Rhinoceros 3D
 | |
| Developer(s) | Robert McNeel & Associates (TLM, Inc.) |
|---|---|
| Stable release | Rhino 8.1
/ November 21, 2023[1] |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows,macOS |
| Available in | Multilingual |
| Type | 3D computer graphics,Computer-aided design |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | rhino3d mcneel |
Rhinoceros(typically abbreviatedRhinoorRhino3D) is acommercial3D computer graphicsandcomputer-aided design (CAD)application software that was developed by TLM, Inc, dba Robert McNeel & Associates, an American, privately held,and employee-owned companythat was founded in 1978. Rhinoceros geometry is based on theNURBSmathematical model, which focuses on producing mathematically precise representation of curves andfreeform surfacesincomputer graphics(as opposed topolygon mesh-based applications).
Rhinoceros is used for computer-aided design (CAD),computer-aided manufacturing (CAM),rapid prototyping,3D printingandreverse engineeringin industries includingarchitecture,industrial design(e.g.automotive design,watercraft design),product design(e.g.jewelry design) as well as formultimediaandgraphic design.[2]
Rhinoceros is developed for theMicrosoft Windowsoperating system andmacOS.A visualscripting languageadd-on for Rhino,Grasshopper,is developed by Robert McNeel & Associates.
Overview[edit]
Characteristics[edit]
Rhinoceros is primarily afreeform surface modelerthat utilizes theNURBSmathematical 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.
Since version 7, Rhinoceros has improved real-time rendering capabilities for improved lighting and shading.
File formats[edit]
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.[3]
Compatibility[edit]
 | This section mayrequirecleanupto meet Wikipedia'squality standards.The specific problem is:The list is unordered; please put them under categories.(December 2022) |
Rhinoceros offers compatibility with other software as it supports over 30 CAD file formats for importing and exporting.[4]
The followingCADandimage file formatsare natively supported (without the use of external plug-ins):
- DWG/DXF(AutoCAD 200x, 14, 13, and 12)
- IGES
- STEP
- SolidWorksSLDPRTandSLDASM
- SAT (ACIS, export only)
- MicroStation DGN
- Direct X (X file format)
The following CAD file formats are supported with use of external plug-ins:[5]
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 AutodeskAutoCAD's file format changes (seeDWG file formatfor more information), theOpen Design Alliancereverse 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.
Scripting and programming[edit]
Rhinoceros supports twoscripting languages,Rhinoscript (based onVBScript) andPython(V5.0+ and Mac). It also has an SDK and a completeplug-insystem.
See also[edit]
- Comparison of computer-aided design editors
- Computer-aided industrial design
- V-Ray-3Drendering enginefor Rhino 3D
- List of BIM software
- List of 3D modeling software
References[edit]
- ^"Download Rhino 8 for Windows".Robert McNeel & Associates.
- ^"Rhino 3D 6 for Windows and Mac".NOVEDGE.RetrievedMay 21,2020.
- ^"The file format on supported platforms".Retrieved2022-05-20.
- ^"Index of import/export file types".Rhinoceros Help.RetrievedMay 21,2020.
- ^Thuilier, Félix."Rhino plug-ins to convert, import and export files".RetrievedMay 21,2020.
