Rhino 3D

Rhinoceros (typically abbreviated Rhino or Rhino3D) is a commercial software, commercial 3D computer graphics software, 3D computer graphics and computer-aided design, computer-aided design (CAD) application software that was developed by Robert McNeel & Associates, an American, privately held, Employee stock ownership plan, and employee-owned company that was founded in 1969. Rhinoceros geometry is based on the non-uniform rational B-spline, NURBS mathematical model, which focuses on producing mathematically precise representation of curves and freeform surfaces in computer graphics (as opposed to polygon mesh-based applications).

Rhinoceros is used for computer-aided design (CAD), Computer-aided manufacturing, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), rapid prototyping, 3D printing and reverse engineering in industries including architecture, industrial design (e.g. automotive design, Shipbuilding, watercraft design), product design (e.g. jewelry design) as well as for multimedia and graphic design.

Rhinoceros is developed for the Microsoft Windows operating system and macOS. A visual scripting language add-on for Rhino, Grasshopper 3D, Grasshopper, is developed by Robert McNeel & Associates.

Overview

Characteristics

Rhinoceros is primarily a Freeform surface modelling, freeform surface modeler that utilizes the Non-uniform rational B-spline, NURBS mathematical model. Rhinoceros's application architecture and open SDK make it modular and enable the user to customize the interface and create custom commands and menus.

File formats

The Rhinoceros file format (.3DM) is useful for the exchange of NURBS geometry. The Rhino developers started the openNURBS Initiative to provide computer graphics software developers the tools to accurately transfer 3-D geometry between applications. An open-source toolkit, openNURBS includes the 3DM file format specification, documentation, C++ source code libraries and .NET 2.0 assemblies to read and write the file format on supported platforms – Windows, Windows x64, Mac, and Linux.

Compatibility

Rhinoceros offers compatibility with other software as it supports over 30 CAD file formats for importing and exporting.

The following Computer-aided design, CAD and image file formats are natively supported (without the use of external plug-ins):

* DWG/DXF (AutoCAD 200x, 14, 13, and 12)
* IGES
* ISO 10303-21, STEP
* SolidWorks SLDPRT and SLDASM
* SAT (ACIS, export only)
* Microstation, MicroStation DGN
* DirectX, Direct X (X file format)

* FBX
* X_T (Parasolid, export only)
* .3ds
* LWO
* STL (file format), STL
* SLC
* Wavefront .obj file, OBJ

* Adobe Illustrator, AI
* RIB
* POV-Ray, POV
* UDO
* VRML
* CSV (export properties and hydrostatics)
* BMP file format, BMP

* TGA
* uncompressed TIFF
* VDA
* GHS
* GTS
* KML
* PLY
* SketchUp

The following CAD file formats are supported with use of external plug-ins:

* 3DPDF
* ACIS
* CATIA, CATIA V4
* CATIA, CATIA V5

* CATIA, CATIA V6
* CGR
* Autodesk Inventor, Inventor

* JT (visualization format), JT
* Parasolid
* PLMXML

* PTC Creo, Creo Parametric
* Solid Edge
* Siemens NX

When opening CAD file formats not in its native .3dm file format, Rhinoceros will convert the geometry into its native format; when importing a CAD file, the geometry is added to the current file.

When Autodesk AutoCAD's file format changes (see .dwg, DWG file format for more information), the Open Design Alliance reverse engineers the file format to allow these files to be loaded by other vendors' software. Rhinoceros's import and export modules are actually plug-ins, so they can be easily updated via a service release. Rhinoceros Service Releases (SR) are frequent and freely downloadable. Rhinoceros 5 SR10 can import and export DWG/DXF file formats up to version 2014.

3D printing

Rhinoceros 3D relies on a few plug-ins that facilitate 3D printing and allows the export of .STL and .OBJ file formats, both of which are supported by numerous 3D printers and 3D printing services.

Scripting and programming

Rhinoceros supports two scripting languages, Rhinoscript (based on VBScript) and Python (programming language), Python (V5.0+ and Mac). It also has an SDK and a complete Plug-in (computing), plug-in system.

See also

* Comparison of computer-aided design editors
* Computer-aided industrial design

References

External links

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{{3D software

3D graphics software
Computer-aided design software
Computer-aided design software for Windows