflation (ETFE cushions), symmetry automationtessellation (polygon packing)structural modeling/sketching (including parametric generation in Grasshopper), geodesic domes, and curve network processing. 


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Rhino Level 1 training in Istanbul, Turkey


RhinoTürkiye has organized new Rhino 5 Windows Level 1 training starting October 26th, in Istanbul. 


Workshop in Barcelona: Recursions





Recursions 
27-29 November 2015

In this Noumena workshop, you will explore iterative strategies through parametric design. The main tool for the course will be Grasshopper and Anemone. Anemone is a simple but effective plugin for Grasshopper that enables you to create loops in a simple and linear way. You will explore strategies such as iterative growth, L systems, fractals, recursive subdivisions, and more.

This workshop by Noumena will be at Green Fab Lab, Barcelona. Noumena is a collective group focused on design, research, and education based in Italy and Spain.




Monday, October 19, 2015

10 PhD positions at Center for Geometry and Computational Design, Technical University Vienna



The Center for Geometry and Computational Design, Technical University Vienna, invites applications for 10 PhD positions in the Doctoral College 'Computational Design'. Application deadline is November 10, 2015. The Doctoral College starts in January 2016.


The Doctoral College Computational Design (DC:{CD}) at TU Wien, Center for Geometry and Computational Design, is the first PhD program in Austria at the interface of several areas of research excellence: Computer Graphics and Algorithms, Software Technology and Interactive Systems, Computer Aided Automation, Discrete Mathematics and Geometry, Architectural Sciences, Art and Design, History of Art, Building Archaeology and Restoration, Interdisciplinary Construction Process Management, and Mechanics of Materials and Structures.

The prerequisite for becoming a PhD student in the DC is a completed master degree or equivalent (e.g., Dipl.-Ing., Dipl.-Inf.), preferably with distinction, in the following fields:

• Architecture
• Civil engineering/structural engineering
• Computer science/informatics
• Mathematics
• Mechanical or industrial engineering
• Physics

For more details on PhD topics and how to apply, see:
http://gcd.tuwien.ac.at

China Design Week in London


China Design Week (London) 2015 UK-China Cultural Exchange Year Launch and exhibition is taking place between 19-25 October. The launch, exhibition, and conferences are in conjunction with President Xi Jinping's State Visit and China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange.

China Design Week (CDW) aims to be one of the highest profile design events between China and the UK. The goal is to promote pragmatic exchanges and cooperation between the creative industries from both countries. This year CDW is about Creative China - Created in China and Created for China. The main theme of China Design Week exhibition is Design, Innovation and Technology. CDW aims to promote Chinese and British designers and enterprises in all scales within the field of creative and technology industries.

Exhibition dates: Monday to Sunday 19-25 October 2015
Time: 10:00 - 18:00
Register for free tickets: https://goo.gl/3fBTB2
Venue: Compressor House, Royal Albert Dock, London E16 2QD

Conference 1: Transforming Made in China to Created in China
Time: 13:30 - 16:30
Register for free tickets: https://goo.gl/uxPkBQ

Key exhibitors: 
ABP
Farrells (Sir Terry Farrell) - Rhino User
Zaha Hadid Architects - Rhino User
Benoy - Rhino User
KREOD - Rhino User
MAD - Rhino User
Wolfgang Buttress - Rhino User
SURE Architecture - Rhino User
Feng He Mu Chen Architects and Interiors - Rhino User
Pauline Wong

Friday, October 16, 2015

LAST CALL: Free Webinar of Rhino for Mac




McNeel Europe
October 2015
10:00 am (CEST)


If you want to have a quick view of Rhino 5 for Mac, do not miss this free one-hour webinar. There are very few seats left. Sign up now!


Spanish: October 19, 2015 - FEW SEATS LEFT! Sign up...
Panelist: Rodrigo Bárcena

French: October 20, 2015 - FEW SEATS LEFT! Sign up...
Panelist: Vanessa Steeg

Italian: October 21, 2015 - FEW SEATS LEFT! Sign up...
Panelist: Giuseppe Massoni

German: October 22, 2015 - VERY FEW SEATS LEFT! Sign up...
Panelist: Verena Vogler

English: October 26, 2015 - ALMOST SOLD OUT! Sign up... 
Panelist: Rodrigo Bárcena

Thursday, October 15, 2015

VII Conference in Furniture Design +mob




Join us at the VII Conference in Furniture Design +mob where Fransec Salla Martínez, from McNeel Europe, will speak and conduct a workshop in the +mob 2015.

This is no cost with prior registration. Register here!

Date: 20-21 October 2015

Location: Auditorio Ruta N, Medellín, Colombia

For more information please contact Centro Tecnológico del Mobiliario.


What is a RhinoFabStudio? 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.

Iris - WebGL Exporter, now also for Rhino 5 for Mac

Iris is a free Work In Progress file export plugin for Rhino 5 x64 for Windows, Rhino 5.1 for Mac OS X, and Rhino WIP (Windows and OS X). Iris generates a JSON document that is parsable and viewable through WebGL in a modern web browser. The objectives for the plugin include:
  • A fast and easy way for Rhino users to distribute their designs with the least amount of dependencies possible.
  • Conversion of as many Rhino Object Types and Features as possible in a static scene.

"El món de Joan Claret", book presentation


If you are in Barcelona on Friday October 16, 2015, don't miss the opportunity to attend the presentation of the book "El món de Joan Claret" at the MNAC museum.

The presentation will be followed by an audiovisual show by "Hijos de J. Claret" with the collaboration of Jan Kokol (Architect and Artist) and music by Daniel Mumbrú.

Jan Kokol has used Rhino and T-Splines to recreate in 3D the work of Joan Claret. This will be part of the audiovisual:





Symposium on Geometry and Computational Design at TU Wien


The center for Geometry and Computational Design cordially invites interested company representatives, faculty, students, and the interested public to the Symposium on Geometry and Computational Design on November 30th, 2015, at TU Wien. This symposium follows up on the very successful opening event of the center in November last year with a series of lectures. 

Leading researchers will present recent developments in geometry, computer graphics, computational design, and architectural engineering. For more program details and for abstracts of the talks see our webpage http://gcd.tuwien.ac.at. 

Also, the center proudly celebrates the start of the new, interdisciplinary Doctoral College “Computational Design” initiated by the center in collaboration with the TU Wien faculties of Mathematics and Geoinformation, of Informatics, of Architecture and Planning, and of Civil Engineering. 

The symposium is free for all attendees. Register via email at gcd-meeting@geometrie.tuwien.ac.at until November 23rd.


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

MicMacTools 1.0—scripted tools for Rhino for Mac



Mitch Heynick released the first version of MicMacTools. This is a set of Python scripted tools from his library put together specifically for Rhino for Mac. They are an outgrowth or subset of his MaqueTools toolbar for Rhino for Windows.

The tools should work in Rhino for Mac 5.1 or later.  The tools are not recommended for 5.0.2 or earlier.

To see what tools are inside MicMacTools, read Mitch's PDF guide.


Modeling and 3D Printing workshops in Barcelona


Workshop: De la servilleta a la mano con Rhino
October 22 and 23, 2015
Barcelona

iCreatia, in collaboration with FabCafe Barcelona, and Betahaus, has organized two workshops in Barcelona that show the sketching-3D / modeling-3D printing workflow. Felixprinter and Roland 3D printers will be shown live.


Día: 22 de Octubre en el FabCafe
Horario: de 16 a 20h.
Lugar: Calle Bailén, 11 (Barcelona)
Inscripción obligatoria:

Día: 23 de Octubre en la Betahaus
Horario: de 10 a 14h.
Lugar: Carrer de Vilafranca, 7 (Barcelona)
Inscripción obligatoria:

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Use of Interior Space for Furniture Arrangement




The RhinoFabStudio at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana invites you to a conference about the Use of Interior Space for Furniture Arrangement.

Francesc Salla Martínez, from McNeel Europe, will deliver a lecture intended primarily for architecture students. It is open to public and free of charge. Francesc will address his conference on the preparation of an architectural model for the design of an interior space with Rhino 5 and VisualARQ.

Register here! 
Date: October 19, 2015 
Time: 2:00 pm-4:00 pm  
Location: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia. Aula #314, Bloque 9 

Organized by: Rhino3D Colombia - UPB
For more information call (+57 4) 412 3015 or contact Andres Franco

What is a RhinoFabStudio? 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.

Charlotte Asherson “2300”


This amazing project is modeled entirely in Rhino by D2W's jewelry designer Dovydas for Charlotte Asherson, a graduate of Central St Martins in London.

Charlotte wanted her collection to look masculine and heavy, and had a few specific stone setting methods in mind, such as tension setting and channel setting. But making her collection traditionally from precious metal was not viable, so she turned to CAD and 3D printing.

From her initial sketches she worked with Dovydas to produce the entire collection using D2W’s Nylon SLS printers, finishing the prints to a high metallic finish and setting with Swarovski crystals.


MSc in Strategic Product Design in Thessaloniki


The MSc in Strategic Product Design at the International Hellenic University is accepting applications for the postgraduate program that starts the end of October 2015. 

The International Hellenic University is based in Thessaloniki, Greece, and offers study programs exclusively in English. 


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Grasshopper plugin developer joins Proving Ground

Grasshopper plugin developer David Stasiuk is joining Proving Ground as Director of Applied Research.

David has actively contributed to the computational design world with several significant tools and plugins. His most recent tool, Cocoon, adds advanced mesh creation and refinement capabilities to Grasshopper.

David has extensive experience in applying data-driven workflow and cutting-edge technology in research and practice. As part of his PhD research at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, David explored a wide range of topics, including parametric workflows, advanced geometry, interoperability, fabrication, and complex material assemblies.

In his work as a specialty consultant at Method Design, he developed 3D structural connection models for 1050 unique stone panels in the Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame designed by Trahan Architects.

Nathan Miller, Founder and Managing Director of the Proving Ground, adds, "I have known Dave for several years and have been eager to collaborate with him. I couldn't be happier to have him on board in these early days of Proving Ground. A data-driven building industry requires the unique combination of practical experience and innovative thinking. Dave brings all that and more to the table. I look forward to working with him to develop new solutions for our clients and the building industry!"

To check out David's work, visit his web site Bespoke Geometry.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Live Online Webinars: Introducing Rhino 5 for Mac




Webinar Series: An Introduction to Rhino 5 for Mac

McNeel Europe
October 2015
10:00 am (CEST)



Learn more about what is in, what is out, and what is coming next for Rhino 5 for Mac in this 1-hour webinar conducted by the Tech Team experts of McNeel Europe in different languages:

- Spanish: October 19, 2015
Panelist: Rodrigo Bárcena

- French: October 20, 2015
Panelist: Vanessa Steeg

- Italian: October 21, 2015
Panelist: Giuseppe Massoni

- German: October 22, 2015
Panelist: Verena Vogler

- English: October 26, 2015
Panelist: Rodrigo Bárcena


Important details:

  • Space is limited. Sign up today!
  • This webinar is free to all attendees.
  • Presentation will take approximately 40 minutes followed by another 15 minutes for Q&A.
  • After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 


Register now: Spanish...
Register now: French...
Register now: Italian...
Register now: German...
Register now: English...

Thursday, October 8, 2015

RESHAPE15 | Winners

Announcing the winners of the RESHAPE15 | wearable technology competition 2015! 

This competition has been established to promote research, education, and production of digital ideas. The goal is to activate a prolific exchange of knowledge and information for the growth of an entire community joined by the love for innovation.

According to selection criteria, the Jury, formed by experts of fashion design, digital fabrication and computation design fields, selected three winners and two honorable mentions. RESHAPE15 received 70 applications from 25 different countries from all continents. The winners were selected for their conceptual ideas, understanding of design to production strategies, and market viability.

First place goes to Pinar Guvenc, Inanc Eray, Gonzalo Carbajo, and Marco Mattia Cristofori for their project Sponge Suit from USA. The project is swimwear that is environmentally proactive, economically sustainable, and intelligently manufactured by combining cutting edge 3D printing and nano-scale clean-tech material (super-hydrophobic carbon based material called the Sponge) research.

Second place is Selina Reiterer and Constantinos Miltiadis for their project JOHN PAUL GEORGE & ME from Austria. The project addresses interactive wearable textiles. And the project brings to children an interactive musical game, encouraging and stimulating their musical interest as well as their collaboration with each other to perform music.

Third place is Emmanouil Vermisso, Mate Thitisawat, Boutros Bou-Nahra, and Heather Akers for their project Carotid Thermo-Regulator from USA. The project is about reinventing the traditional neck Ruff as a liquid translator of bodily emotion. The idea resulting from the transformation of thermal data into graphics becomes an inherent ornamental quality of the piece.

The two honorable mentions include Judyta Cichocka and Zach Challies for their project Digital Outlook and Aino Aarnio-Juurinen and Visa Kupias for their project Avanto.

Check out all the entries.

Club Rock Café Prague new interior design

Photo by www.klapper.cz

Jiří Šmejkal from Studio Scenografie has been kind enough to share his interior design project at the Club Rock Café Prague:

"I would like to present realization of my project on your web site. The project is about interior reconstruction of Club Rock Café, Prague. 

This music club includes theatre hall, gallery, music hall, pub and is located in the centre of Prague at Národní street. Project was realized during this summer and official opening took place at the beginning of September.

I work as an architect/designer in a studio Scenografie, Prague. Assignment was to restore the function of foyer with new chillout zone and to connect upper floor of gallery staircase nad music hall in downstairs.

Whole project was made in Rhinoceros 5.0. We make all parts of our work in Rhino from studies, visualization to production drawings for our manufacture. In this project it was same procedure as well. I used also Grasshopper for designing the shape and also for fabrication preparing."


Grasshopper training in Johannesburg (South Africa)


Simply Rhino Johannesburg, South Africa
29 October 2015

This one-day course is an introduction to Grasshopper. The course is aimed at design professionals and proficient Rhino users with little or no prior Grasshopper experience. The course will cover the essentials needed to get you going with Grasshopper, at an accelerated pace in an instructor-led environment. 

This course is run by our McNeel-accredited trainer and is tailored to your specific needs. In the afternoon of the course, there will be time set aside to cover your specific workflow design needs. Group size is kept small to ensure personalized attention.


To book your seat, email cathy@simplyrhino.com

Mesh2Surface new release



With the latest version, the Mesh2Surface plugin for Rhino provides even more control over the reverse engineering process. The state-of-the-art 3D deviation analyzer can be used as part of the construction process with Mesh2Surface, but also is a complement to any other resurfacing method. The latest version also provides many other improvements to simplify reverse engineering in Rhino. 


Check out the video or visit www.mesh2surface.com for more information...