In this tutorial we are going to take the model we just built and look at options for producing a documentation set. In particular we will look at producingthe following orthographic drawings: elevations, sections, and
axonometrics. We will also look at setting up perspective views and creating hybrid vector-render images.
Elevations
First up we’ll have a look at the easiest thing to produce - elevations. In Rhino, the “Make2D“ command makes it very easy to produce hidden line drawings.
1. Make the Front Viewport active by clicking inside it and entering the “Make2D” command. Select all the objects you would like to produce line drawings for - in this case, select everything. Select the options as indicated.
You will notice that it will produce the drawing on the construciton plane, at the origin, in the top viewport.
2. Redo the following for the top, left, back, and right and lay them out.
Sections
Plans and sections are effectively made the same way, so we will just make one of them - a section. We need two types of linework here: (1) the actual section line, and (2) the linework that would be in the background of a plan or section drawing. In contrast to the make2d, this is a destructive process so we will need to make a copy of our model before cutting plans or sections.
3. Copy the entire model to the right.
4. In top view, draw a line where you want to cut your section.
5. Make a new, active, layer called Z_Section_A.
6. Enter “Section“ and select the entire model to section with the illustrated options.
34 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
The Cut Plane command simply makes a plane,
perpendicular to the construction plane, that is just large enough to pass through your model.
Tutorial 2b: Documentation
This is the section done, next we have to trim the model back to the section line and make the remaing lines 2D.
7. Enter “CutPlane“ command and drag a selection box over the copied model. Next, select the beginning and end of the line as the Start and End of the Cut Plane.
We will use the Cut Plane to trim our model.
8. Enter “Trim“ and select the Cut Plane as the cutting object. Next rotate the view around so you can easily select the side of the model you want to trim.
9. Delete any objects (on the trimmed side) that do not pass through the trim line.
10. Now we can also delete the Cut Plane.
11. Move the sectioned lines out of the way, by
selecting them with through the layer palette. (RMB click on the layer and choose: Select Objects) 12. Back in the Front Viewport we can select our
trimmed model and Make2D on it.
13. Overlay both the make2d lines (on the Make2D visible layer) and the section lines.
These two sets of lines make up our section. You may add annotations and dimension as needed. Soon we will export them at scale to Illustrator for layout.
Exploded Axonometric
Lastly we will make an exploded axonomertic with the Make2D command and combine it with a rendering.
14. Select the original model and copy it to a new position.
15. Again using the Select by Layer (RMB click on the layer you want to select), break the pavillion apart to communicate its salient features.
At this point, it will be useful to setup and save a view that we can come back to.
Tutorial 2b: Documentation
Remember, a useful way to draw vertical lines in the perspective viewport is using Elevator Mode. You can activate Elevator Mode by Ctrl+LMB clicking on the point from which you would like to draw perpendicular to the construction plane.
If you do move the view, it is easy to get back to it by RMB clicking on the viewport title and choosing set view. Your saved view will be in the list.
You must be in the Top Viewport to export to Illustrator at scale.
It is important that your drawings be “close“ to the origin.
If they are too far away from 0,0,0 they will not be visible in Illustrator.
16. RMB-click on the Perspective Viewport title and choose “Viewport Options“. Change from Perspetive view to Parallel.
17. Rotate the new view around to set up a view with which you are happy.
Saved Views
18. RMB-click again on the viewport title again and choose Set View > Named View.
19. Save it with a name - in this case: AXON 20. At this point, you might draw a few lines over
the exploded model to indicate the directions the planes have been moved.
21. Make2D on the axonometric viewport. Remember to move the new linework away from the origin before making any more 2D drawings.
22. Lastly, without moving the camer, “Render“ the same view.
Export to Illustrator
Now we can export our 2D documentation to Illustrator.
23. In the top viewport enter “Export“ and select all of your 2D drawings.
24. Choose “Adobe Illustrator .ai” from the Save As Type dropdown menu.
25. Choose the appropriate scale in the options dialogue. For example, if you want to export at 1:200, you must enter 200mm = 1mm.
Open the drawing in Illustrator. Here you can adjust your layout, change your linewights and colours, and add annotations. Here you will also “Place“ your rendered image behind your linework to create the hybird image.
36 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Tutorial 2b: Documentation
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
File
Mesh Dimension Transform Tools Analyze Render Monkey Help
Edit View Curve Surface Solid
38 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
File
The File pull-down menu contains those commands that are common to many programs.
Shortcuts New Ctrl+N Open Ctrl+O Save Ctrl+S Print Ctrl+P
Save early, save often and save incrementally.
Don’t copy / paste between files. Instead use File > Export Select and Import.
Worksession Manager works well to break large files up into smaller pieces for work among teams. For example, one person could be working on plans, while another works on the site.
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
Edit Select Objects Control Points ... > Select Objects Visibility
Groups Blocks Layers
A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D E
E F
F
The edit menu and its sub-menus are very useful, though largely accessed through keyboard shortcuts.
Most of the Select Objects commands can be accessed by the command: sel... For example, to select all of the visible, unlocked curves, type “SelCrv”
Use Select > Duplicate Objects to clean up your files, especially before sending files for laser-cutting.
It is much easier to access the layer commands through the layer editor than the pull-down menu.
40 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
Zoom Set View Set CPlane Set Camera
Capture Background Bitmap Active Viewport Page Layout
Viewport Layout View
A A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E F
F G
G H
H J
J
Within the view commands, the Construction Planes (Set CPlane) and CPlane View are necessary for difficult modeling tasks, for example, in extracting true elevations of cranked elements.
Use the Background Bitmap command to place an image as modeling reference.
Shortcuts
Orbit RMB
Pan RMB+Shift
Zoom RMB+Ctrl (or Scroll-wheel) Zoom Extents All ZEA Enter
Zoom Selected ZS Enter
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
Curve Point Object
Point Object
Circle
Curve From Objects Curve Edit Tools Point Cloud
Arc
Line
Ellipse
Polyline
Parabola
Rectangle
Hyperbola
Polygon
Extend Curve
Freeform
Convert
A A
B B
C
C
D
D
E
E
F
F
G
G
H
H J
J K
K L
L N
N
P
P
Q
Q R
R M
M
42 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
Surface Plane Extrude Curve Variable Fillet Surface Edit Tools
Edge Tools
A A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E E
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
Solid
Solid Edit Tools
... > Edges ... > Faces ... > Holes Sphere
Box Ellipsoid Paraboloid
Extrude Curve Extrude Surface Extrude to Boundary Fillet Edge A
AB B
C
C
D
D
E E
F
F
G
G
H
H
J J
44 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
Mesh Poly Mesh Primitives Mesh Repair Tools
... > Collapse .... > Extract
Mesh Edit Tools Mesh Boolean A
A
B1
B1
B2
B2 B
B C
C
D
D
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
A
BC
D Dimension
Transform Scale Orient Array Cage Editing
46 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
A A
B B
C
C
D
D
E
E F
F G
G
Tools Object Snap 3-D Digitizer Commands RhinoScript
License Manager File Utilities Hyperlink
... > On Object
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
A A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E
Analyze Curve Surface Mass Properties Edge Tools Diagnostics
48 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 1: Rhino Menus
A A A
A
B
B
C
C
Render Current Renderer
Monkey
Help Learn Rhino Help on the Web Plug-ins
Appendix 2: Rhino Toolbars
Curves
Curve Editing Points Point Editing Main
Standard
50 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 2: Rhino Toolbars
Surfaces Surface Editing
Solids
Solid Editing
Meshes Mesh Editing
Appendix 2: Rhino Toolbars
Dimensions
Organisation Transformations
Representation
Analysis
Repair
Snaps
52 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 2: Rhino Toolbars
Construction Plane
Selection
Miscellanies
Object Properties
Walkthrough
Appendix 3: Rhino Commands
54 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 3: Rhino Commands
ExportOptions
Appendix 3: Rhino Commands
56 Architectual Modeling with Rhino
Appendix 3: Rhino Commands
SetZoomExtentsBorder