The new technology in V-Ray 3.6 for Rhino

Following V-Ray's release for Rhino 6, Chaos Group has introduced new V-Ray rendering technology:

• GPU and hybrid rendering for faster rendering
• Adaptive lights that can speed up some scenes by 700%
• New texture maps
• A library of over 600 lifelike materials 
• And loads more!

Also, Chaos Group's seamless cloud rendering service debuts in V-Ray 3.6 for Rhino. Be one of the first to try it. 

 Discover what's new in V-Ray 3.6 for Rhino...

Rendering in Rhino 6

The new real-time rendering tools included in Rhino 6 may surprise you. You can learn how to use the new rendering workflow through tutorials from Kyle Houchens.

See Real-Time Rendering in Rhino 6...

Which programming language should I use?

ProArchitect has an 8-minute video with advice on choosing your programming language.

See the video...

SimAUD conference and workshops at TU Delft, June 5-7

We are thrilled to announce the 9th annual Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD2018) which will be at TUDelft's Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in the Netherlands on June 5-7, 2018. 

On Monday, June 4^th, sixteen international preconference workshops will be offered, followed by three parallel campus tours. Registration to the conference grants free attendance to the workshops and tours. You can also register for the workshops only. 

The full program is now available, with over 45 single-track long and short papers, invited poster session, and panel discussions, as well as three keynote speakers: Dean Marilyne Andersen from EPFL, Andrea Love from Payette (Boston), and Dr. David Gerber from Arup and USC.

We hope to see you and your team in Delft!

Tarek Rakha and Michela Turrin

Symposium Chair and Program Chair of SimAUD2018

Veesus Open Day - June 20 - East Sussex (UK)

The Veesus Open Day is a chance to meet the team behind Veesus’ solutions, try the software and listen to real-world laser scanning case studies from leading market firms. There will also be the opportunity to see the latest technology from event sponsors, including Z+F, PointFuse, Dot Product, Mantis, OR3D, Coenradie, Fulcro, McNeel, Theatre Works, CainTech and more.

When?

June 20, 2018

9am - 4pm: Presentations and Demonstrations.

4pm - 11pm: Social Networking

Attendance is free, but registration is required. Space is limited and access is strictly on a first come, first served basis.

More details and registration...

ExpressMarine now Rhino 6 ready

The ExpressMarine plugin for structural modeling is now available for Rhino 6.

With the ExpressMarine plugin for Rhino, designers can rapidly build parametric 3D models of marine structures. 

ExpressMarine 2.0 features new functionality to assign weight group information to the model. 

Weight and center of gravity are essential parameters in ship design and critical to establishing a good design. Determining it can be time-consuming, especially if you are still changing that design. 

Economy, stability, payload, speed, and maneuverability are all related to the weight and center of gravity of a vessel. In ExpressMarine, the weight groups can be defined by volume areas for modules or by assigning a weight group ID to the various object types. In either approach, the weight and center of gravity information are calculated and summarized for the weight groups and can be exported to ShipWeight.

More information...

Job offer at Laubwerk GmbH (Germany): C++ Rhino Developer

Laubwerk GmbH is looking for software developers with a passion for computer graphics.

Help set new technical and quality standards for 3D plants for Laubwerk customers in the visual effects, architecture, gaming, and mobile industries.

Laubwerk is a small company concentrating on software development to create and display digital vegetation and landscapes for 3D computer graphics applications. Their team includes industry-leading experts in 3D modeling who set new technical and quality standards for authentic-looking 3D plants that require minimal time and effort to use while offering maximum detail and control and can be distributed to create stunning landscapes. Depending on your skill set, you will improve and extend Laubwerk's 3D plants/landscape modeling tools, make their 3D plants core technology faster and more powerful, add additional 3D applications to the supported platforms, and extend Laubwerk's technology to new areas, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), mobile, and games.

Job offer details...

Job offer at Swarovski Professional (Austria): C++ / CAD Software Developer

Swarovski is looking for a software developer:

We’re looking for an experienced C++ programmer who likes to build things. Things that help others work in 2D / 3D design space faster, better and easier.

What you can expect

A diverse and challenging position on a project which fosters the Swarovski innovation culture and capabilities. A chance to work in an agile team with a clear goal of helping creatives.

Your tasks include

• Conceptual development, programming and support of CAD software in 2D / 3D design environments
• Providing recommendations and suggestions for the continuous improvement of 3D CAD working environment in jewelry and fashion design
• Support, manage and fulfill technical inquiries/requests (Customer Service Manager)
• Host training for key accounts and webinars

What we expect

As a CAD software developer, you are a motivated talent with a strong interest in offering IT solutions to meet designers’ needs. You are eager to accept new challenges as well as solve the already existing ones. Above all, you enjoy working in a small agile team of diverse individuals.

Also, the following qualifications required

• Excellent knowledge in software development with C / C ++
• Experience in 3D applications is a necessity
• In-depth understanding of digital design/ engineering/product development and the needs of designers as customers 
• Good proficiency in German is beneficial
• You are comfortable with working within a diverse corporate network, spanning from technical and design experts to executive management

Complete Job offer details (in German) here...


Does this sound like you? If so, we look forward to receiving your application. Contact Graham Hench.

AA Terrain Lab Visiting School

AA Terrain Lab Visiting School Workshop

Location: Pamplona, Spain

Dates: Monday 25 June - Thursday 5 July 2018

The AA Terrain Lab Visiting School is a 10-day workshop focused on the manufacturing of productive landscapes. The Lab researches the geographical, socio-economic, and cultural forces of the territory, to speculate on the identity of highly managed and cultivated landscapes.

In 2018 they will continue exploring the riparian territories of Navarre, shaped by the large-scale water engineering works developed for its intensive agricultural production. This experience will be the essence of the program, excursions, on-site research, laboratory observations, and studio analysis.

Applications and more information...

New Research Associate position for robotic fabrication of wooden textiles at University of Kassel

The University of Kassel is looking for a new Research Associate (50% EG 13 TV-H) for a research project on computational design and robotic fabrication methods for wooden textiles. The project is linked to a research collaboration of six research groups at the University of Kassel in the fields of material science, engineering, arts, computational simulation, digital fabrication, and architecture. Tasks will include design work, material research, building prototypes in the robotic fabrication laboratory and taking part in the general organizational activities of the department.

Please send your CV, motivation letter and portfolio to bewerbungen@uni-kassel.de, reference: 31401. English speakers are also welcome to apply.

You're welcome to contact Prof. Philipp Eversmann (+49 561-8042352, eversmann@asl.uni-kassel.de) with questions.

Application deadline is May 21st 2018

More information (in German)...

Level 2 Rhino 6 for Windows Online Course

Image credit: Kyle Houchens, The Outside

Ready to take your Rhino skills to the next level? Join us for our Level 2 Rhino 6 for Windows Online course next week. Our course outline is available here.


Level 2 Rhino 6 for Windows Online - Register here! 
Dates: May 8-10 and May 15-17, 2018
Hours: 9:00 am-1:00 pm PDT
Price: US$250 per person

Our online class consists of six half days of instructor-led, live training sessions. Ask questions and interact with the instructor and other attendees. All online sessions are recorded and will be posted for your study and review. Videos will be available for streaming for up to three months following the class.

Details...

Updated 3Dconnexion system driver available

3Dconnexion recently released version 10.5.6 of 3DxWare 10 for Windows.

Critical: Version 10.5.6 of 3DxWare 10 for Windows is required to use 3Dconnexion devices with Service Release 6.4 and later versions of Rhino 6 for Windows.

This update provides the following fixes and enhancements:

• Fixes the issue with the long switching times.
• Allows the user to configure buttons using the 3Dconnexion Properties tool.

Download...

ROB|ARCH 2018 Conference & Workshops

ROB|ARCH 2018 Conference & Workshops
Association for Robots in Architecture
September 10-14, 2018
Zurich

The advent of robotics in the creative and construction industries has led to an amazing revolution, changing not just how things are designed and made but also transforming the knowledge cultures, politics, and economics that surround them. As such, the ROB|ARCH 2018 conference will reveal novel insights, applications, and impacts of this transformation.

Registrations for the ROB|ARCH 2018 workshops and conferences are now open. A limited number of Early Bird tickets are available until June 1st!

Visit the ROB|ARCH website for more information...

VisualARQ 2 is available for Rhino 6

VisualARQ 2 is available for Rhino 6

VisualARQ adds architectural features and parametric architectural objects

that are suitable for both 3D modeling and 2D documentation.

VisualARQ 2 improves many of the features of VisualARQ 1 and adds a lot of new functionality requested and inspired by our users.

Download VisualARQ 2.1 update

Download VisualARQ 2.1 evaluation version

This new update 2.1 works on Rhino 5 and Rhino 6 and it is free for existing VisualARQ users.

More information...

Join the cove.tool Walk Through

Attend the cove.tool online webinar to learn how to:

• Create a cove.tool project
• Customize the project results and create a PDF report
• Use Revit and Grasshopper plugins

Also, be the first to see cove.tool's new features.

Sign up for the May 2nd (12 PM EST) webinar.

Cove.tool is an energy vs. cost optimization software for the AEC industry. You can try cove.tool for free.

Register for the webinar...

SimAUD 2018 Workshops

SimAUD 2018 Workshops:

June 4

Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

TU Delft, Delft, The Netherlands

The Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD) announced several workshops being organized as part of SimAUD 2018. The workshops will take place in parallel sessions from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Monday, June 4th. The workshops will address the topic of simulation from a unique perspective and will offer hands-on learning opportunities on cutting-edge computational approaches, workflows, and tools.

Most of the workshops use Rhino and Grasshopper:

01 Adaptive Second Skins
02 Advanced Optimization Technology for Generative Building Design 
03 Analyzing Solar and Daylighting Access in Urban Areas
04 Building Physics Modeling 
05 How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Uncertainty
06 Immersive Simulation Representation through Virtual Reality
07 Intuitive Design Environments through VR and Robotic Fabrication
08 Morphogenetic Fluid Dynamics – Designing with CFD
09 Multimaterial Robotic Assembly
10 Network Analysis Based Dynamic Urban Simulation in Grasshopper
11 Next generation Parametric Design with Packhunt.io 
12 Open Collaborative Design, Simulation & Analysis Flows 
13 Practical Python for Building Performance Analysis
14 Simulating Circadian Effects
15 SMART Hospital Architecture
16 Urban Interrelationalism

More information...

Workshop schedule...

IMAGO, the Pursuit of Design. Interview with Jan Kokol.

In this interview with Jan Kokol, architect, designer, artist, and founder of IMAGO Design, talks with Novedge about his background, latest projects, relationship with technology and software he uses daily.

"Rhinoceros, for example, fulfills a lot of my needs just by the fact that I can use plugin extensions for parametric design (Grasshopper - now included in Rhino 6), rendering (V-Ray) and SubD modeling."

Read the complete interview...

Rhino and Grasshopper Courses in Portland, Oregon

Mode Lab is gearing up for an exciting series of computational design training events this spring. Take a look at their upcoming Rhino and Grasshopper classes!

• Rhino3D Foundations for Industrial Design, May 21-23
  Course outline
• Computational Design Immersive, June 4-8
  Course outline
• Grasshopper Foundations for Industrial Design, June 11-13
  Course outline

All classes will be at Mode Lab in Portland, Oregon.

Questions? Contact Mode Lab.

Details and registration...

V-Ray, to the next level

© Flying Architecture

Ruta N, Rhino3D Colombia, and RhinoFabStudio invite you to join Ricardo Ortiz, Product Specialist Chaos Group-V-Ray (CDMX Mexico) who will be presenting the new and advanced characteristics of V-Ray.

Date:  April 24, 2018
Time:  7:30 AM
Place: Ruta N - Sala Múltiple 1 - Medellin, Colombia

Register here.

In this presentation, we will show leading-edge features in rendering within the different 3D platforms, and for all the different industries. We will go over tips on how to best take advantage of your available hardware, accelerating your times more and more, rendering without sacrificing quality, and overcoming every new challenge in your projects.

Watch a video with information on the new version of V-Ray 3.6 for Rhino.

Accelerator Launch: Looking for startups

Zero Sixty is currently accepting applications for its Spring 2018 accelerator launch. If you are an entrepreneur developing innovative products and services on top of the Rhino and Grasshopper platforms, consider applying to Gehry Technologies' three-month acceleration program. Zero Sixty is inviting the Rhino community in hopes of attracting entrepreneurs developing products and services on top of design and technology platforms for the AEC industry.

As part of the accelerator, startups may receive:

• Equity-free support
• Three months rent-free office space
• Personalized mentorship from AEC industry experts 
• Access to the industry's leading-edge technologies
• Global media and marketing spotlight opportunities
• Ongoing support for up to six months after the program completion
• Access to a global community of growth stage founders and mentors

Zero Sixty is a three-month acceleration program focused on design and technology for the AEC industry. Its goal is to help startups build and scale great products by matching them with its people, network, and advanced technologies.

For more information and to apply, visit Zero SixtyZ

Karamba Workshop in Vienna

Karamba Workshop

Location: Vienna, Austria

Dates: July 4-6, 2018

Time: 10:00-18:00

Course Fee: Professional EUR 750 (+VAT) Educational EUR 375 (+VAT)

This three-day workshop will focus on methods of setting up structural systems in the parametric environment of Grasshopper. Plugin developer and structural engineer Clemens Preisinger, along with Zeynep Aksoz and Matthew Tam from the expert Karamba team, will guide the participants through the basics of analyzing and interpreting structural models, to optimization processes and how to integrate Karamba3d into C# scripts.

This workshop is for beginner to intermediate Karamba users, but advanced users are also encouraged to apply. It is open to both professional and academic users.

Karamba is a parametric structural engineering tool that provides accurate analysis of spatial trusses, frames, and shells. Karamba is fully embedded in the parametric design environment of Grasshopper, a plugin for the 3D modeling tool Rhinoceros. This makes it easy to combine parameterized geometric models, finite element calculations, and optimization algorithms like Galapagos.

Please register here...

Designing Interactive Holographic Environments in Grasshopper

Last week, McNeel Europe hosted a Fologram workshop with attendees from all over Europe. Participants worked on how to create holographic environments using Hololenses and Grasshopper.

Thanks to Gwyll, Cam, Nick, and all the participants for this awesome mixed-reality experience!!!

Rese arch Grasshopper Webinars | Urban optimization with Adrian Krężlik | Parametric Support

Rese arch, in collaboration with Adrian Krężlik (Parametric Support) has organized three webinars on Urban optimization:

• 17 April 2018 6 pm CEST: Pattern Language and Transit Oriented Development
• 18 April 2018 6 pm CEST: Optimizing Accessibility
• 19 April 2018 6 pm CEST: Optimizing Urban Planning and Landscape Design

Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, Galapagos, Silvereye, Octopus, Lunchbox, MeshEdit, Elk, Galapagos, Shortest Walk, Opossum, Colibri, and Anemone will be used during the webinars.

Register now...

Shape To Fabrication conference (April 24-25, London) - Last tickets available!

Organized by SimplyRhino UK, the Shape To Fabrication conference (April 24-25, London) will focus on cutting-edge technology, innovative construction, and applications in architecture, engineering, and design. This year's speakers are shaping the future, unafraid to push technology and engineering to new heights.

Presenters at Shape to Fabrication 2018 include:

Foster + Partners
Heatherwick Studio
Zaha Hadid Architects
3XN architects GXN innovation
Penda
Arup
Format Engineers
Loop.pH
Studio Moritz Waldemeyer
Zoe Laughlin / Institute of Making
Fologram
McNeel Developers

Graphisoft
Walter P Moore
Speckle
Mamou-Mani
Geometry Gym
Ramboll
EZCT Architecture & XtreeE
VisualARQ
Proving Ground
École des Ponts Paristech
Hawkins\Brown

Complete details and tickets...

AR/VR with Rhino User Group Meeting (London) report

The first VR/AR for Rhino User Group Meeting took place at Softroom (London, UK) on October 10, 2017.

SimplyRhino UK has been kind enough to write an extensive report. Read it here!

Mesh2Surface is Rhino 6 ready

Mesh2Surface is a reverse engineering plugin for Rhino providing simple and efficient tools to convert a 3D scanned mesh into a CAD model. Thanks to the support of the Rhino development team, Mesh2Surface is fully compatible with the new Rhinoceros 6.  All existing customers can download and use the plugin with the same ease of use in the new Rhinoceros 6 environment.

Download an eval at food4Rhino...

Dynamic Mutations V4.0 by DesignMorphine

DesignMorphine's Dynamic Mutations V4.0 

Advanced Design Workshop

July 15-22, 2018

Union of Architects in Bulgaria

Sofia, Krakra 11 STR

Dynamic Mutations V4.0 is an international workshop of Advanced Design. The workshop will use AutoDesk Maya, Pixologic ZBrush, McNeel Grasshopper and will explore a range of modeling techniques in a streamlined process. The general workflow will involve modeling actual mechanical objects, mutating these objects, replicating the objects within site, and unifying the replications into a correlated unique architectural machine.

More details and applications...

Rhino and Grasshopper webinar - April 18

Optimization and Performance-Informed Design in Rhino/GH

Wednesday, April 18, 2018
10 am EST/3 pm CET

This webinar discusses optimization in Rhino and Grasshopper. By using benchmark results from (mostly single-objective) structural, building energy, and daylighting problems, discover which optimization algorithms to use and when. Learn how Opossum uses a cutting-edge, machine-learning related algorithm to get a head start on other algorithms.

We will see how to structurally optimize a small pavilion with Opossum 1.5. Also, catch a sneak preview of Opossom 2.0, which allows visualization and interactive exploration of machine-learned fitness landscapes.

Opossum 1.5 is free to download. Also, you will have exclusive early access to Opossum 2.0. (Rhino and Grasshopper required.)

Cost: $19

More information and to sign up...

Zoo 6 Service Release 5 available

Zoo 6 Service Release 5 is now available as a free download.

If you are using Zoo 6, you will want to install this service release.

Zoo 6 Service Release 5 provides:

• Enhanced clustering of Rhino 5 and Rhino 6 licenses.
• Increased license validation reliability.
• Improved support for older, third party Zoo plugins.
• Other stability improvements.

Download...

OYSTER Chair: Furniture Design Meets Virtual Reality

New living solutions and innovative research in furniture design will drastically affect design methodologies and will introduce new paradigms: algorithmic modeling, virtual reality, and advanced fabrication techniques. 

The OYSTER chair is the first prototype designed using virtual reality techniques and manufactured through a 3D milling machine, remotely controlled. OYSTER anticipates future scenarios of smart working and features synergy between Arturo Tedeschi's expertise in generative modeling using Rhino and the implementation of Mindesk's Virtual Reality CAD interface.   

OYSTER will be introduced at the Fuorisalone Mobile 2018 - Space&Interiors, from April 17 through 21.

More information...