Sequence: Introduction to Rhino

Sequence Summary:

This sequence covers the fundamentals of modeling in Rhino. Topics include navigating the interface, working with commands, and building and editing both 2D and 3D geometry. Students will apply these skills by building a digital model of an existing architectural project.

Why?
Being able to create, manipulate, and represent geometry in a digital environment is a core skill across computational design. Whether you’re designing buildings, urban spaces, or products; analyzing spatial conditions at the scale of an object, a city, or the planet; or producing digital visualizations, animations, and interactive environments, all of this work depends on fluency with 3D models and data.

A wide range of 3D modeling software exists, each with its own strengths and trade-offs. This sequence focuses on Rhino 3D.

Rhino is a tool for 2D drafting, 3D modeling, and visual representation, and has become a go-to application for designers across many fields. It’s flexible, quick to pick up, and supports numerous plugins (like the VRay rendering engine) as well as programming languages such as Python. It also includes Grasshopper, a powerful and adaptable visual scripting environment. Rhino relies on NURBS geometry, which is particularly well suited to architecture, furniture, product design, and other fields where models are meant to be built in the physical world (as opposed to mesh-based tools like Blender, which lend themselves more to animation and game design).

Rhino is made by McNeel, a small company for which it’s essentially the sole product. It’s reasonably affordable for students and educators, and licenses are bought outright rather than through subscription. For troubleshooting, the McNeel Forums offer a responsive and knowledgeable user community.

Modules:

• The Rhino Interface
• Drafting in 2D
• Modeling in 3D
• Modeling with NURBS