New Version of VisualARQ Architectural Tools for Rhino

New Version of VisualARQ for Rhino.
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The friends from VisualARQ just sent me an email with the news that a new version of their Architectural Tools for Rhino is now available. VisualARQ is a set of tools that for what I have seen and read seem to turn Rhino into a more "Architectural Representation Friendly" software if that term exists.

The Tools allow Rhino to identify objects as windows, walls, etc. Much like regular BIM packages do. See a description of features here. The new features in version 1.2 can be found following this link.

In short, the new features are:

• Beam object
• Context help
• IFC 2×3 export
• Plan visibility can be specified per object depending on its position on the level.

Did I say BIM like objects? IFC 2x3 support? Well here you go BIM scheptical people. Even Freeformparadise (that would be Rhino) seems to need BIM standards objects and interoperability. The BIM steamroller is unstoppable...remember Stuart Brand's Quote "Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road". What will you choose?


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RhinoBIM: Project to turn Rhino3D into a BIM suite

Rhino jumps on the BIM wagon
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The Guys from Virtual Build Technologies and Robert McNeel Associates, have created a Joint Venture to develop a suite of tools to turn Rhino into a BIM capable program.


The only Suite published so far is the structural suite called RhinoBIM_Structure, but the ideas of the authors you can read on the Project Website are really encouraging. Making BIM more user friendly and focusing on the process optimization, not on the tool itself, i think are great assets of this project.

It is all still a "work in progress" tool, but it is definitely worth paying attention too. If the Rhino guys could just be a bit less stubborn and use the mouse wheel as all the other vendors do...or maybe tha tis too much to ask!


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Rhino in your iPad

Rhino models can now be visualised in your iPad, iPhone and iPode Touch.
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My friend Chait sent me the news about the iRhino3D app for the Apple gadgets. Although I am no fan (yet...) of these toys, and despite i started in the computer world with an Apple computer around 1988, haven't used one in almost 20 years. Nevertheless, I thought it was worth mentioning it here to see how many of you are Apple fans.


The app is available in the app store. You can find more info at the iRhino3D app website too.

SketchUp fans hold your horses! Apparently, there is no short term plan for an SU app, as I read from Google Employee John Bacus on this thread: " a port of SketchUp to the iPad would be a pretty monumental task, so it isn't something you should expect to see soon"


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Rhino Plugins: Export to SketchUp

Export files from Rhino to SketchUp skipping any oder transition format
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When exporting files from Program to Program the best way to go is to to the export directly between this two formats. Generic formats like 3Ds work, but tend to make the process tedious, and generally the resulting file needs some clean-up.
For the transition between Rhino and SketchUp, there is a Plugin to export files from the former to the later directly.
The plugin can be downloaded here. More information about it, on the McNeel website.
I've been out on vacation for a couple of weeks. I'll try to catch up with lots of posts I have on a list during the next weeks.


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Rhino Plugins: VisualArq - Architectural Tools for Rhino

Need some ACA like tools when using Rhino? This might be the Plugin you are looking for.
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Rhino is a great modeling software, but you will agree with me that when it comes to simple tasks like creating Walls, windows, Stairs, etc. it is not as efficient as AutoCAD Architecture or SketchUp (specially if you have the 1001bit tools Plugin).
Well that might change if you add to your set of Plugins the VisualArq set of Architectural Tools. This set of tools aims to improve the work speed for Architects, Interior Designers, Etc by adding a set of Parametric Architectural Objects and Documentation Tools.
I haven't had the chance to check it since I only have access to Rhino at work, but from the Gallery on the VisualArq website, the Plugin looks promising.
You will need Rhino's Service Release 5 to be able to use this plugin.

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Rhino: What to Do if Make2D Runs out of Memory?

If you are trying to turn your Rhino model into a 2D drawing but your computer crashes, you might want to try this work around.
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I was recently trying to extract 2D linework from a very large 3D model in Rhino to be used in AutoCAD drawings, but no matter what I tried, either the result was not the expected or the computer crashed in the process.
What I tried first was the Make2D command, but the computer "ran out of memory" so Rhino crashed. (see that I was doing this on a 8core, 3Gb of RAM computer, so its not an old and slow machine).
Then second option I tried was to Export to AutoCAD and then try to use the FLATSHOT command, but for some reason, the geometry exported to AutoCAD was not suitable for this command. I tried to Export from Rhino to 3Ds to import it in AutoCAD, but again Rhino would crash.
So I found myself without options involving a direct transfer. The only solution I found was to Print the view on hidden line in Rhino to a PDF with big quality, and then convert that PDF to a DXF using a PDF to CAD converter. The one I used is this one, the free trial allowed me to do what I wanted, and the results are better than using the Make2D command from Rhino.

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Rhino Plugins: Paneling Tools

This is an awesome Plugin to create panels on NURBS surfaces. Another Rhino Beauty.
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PanelingTools.rhp is an awesome plugin for Rhino to Panel surfaces. You can use the standard Paneling options provided with the Plugin, or generate custom Panels from any shape. The Plugin can be downloaded from the McNeel website. See this tutorial video on how to use Paneling Tools.



After you are done learning the basics, take a look at this other video on how to use the panelling tools with custom shapes.



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Rhino: The Equivalent of 3Ds Soft Selection - SOFTMOVE

The Softmove Rhino Command allows us to do something similar as the Soft Selection from 3DS.
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In 3D Studio, Soft Selection is used to move points depending on the distance they are from a central selection point. That is done by using the Soft Selection Method. The closer the points are the more they will be displaced, the further the lesser. See this image borrowed from this website.

The red areas would be displaced 100% while the "colder" the color the lesser the objects would move.
I needed to do something similar while modelling a site in Rhino. I had some Linework of the Roads and needed to turn it into 3D lines. Luckily in RHino, if you don't know a command you guess and sometimes you get the right one. So I started typing SOFT... because I remembered the Soft Selection function in 3Ds, and SOFTMOVE came as an option.
To quickly show you what SOFTMOVE does I'll use a simple patch. Imagine you have a flat surface created with the PATCH command. Select the surface and press F10 (pressing F10 in Rhino activates the control points of selected objects) and select its control points. You should see something like this.

Then we type SOFTMOVE, click on the point we want to move more and select a radius. The radius will determine till what extend the moving process will affect (the points outside the radius will not be moved). We then set the distance we want the central point to move and select in which directions we want the movement to happen. In this case I chose to move the point vertically and this is the result.

It is a useful command to have in your list. ANd remember in Rhino, if you want to do something just start typing what you want to do and most of the times there will be a command named that way or very similarly.

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Rhino: Importing AutoCAD Aliases

You can use some of your AutoCAD aliases in Rhino. It just needs some minor adjustment.
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First thing I missed when starting to use Rhino was being able to draw a line by typing "L" or copying an object by typing "C" (I use C for copy in AutoCAD). I thought I had to get used to the new aliases till Chaitanya told me I could get my AutoCAD aliases in Rhino.
To import aliases to Rhino we need to have them stored in a .txt file, and go to Tools --> Options --> Aliases.
See that you can't directly use your acad.pgp. I tried to simply change the .pgp extension to .txt, but the formatting of the AutoCAD aliases doesn't match the requirements of Rhino. We can very quickly reformat the file though, by erasing all the introduction, and erasing the comas and the asterisks.
Take into consideration that many AutoCAD commands don´t apply to Rhino, so it is wise to create your own .txt file with only those Aliases from CAD that you find indispensable to have available in Rhino. Slowly as you see which Rhino commands you use more often you can keep adding aliases to your aliases file to match your requirements.
You can download my acadtorhino.txt file, it is a quick file that can be used to import the basic ACAD aliases to Rhino (see that a couple of them like C for COPY and R for ROTATE are not AutoCAD standards, but my standards, but you can modify them easily if you are a 2 letter typer)

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Rhino: Easy Creation of Curved Windows and Store Fronts

Creating curved Windows and store fronts might be tedious in other programs. Not in Rhino. You just need to know the right command.
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Do you manually model all the curved parts of your buildings? Stop doing so. Rhino can do it for you. Let's imagine that we want to draw a curved window. We could create the curved mullions, glass, etc, or we can simply use the FlowAlongSrf command. Let me show you what this command does.
We will try to make a curved storefront following a given curve, divided in 4 parts vertically and 5 horizontally. Instead of trying to manually model it we create a flat version of it. See the image below.

To make the final result easier to handle, be sure that you Group the Storefront Mullions together. Once you have them grouped, you need to extrude the curve to the height you want the store front to be. After that you need to create a plane that matches the size of the flat store front that you have created. Something like the image below.

After we have this, everything is ready. Select the flat storefront. Type FlowAlongSrf. Select the plane near the flat storefront as base surface and select the curved surface as the target surface. These are the results.

The command FlowAlongSrf really makes modelling of curved façades much easier. See some other examples of what you can achieve with it, both based on the same 5 x 4 module.

Thanks to Chaitanya for teaching me today this.

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Rhino Plugins: Block Editor

Rhino does not have Block Editor by default, but there is a plugin for that.
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If you start using Rhino like me coming from an AutoCAD, Microstation and/or SketchUp background you'll be used to create Blocks, Cells or Components, to edit them later.
Rhino by default does not have a Block Editor so you might find yourself a bit lost if you imported a file in Rhino from other applications that work with Blocks or similar entities.
No problem. Rhino, very similarly as SketchUp, has a wide range of Plugins to enhance its functionality. One of this is the Block Editor plugin, that will add the needed functionality to your Rhino. To download it go to this link. The Mcneel website has plenty of information about how to install plugins.
You need to use the PlugInManager command to load the Plugin, browse to the location where you have the plugin stored and click OK. After that you can select a block and run the command InPlaceBlockEdit to edit the block.
To manage Blocks Rhino has the BlockManager that allows you update and delete existing blocks and linked files.

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Rhino: Commands List

A quick reference of commands for Rhino.
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Rhino is a great tool for designing and modeling complex shaped buildings. We've have recently increased in my office the use of this tool and it is giving results far better than what we could achieve with SketchUp, so expect to get also tips about Rhino once in a while.
I have started lately to get some time to restart my Rhino training and one of the first things I was looking for was a list of commands. The help provided with the program is actually great. For an online list of commands you can go to the McNeel website where the list is reproduced.
This post will be in the future the directory where I will update any commands I find specially important to know when using Rhino.

• BlockManager: Updates and deletes Blocks and linked files.
• FlowAlongSrf: Transforms a group to match any type of curved or flat surface.
  
• InPlaceBlockEdit: Edits Blocks in Place (requires the Block Editor PlugIn)
• PluginManager: Allows you to load Plugins
• SoftMove: Moves objects according to their distance from a central point.
  

Remember that Rhino has a similar system of Aliases like AutoCAD. See this post to know how to import AutoCAD Aliases or your customized ones.


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