OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION

• Python Documentation and Tutorials
• Rhino.Python Programmers Reference
• Community Portal for Rhino/Python

WHAT YOU NEED

• OS X: Installation Instructions
• Windows: download the latest Rhino 5

LEARNING

• Python for Rhino 101 Primer: unofficial official get-started guide
• DiveIntoPython.net: portal for learning python
• Basic Tutorials: from python.rhino3d.com
• Jose Sanchez has some great Rhino + Python tutorials on Vimeo
• PointCrowd.com: Rhino + Python educational portal by Ari Kardasis and Masoud Akbarzadeh of MIT MediaLab (lots of great sample code here)

• Class Examples: a few simple scripts I showed in class, some adopted from the above sources
• Rhinoscript > RhinoCommon < IronPython: McNeel pages on the conbination of Rhino.NET + Rhino.Common + Python with lots of great sample code here, particularly for RhinoCommon

• Find THREE freely available grasshopper definitions online; begin with the Getting Started and “Sample and Example Files” sections of grasshopper3d.com; also try googling a specific application; be prepared to make the GH definition by following a video, as not everyone shares their code!
• Familiarize yourself with each definition
• List them all in a comment to THIS POST; your comment should include definition name, link to code/video, author’s credits, and one sentence explanation of the function
• Be prepared to give a  90 second demo on each

EXAMPLE DEFINITIONS

• Here are the Grasshopper intro definitions from class.
• Here are the Additional Grasshopper example definitions including the speaker cone from my work A Tentative Call to the Other, the auto-mesh-sectioner and another panelling example.
• ExplodeBreps @ UVA: many example definitions for useful things like surface decomposition, tessellation, finger joinery, etc.

CONCEPTS

• Parameters and components
• Scalars and Vectors
• Wire display modes
• Panel and Parameter Viewer

• Conditionals and dispatch

Using this photo as a base:

I created a curve for the coral and then extruded the shape up about a quarter of an inch. Then using flow around surface, I shaped the coral extrusion around a sphere.

This is the resulting curve from the coral shard.

This is a front facing view of the extruded coral flowed around the surface of a sphere.

This is a 3/4 view of the extruded coral.

If I remade this project and reprinted it, then I would probably use things like the pipe function to make the coral look more realistic. I would also probably experiment more with different shapes while using flow around surface.

• Complete and bring to class your perfected re-fabrication of the final laser-cutter project; all students are required to rebuild one of their two projects, based on the feedback given in class last week
• Create a posting on this blog with final Rhino files for the above project, as well as images of your fabricated object; photographs must be taken on a solid color back-ground (see photo facilities in Maggy Morrison or contact our graduate assistant Luke)
• Review and master all Rhino commands from this post and this post
• Complete the assigned point-cloud->3d model; prepare two versions: 1) actual scale, 2) miniature (L + W + H < 4 inches);
• Process the miniature version of your model for 3d printing on the FDM ABS printer (create mesh, check mesh, export stl, run through Catalyst)
• Prepare a preliminary sketch of your next 3d printing project; be prepared to present your idea to the class for feedback/critique. Help us get a clear sense of your idea by preparing rough drawings in Rhino, sketches on paper, images of works of reference, accompanying text.  This project will be due on Feb. 22, 2012.

http://www.123dapp.com/catch

Terry the Woodshop Tech showed me this and I thought share it here too. Its a free program where you take multiple photos of an object, send it to some server(cloud?), and you get back a 3-d model of it for use in CAD programs. I’m really not sure how it works and haven’t tried it yet, but it doesn’t sound too hokey.

CURVE TO SURFACE

• planarsrf
• patch
• edgesrf
• loft
• revolve
• sweep1
• sweep2
• networksrf

SUFACE TO SOLID

• offsetsrf
• extrudesrf

SURFACE TO CURVE

• dupborder

SURFACE TO MESH and MESH CHECK

• mesh
• dir
• flip
• checkmesh
• showedge

Download sample rhino file: curve-to-surf-to-mesh.zip

This is a simple geometric box that I created by drawing a sphere in Rhino then changing it to a mesh with a very small number of polygons.

I created planes from the mesh and unrolled the planes to form a template. Then I added in tabs so that I could fold it up and glue it together.

Algorithmic design for laser cutting:

Other design based on an object from life:

I used my large, red scarf as the basis for this design. I really like it.