Rhino Guided Exercise

Task: Model the following Lego piece in Rhino.

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Interface

1. Views

   • Rhino uses multiple viewports to display your model from different angles (Top, Front, Right, Perspective, etc.).
   • You can maximize a viewport by double-clicking its title or switch between views using the Viewport Tabs.

2. Layers Pane

   • Layers help organize your model by separating different parts or components.
   • Use the Layers panel to create, rename, and manage layers. Assign objects to layers to control visibility, color, and linetype.

3. Properties Pane

   • The Properties panel displays information about selected objects, such as their dimensions, material, and layer.
   • It’s also where you can adjust object attributes like color and linetype.
   • Most important for 3D printing: open/closed.

4. Selection Filters

   • Use selection filters to limit what types of objects can be selected (e.g., curves, surfaces, points).
   • Access filters via the Selection Filter toolbar or by typing Sel + the object type (e.g., SelCurve).

5. OSnaps (Object Snaps)

   • OSnaps help you accurately place points by snapping to specific locations on objects (e.g., endpoints, midpoints, centers).
   • Common OSnaps: End, Mid, Cen, Int, Perp, Near. Enable/disable them in the OSnap toolbar or status bar.

6. Commands and Command Window

   • Rhino is command-driven. Type commands in the Command Line or use toolbars/menus.
   • Press Enter or Right-Click to execute a command. Use Esc to cancel.
   • Pressing Enter, Right-Click or Space when the Command Window is empty will repeat the last command.
   • The Command History shows previous commands for reference.

7. CPlane and World Coordinates

   • The Construction Plane (CPlane) defines the active working plane for drawing and editing.
   • The World Coordinate System is the global reference for all objects. Use CPlane commands to adjust the working plane.

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Drawing 2D Shapes

1. Rectangle

   • Command: Rectangle
   • Draw rectangles by specifying corner points or using options like Center, 3Point, or Vertical.

2. Circle

   • Command: Circle
   • Draw circles by specifying the center and radius or using options like Diameter, 3Point, or Tangent.

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Moving Objects

1. With the Gumball

   • The Gumball is a interactive tool for moving, rotating, and scaling objects.
   • Click and drag the arrows to move, the circles to rotate, or the squares to scale.
   • Hold Alt while dragging to create a copy of the object.

2. With the Move Command

   • Command: Move
   • Select objects, specify a base point, and then a destination point.
   • Hold Shift to constrain movement to perpendicular directions. Use Tab to lock movement along a specific axis.

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Selecting Objects

• Left to Right Selection: Selects objects entirely within the selection window.
• Right to Left Selection: Selects objects that touch or are within the selection window.

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Making Volumes

There are many strategies to create 3D volumes: using primitives, Boolean operations, extruding, revolving, etc.

Extruding

• Command: Extrude
• Select a 2D shape (e.g., a rectangle or circle) and use the Gumball or specify a distance to extrude it into a 3D volume.

PushPull (New in Rhino 8)

• Command: PushPull
• Click and drag faces of a 3D object to modify its shape interactively.

Offset

• Command: Offset
• Create a parallel copy of a curve or surface at a specified distance.

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Boolean Operations

1. Boolean Union

   • Command: BooleanUnion
   • Combines multiple objects into a single object.

2. Boolean Difference

   • Command: BooleanDifference
   • Subtracts one object from another.

3. Boolean Intersection

   • Command: BooleanIntersection
   • Keeps only the overlapping portion of objects.

Using OSnaps

1. Build a Cylinder centered on one of the top face pins.

   • Command: Cylinder
   • Use OSnaps like Cen to place the center accurately.

2. Move the cylinder down to its position using the Move command.

   • Command: Move
   • Use OSnaps like End or Mid for precise placement.

3. Create 7 more copies with the Array command.

   • Command: Array
   • Use options like Rectangular or Polar to create copies in a pattern.

4. Use BooleanUnion and BooleanDifference to combine or subtract the resulting closed polysurfaces.

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Exercise

Build the rest of the Lego piece using a combination of the above strategies and commands.

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Other Important or Neat Commands

• Distance: Measure the distance between two points.
• Trim: Cut objects at their intersections.
• Join: Combine multiple objects into a single object.
• Fillet: Create rounded edges between curves or surfaces.
• Chamfer: Create beveled edges between curves or surfaces.
• FlowAlongSrf: Deform an object to follow a surface.
• Sweep: Create a surface by sweeping a profile along a path.
• Loft: Create a surface by blending between multiple curves.
• Zoom Selected All Viewports: Zoom to the selected object in all viewports.