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How to learn Rhino?

RossM

I just got Rhino today and I was wondering if anyone who knows Rhino really well if they could advise me on the best way to learn the program...any books or tutorials out there that you've used or would recomend?!

Thanks a lot!

 
Jun 23, 07 6:12 am
FOG Lite

The best way is always to jump in with a project.

It should come with a couple tutorials that will answer your basic questions. McNeel also has an awsome support section on their website and they have a series of quick video podcasts on all the features in Rhino V4. There's also a links section on their website that will point you to good tutorials and resources.


Off Broadway also has plenty of tutorials. Also check Aversis for some quick tutorials.

Most of the stuff online is geared more toward product design than modeling buildings so there's still plenty you'll have to figure out for yourself.

Jun 23, 07 9:06 am  · 
 · 
bowling_ball

Also, if you know autocad, you'll find that rhino is very similar in the way it works. I learned rhino first (albeit not amazingly well) and now that i'm learning autocad, I'm finding it really quite easy.

Jun 23, 07 9:25 am  · 
 · 
Apurimac

This is the key as far as I understand it:

Loft: Make curve sections, hit loft, get cool blobby thing
Sweep: Make curve sections, connect with rail(s), hit sweep, make cool blobby thing.

Jun 23, 07 11:12 am  · 
 · 
harold

Is everyone here into blobs thus the reason why Rhino is extensively used or do you use it also for mainstream residential work?

Jun 23, 07 12:24 pm  · 
 · 
RossM

Thanks guys...Im interested in scripting so will have much to learn...and please stop using the word blob!

Jun 23, 07 8:59 pm  · 
 · 
superduct

blob bliblob blob blob...jk.

a basic premise of most modern 3d modelling, regardless of the pogram being used, is the cutting technique. you start with a surface and create another surface perpendicular to it and then apply a command that tells the program to cut [or split in rhino terms] and it does just that. this command can be used with custom shapes too. boolean commands have a similar effect, but they go a few steps further and create an actual reaction between two shapes/surfaces [i.e. booleandifference finds the connecting edges of two objects and removes a portion of the objects automatically].

other rhino basics are as follows:

right click, hold, and drag = viewport rotation
shift + right click, hold, and drag = viewport pan
control + right click, hold, and drag = zoom [more controlled than center scroll]

use osnaps, rhino has some of the best in the biz.

split will become a close friend of yours, try it out. the object that is doing the splitting [cutting] cannot have any open edges inside of the surface being split, meaning that u cant cut into a plane [or other surface] only half way like you can with a scissor. it must be all or none.

extrude works with surfaces or lines to, ehhhh, extrude.

double click on the title of any viewport [front, perspective, etc.] to maximize that particular viewport. double click it again to go back to viewing all 4 viewports.

learn the shortcuts and try to avoid using the icons from the get-go...once you rely on the icons, your workflow gets killed searching for another icon every 5 seconds. when trying to figure out a command, enter the first few letters of it and wait about 2 seconds. rhino gives u a comprehensive list of all the commands that start with those letters.

polyl = polyline
li = line
boo = boolean difference
extru = extrude
spl = split
rec = rectangle [hit 3 before drawing to use 3 point rectangle...another unique feature of rhino]
o = ortho on / off
s = grid snap on / off
j = join
m = move
extends = extend surface [extends an edge of a surface]

and that should get you started...

Jun 23, 07 10:45 pm  · 
 · 
Antisthenes
www.Rhino3d.tv

is great

Rhinoceros Visual Tips would be the best newest multicultural material and available online as well.
it covers about everything in v4 and the rest is very situational to your unique project
http://www.la.rhino3d.com/visual_tips/visual_tips.html

one thing i find very powerful is that i can use Rhinoceros as/in ways that i would otherwise have to use indesign, illustrator, max, autocad and or any other cad 3d animation or page layout program and with more ease. (not in all aspects but most but those are on the wish list and comming)

most important is the news://news.rhino3d.com/rhino newsgroups because most questions have been asked and can be searched and any new one asked and well answered by the workers who aslo own the company and other devoted altruistic users

then again i have been using this program since pre-beta 1 and maybe it is just second nature to me but i always learn new things almost each day.

Jun 24, 07 1:58 am  · 
 · 
difficultfix

When you purchase Rhino..it come with complete Leve1 and 2 Manuals..Which is the same manuals they use at the Mcneel training..Which comes with a full of tutorials...Its a good way to start...

Jun 24, 07 3:47 pm  · 
 · 
Antisthenes

the Help is most comprehensive as well.

Jun 25, 07 2:57 am  · 
 · 
garpike

FOG Lite said it best. Jusmp nto a project.

Bolb blob blob.

Jun 25, 07 3:11 am  · 
 · 
garpike
jump into

(about to throw this laptop out the window)

Jun 25, 07 3:12 am  · 
 · 
MADianito

jump into (a project), and if u already knew/know autocad then is freakin' easy

Jun 25, 07 2:48 pm  · 
 · 
Jonas77

easier

Jun 25, 07 3:56 pm  · 
 · 
PetePeterson

do the tutorials like they said... it will teach you what you need to know. They start out at a 7 yr old level but pick up real quick...

I also find high energy music to help me a lot while modeling in Rhino. Like getting into a nice rhythm while trimming something for example. Let me know if I'm alone on this one.

Jun 25, 07 6:37 pm  · 
 · 
PetePeterson

i also have a friend who claims he's naming his first born Boolean

Jun 25, 07 6:38 pm  · 
 · 

A friend of mine's Rhino joke (not mine, I wish I'd thought of this):

'Join the Boolean Union!'

And he made a poster with a photoshopped screengrab of the tooltips. Genius.

Jun 26, 07 12:30 am  · 
 · 
garpike

I can't tell if I am with that. Without that. Or possibly sharing the same space as that.

Jun 26, 07 12:39 am  · 
 · 
scralk

on the same topic, what's the best guidebook for 3ds max 9?

Jun 26, 07 11:48 am  · 
 · 
PetePeterson

oh you don't need that for max... it's probably the easiest interface ever to work with... not confusing at all

Jun 26, 07 11:52 am  · 
 · 
difficultfix

I was told that if your are a student in an acreddited school, your are welcome to go to the mcneel training for free........But only if they have serating space leftover......doesnt hurt to look into that

Jun 26, 07 11:56 am  · 
 · 
difficultfix

serating......sorry have no idea what that means or what i was trying to wirte.....

Jun 26, 07 11:57 am  · 
 · 
Jonas77

boolean union LOL

i wonder if it is better than the IWW. International Workers of the World the anarchist union that we have to thank for suffrage of children, women and most all of the workers rights we enjoy today.

max and maya revit autocad studiotools flint flame inferno (the faltering autodesk monopoly)? i think it takes way more training, part of the business model, to use those tools and they don't have near the modeling or creation tools that Rhinoceros does where Rhino is almost self explanatory

Archcut the a rhinoceros architecure plugin was released a new version today


A new release of the ArchCut plug-in for Rhino 4 SR0 is now available from:
http://download.mcneel.com/download_rel.asp?rel=268

Updated documentation is available from:
http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/default.aspx/McNeel/ArchCut.html
Jun 26, 07 2:13 pm  · 
 · 
eiStudio

Check out these nyc-based workshops:

http://eistudio.net/WORKSHOPS.html

There are basic and advanced workshops coming up!

Apr 19, 17 7:02 pm  · 
 · 
isgordon1

updated link to the workshops 

http://www.eistudio.net/WORKSHOPS.html

Jan 3, 19 9:36 pm  · 
 · 

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