Termite: Rhino Grasshopper Plugin Developed for 3D Printing of Clay

Termite is a plugin developed for Liquid Deposition Modeling (LDM) 3D printing, offering a dedicated toolset for clay and other paste-based materials. Created by Julian Jauk within his research at Graz University of Technology, the plugin has been validated through multiple seminars, architectural prototypes, and international workshops, and is already in active use across several educational facilities.

While most slicing tools are optimized for thermoplastics and small nozzle sizes, clay printing typically uses nozzles between 1–30 mm and requires precise control over path layout, material flow, and printer movement. Termite addresses this gap by integrating essential slicing features—such as custom path generation, sorting algorithms, variable parameters within a single print, inrun speed control for smooth starts, extrusion flattening for reliable adhesion, and automatic detection of path intersections—directly into the parametric design environment of Rhino and Grasshopper.

Termite provides 20 modular components across the categories Main, Create, Sort, Display, and Example, supporting both beginner and advanced workflows. It is designed as an easy-to-use tool for Grasshopper newcomers, with features working immediately after installation, while still offering maximum freedom for experimental fabrication through its open, modular structure. Users can design printing paths in Rhino, Grasshopper, or via Termite’s own components, with all required G-code generated in real time.

Suitable for clay and earth-based mixtures, concrete, biopolymers, biomaterials, and various food-grade pastes, Termite works not only with LDM printers such as the WASP 40100 LDM and Delta WASP 2040 Clay but also with any machine capable of interpreting G-code, including Cartesian and polar printers or robotic arms.

Termite is available for Windows and macOS for Rhino 6 or later. The plugin includes an installer, example files, and a tutorial video. It is completely free to use and can be downloaded via Food4Rhino or installed directly through the Rhino Package Manager.

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