®

Rhinoceros
User's Guidefor Mac© Robert McNeel & Associates, 01/17/2023.

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 - Introduction
The Rhino interface
Rhino commands
Using templates
Start from the menu
Start from a toolbar icon
Start from the command line
Undo a mistake
Command history
Command options
Repeat the last command
Cancel a command
Get help any time
2 - Rhino Objects
Why NURBS modeling
PointsCurves
Surfaces
Closed and open surfaces
Trimmed and untrimmed surfaces
Surface isoparametric and edge curves
Curve and surface degree
Control points
Control point visibility
Change control point locations
Add, delete, or redistribute control points
Polysurfaces
SolidsLight-weight extrusion objects
Polygon mesh objects
3 - Selecting Objects
Select and deselect objects
Choose Objects menu
Select objects with windows
Other ways of selecting objects

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Sub-object selection
4 - Navigating Viewports
Viewport title
Viewport projection
Parallel
Perspective
Two Point Perspective
Viewport navigation
Mouse navigation
Key and mouse combinations
Viewport display modes
Wireframe
ShadedRendered
Raytraced
Other shaded modes
5 - Accurate Modeling
The Rhino cursor
Grid snap
Ortho mode
Object snaps
Persistent object snaps
One-time object snaps
Object snaps using references
Constrain cursor movement
Ortho
Distance constraint
Angle constraint
Distance and angle together
SmartTrack™
Coordinate systems
Right-hand rule
Construction plane coordinates
Relative coordinates
World coordinates
Elevator mode
6 - Create Surfaces from Curves
Surface from edge curves

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Extrude curves
Loft curves
Revolve curves
Revolve curves with a rail
Sweep along one rail curve
Sweep along two rail curves
7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces
Join
ExplodeTrimming and Splitting
Trim
Split
Untrim
8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale
Move
Move objects by dragging
Move objects using elevator mode
Copy objects
RotateScale
Mirror
9 - Organization - Layers, Groups, and Blocks
LayersPopup layer list
Layers panel
GroupsBlocks
10 - Annotation: Dimensions and Text
Dimensions
Annotation Text
Leaders
Dots
Hatching
Hidden line removal
Notes
11 - Curve and Surface Analysis
Measure distance, angle, and radius
Direction

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Visual surface analysis
Curvature analysis
Environment map
Zebra
Draft angle analysis
Edge evaluation
Diagnostics
12 - RenderLightsMaterials
Environment
Ground Plane
Render Preview
13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy
Enter coordinates
Draw the pull toy body
Draw the axles and wheel hubs
Draw the lug nuts
Array the lug nuts
Draw the tires
Mirror the wheels
Draw the eyes
Make the pull cord
14 - Tutorial: Revolve Curves - Flashlight
Set up the guides
Draw the body profile curve
Draw the lens profile curve
Build body and lens surfaces
Use History
15 - Tutorial: Sweep, Loft, and Extrude - Headphones
Create the speaker shell
Sub-object selection
Create the padding and coverCreate the mounting bracket
Create the headband
Round the headband ends
Create the speaker wire
Mirror the headphone parts

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Learn more
16 - Tutorial: Loft and Sweep - Boat
Lay out the hull curves
Check the curves for fairness
Fix the curvature
Improve the curve further
Create the 3-D curves
Revise the curves
Loft the hull surfaces
Create the other side of the hull
Build the transom
Add the deck
Compromise between concept and reality
17 - Tutorial: Point Editing and Blending - Penguin
The body
The eyes
The beak
The feet
The tail
The wings
Finishing touches
Add a light and materials
18 - Tutorial: Trace Images - Dragonfly
Place the reference images
Trace the chest and bodyCreate the body segments
Create the tailCreate the chest
Create the head
Add the neck
Create the eyes
Trace the wings
Create the legs
19 - Tutorial: Flow Along a Surface - Wrap Text
Create the planar reference plane
Create text objects to wrap
20 - Tutorial: Blocks - Mechanical Part
Create solid shapes

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Drill the holes
Copy the holes
Make a 2-D drawing
Dimension the 2-D drawing
21 - Tutorial: Layouts - Title Block
Layout viewports
Insert a title block

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1 - Introduction
Modeling in 3-D is the process of creating a mathematical representation of an object's
surfaces. The resulting model is displayed on your screen as a two-dimensional image.
Rhino provides tools for creating, displaying, and manipulating these surfaces.

The Rhino interface
The image below illustrates some of the major features of the Rhino window.

Menu (1)The menus group Rhino commands by function.
History window (2)The command history window displays the previous commands and prompts.
Command box (3)The command box displays a typed command. Once the command is accepted, theprompts, options and a Value box appear in this space.

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Toolbars (4)Toolbars contain graphical icons for initiating commands. Many toolbar icons have asecond command that you can access by right-clicking the icon. The tooltip that appears
when you hover over the icon tells you what the left and right mouse button do.
To access the command on the first line
Click the icon with the left mouse button.
To access the command on the second line
Click the icon with the right mouse button.
Note: If you are using a one-button mouse or a track pad, to access the second command,
hold the Option key and click the icon.
Viewports (5)Viewports display the Rhino working environment.
Sidebar (6)The right sidebar contains layers, properties, and other settings.
The left sidebar contains the toolbar and the object snap list.
Status bar (7)The status bar is located at the bottom of the Rhino window. It displays the current
coordinate system, the cursor location and system unit.
Top panel (8)The top panel has quick access to layers, object properties and toggles of modeling aids.

Rhino commands
Rhino is a command-driven program. In other words, all actions are activated by named
commands such as Line, Box, or CurvatureAnalysis.
Tip: To learn more about a command, use the Command Help panel.
Commands are accessed through the menus, or the toolbars, or by typing the command
name. In the next sections, you will explore using these methods. You may find one
method easier than another. The choice is yours, and there is no preference for one
method over another.
In the exercises, you will use Rhino’s commands, navigation tools, shaded modes, render,and use some basic object manipulation.
Tip: To cancel a command any time, press the Esc key.

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In this session you will:
Start a command by choosing from the menu.
l Start a command by choosing from a toolbar icon.
l Start a command by typing.
l

To start your first Rhino model
1. Start Rhino.
2. On the File menu, click New Using Template.
3. Double-click Small Objects - Centimeters.3dm in the Standard templates.

Using templates
A template is a file that serves as a starting point for a new Rhino model. When starting a
new model, Rhino provides default templates that set units appropriate for the model size,
provide a few layers, and display a standard four-viewport layout.
Custom templates can include any kind of document information such as units, viewportlayouts, layers, and even geometry. If you find yourself creating similar models over andover, set up and save a model as a template (see the SaveAsTemplate command in theHelp). That way you will not have to spend time formatting your models each time you
make a new one. You can start a new model from your own template, and start from there.

Start from the menu
Most Rhino commands are located in the menus.
Start the Cone commandOn the Solid menu, click Cone.
Use the CommandHelp command to display the Command Help panel before
starting the Cone command.
Draw the cone
1. At the Base of cone… prompt, in the Top viewport, click the left mouse button topick the center point for the base of the cone.

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2. At the Radius… prompt, in the Top viewport, drag the mouse, and click to draw thecone’s base.

3. At the End of cone prompt, in the Front viewport, drag the mouse up and down.
Watch what happens in the Perspective viewport.

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4. Click to place the end of the cone.

Start from a toolbar icon
Toolbars provide a graphic interface to the commands.
To display a button tooltip, hover your mouse over the icon
The command names that are activated with the left and right mouse click or with
the Option key + mouse click appear.

Start the Curve commandOn the toolbar docked on the left side of the Rhino window, click the icon forControl point curve.
Find help for the Curve command in the Command Help panel.
Draw the curve
1. At the Start of curve… prompt, in the Top viewport, click the mouse to start the
curve.

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2. At the Next point... prompts, in the Top viewport, click a few more points.

3. At the Next point... prompts, move the mouse into the Front viewport and click a
few more points.

4. At the Next point... prompts, move the mouse into the Right viewport and click a
few more points.

5. Right-click, press Enter, or press the Spacebar to complete the curve.

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6. Look at the curve in the Perspective viewport.

Admire your work
In the Perspective view, drag with the right mouse button to rotate the view.

Start from the command line
You can start a command by typing the command name.
Start the Sphere command by typing
1. With the command prompt clear (if there is text at the command prompt, press theEsc key), just start typing Sphere.
When you type the first letter of a command, a list of possible commands appears.
2. When the command name Sphere appears, press Enter, or choose Sphere fromthe list.
Find help for the Curve command in the Command Help panel.
Draw the sphere
The default option for the Sphere command is Center, Radius, so you can simply
start drawing the center of the sphere.

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2. At the Center of sphere… prompt, in the Perspective viewport, click the mouseanywhere in the viewport to pick the center point for the sphere.

3. At the Radius… prompt, in the Perspective viewport, move the mouse away fromthe center point, and click to draw the sphere.

4. In the Perspective viewport, right-click the viewport title, and on the menu, click
Shaded.
You can also use the View menu to set the viewport to Shaded mode.
Shaded mode lets you see surfaces as opaque objects rather than wires.

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For more information on display modes
1. On the Rhinoceros menu, click Preferences.
2. In the Rhino Preferences dialog box, click Display Modes.
3. In the Display Modes dialog box, click the

button at the upper-right corner.

Undo a mistake
If you did something you did not want to do, you can undo your actions.
Undo a commandOn the Edit menu, click Undo.
Or press the Command ⌘ and Z keys.
You can undo a series of commands, or Redo the Undo if you go too far.

Redo commands
On the Edit menu, click Redo.
Or press the Shift, Command ⌘ , and Z keys.

Command history
You can display command history in the Command History panel in the right sidebar, or
click the command history icon in the lower left corner of the screen to display
temporarily.

Command options
Command options change how a command acts. For example, when you draw a circle, thecircle is normally drawn on the active construction plane. The Circle command has several
options including Vertical and AroundCurve.

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To choose a command option
1. Start typing Circle.
As soon as you have typed enough letters to identify the command, the Circle
command automatically completes at the prompt.
2. Press Enter.
The options for the Circle command appear:
Center of circle
Deformable
Vertical2 Point
3 Point
Tangent
Around Curve
Fit Points
3. Click Vertical, or type V to draw a circle vertical to the active construction plane.

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Repeat the last command
Many tasks in Rhino are repetitive. You might want to move or copy several objects, forexample. Methods for repeating commands are provided.
To repeat the last command
These all perform the same function:
Press the Enter key when no command is active.
Press the Spacebar.
Click the right mouse button in a viewport and select a command to repeat.
Note: Some commands, such as Undo and Delete do not repeat. Instead, thecommand prior to these commands is repeated. This prevents you from accidentally
undoing too many commands or deleting objects accidentally.
Also, you often want to repeat the command you were using before undoing a mistake.
To suit your own way of working, you can define the list of commands that do notrepeat in Rhinoceros > Preferences > General > Never repeat these commands.

Cancel a command
Whenever you run the wrong command or do something wrong in the commandprocedure, you can cancel the command several ways.
To cancel the current command
When a command is running:
Press the Esc key.
The command line is cleared and returns to the Command prompt.
Click a toolbar button or click a command on a menu.
The current command is canceled immediately and the chosen command runs.

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Get help any time
The Rhino Help file is the major resource for detailed information on specific commands.
To get help on a specific commandOn the Help menu, click Command Help.
Or, click theicon in the right sidebar.
The Command Help panel displays the Help topic for the current command.
Find the answers to frequently asked questions at: Rhino Support.

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2 - Rhino Objects
The fundamental geometric objects in Rhino are points, curves, surfaces, polysurfaces,
solids, light-weight extrusion objects, and polygon mesh objects.
This chapter goes into some detail to explain the mathematical basis for Rhino modeling. It
is not necessary to understand everything in this chapter to start using Rhino.

Why NURBS modeling
NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines) are mathematical representations that canaccurately model any shape from a simple 2-D line, circle, arc, or box to the most complex
3-D free-form organic surface or solid. Because of their flexibility and accuracy, NURBS
models can be used in any process from illustration and animation to manufacturing.
NURBS geometry is an industry standard for designers who work in 3-D where forms arefree and flowing; where both form and function is important. Rhino is used in marine,
aerospace, and automobile interior and exterior design. Makers of household and officeappliances, furniture, medical and sports equipment, footwear, and jewelry use Rhino tocreate free-form shapes.
NURBS modeling is also widely used by professional animators and graphic artists. The
advantage of using NURBS over using polygon modelers is that NURBS surfaces have no
facets. The models can be rendered at any resolution. A mesh can be created from themodel at any resolution.

See also
For more information about the mathematics of NURBS, see What are NURBS? at
http://www.rhino3d.com/nurbs/
For perhaps more than you want to know, see the Wikipedia article, Non-uniform Rational
B-Spline at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline.

PointsPoint objects mark a single point in 3-D space. They are the simplest objects in Rhino.
Points can be placed anywhere in space. Points are most often used as placeholders.

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CurvesA Rhino curve is similar to a piece of wire. It can be straight or wiggled, and can be open or
closed. A polycurve has several curve segments joined together end to end.
Rhino provides many tools for drawing curves. You can draw straight lines, polylines thatconsist of connected line segments, arcs, circles, polygons, ellipses, helices, and spirals.
You can also draw curves using curve control points and draw curves that pass throughselected points.

Curves in Rhino include lines, arcs, circles, free-form curves, and combinations of these.
Curves can be open or closed, planar, or non-planar.

Surfaces
A surface is like a rectangular stretchy rubber sheet. The NURBS form can represent simple
shapes, such as planes and cylinders, as well as free-form, sculptured surfaces.
All surface creation commands in Rhino result in the same object: a NURBS surface. Rhino
has many tools for constructing surfaces directly or from existing curves.

All NURBS surfaces have an inherently rectangular organization.
Even a closed surface such as a cylinder is like a rectangular piece of paper that has beenrolled up so two opposite edges are touching. The place where the edges come together iscalled the seam.

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Closed and open surfaces
A surface can be open or closed. An open cylinder is closed in one direction.
A torus (donut shape) is closed in two directions.

Trimmed and untrimmed surfaces
Surfaces can be trimmed or untrimmed. A trimmed surface has two parts: a surface that
underlies everything and defines the geometric shape, and trimming curves that marksections of the underlying surface that are trimmed away.
Trimmed surfaces are created with commands that trim or split surfaces with curves andother surfaces. Some commands create trimmed surfaces directly.

The shape of a surface is still defined by a set of control points arranged in a rectangularpattern.

Since it can be important for you to know if a surface is trimmed, the Properties commandlists the trimmed or untrimmed state of the surface. Some Rhino commands work onlywith untrimmed surfaces and some software does not import trimmed NURBS surfaces.

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Trimming curves lie on the underlying surface. This surface may be larger than thetrimming curves, but you will not see the underlying surface because Rhino does not draw
the part of the surface that is outside the trimming curves. Every trimmed surface retains
information about its underlying surface geometry. You can remove the trimming curveboundaries to make the surface untrimmed with the Untrim command.

If you have a trimming curve that runs across a surface, the trimming curve itself does nothave any real relationship to the control point structure of the surface. You can see this if
you select such a trimmed surface and turn its control points on. You will see the control
points for the whole underlying surface.

If you create a surface from a planar curve, it can be a trimmed surface. The illustrated
surface was created from a circle. The control points display shows the rectangularstructure of the surface.

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The Untrim command removes the trimming curve from the surface to get back to theunderlying untrimmed rectangular surface.

Surface isoparametric and edge curves
In wireframe view, surfaces look like a set of crossing curves. These curves are called
isoparametric curves or isocurves. These curves help you visualize the shape of the surface.
Isoparametric curves do not define the surface; they are merely a visual aid that allows you
to see the surface on the screen. When a surface is selected, all of its isoparametric curves
highlight.
Edge curves bound the surface. Surface edge curves can be used as input to othercommands.

Isocurves (1), Edge curves (2).

Curve and surface degree
A NURBS curve is defined by four things: degree, control points, knots, and an evaluation
rule.
NURBS functions are rational polynomials and the degree of the NURBS is the degree ofthe polynomial.
A polynomial is a function like y = 3x3 –2x +1. The "degree" of the polynomial is the largest
power of the variable. For example, the degree of 3x3 –2x + 1 is 3; the degree of –x5 + x2 is5, and so on.

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From a NURBS modeling point of view, the (degree –1) is the maximum number of"bends" you can get in each span. This determines how much you can affect the shape ofthe curve.
For example:lll

A degree-1 curve must have at least two control points.
A line has degree 1. It has zero bends.

A degree-2 curve must have at least three control points.
A parabola, hyperbola, arc, and circle (conic section curves) have degree 2. They haveone bend.

A degree-3 curve must have at least four control points.
A cubic Bézier has degree 3. If you arrange its control points in a zig-zag shape, you
can get two bends.

For more information about curve geometry, see the Wikipedia article, Gallery of Curves athttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallery_of_curves.

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Control points
Control points influence the shape of a curve or surface. The control point holds suchinformation as location, direction, and weight. You can make subtle changes in the shapeof a curve or surface by moving the location of its control points. Rhino offers many tools
for editing control points. Some of the later tutorials show control point manipulation.

Control point visibility
To edit curves and surfaces by manipulating control points, use the PointsOn (F10)command to turn the control points on.
When you are finished with control-point editing, use the PointsOff (F11) command orpress Esc to turn them off.
Control points of polysurfaces cannot be turned on for editing with PointsOn. Editing thecontrol points of polysurfaces could separate the edges of the joined surfaces creating“leaks” in the polysurface. A special SolidPtOn command turns on grip points forpolysurfaces, which act like control points.

Change control point locations
When you move control points, the curve or surface changes, and Rhino smoothly redraws
it. Rhino’s transform commands, such as Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale, can manipulate
individual or multiple points.

Add, delete, or redistribute control points
Adding control points to a curve gives you more control over the shape of the curve.
Commands such as InsertControlPoint, InsertEditPoint, and InsertKink add control
points to curves.
Manipulating control points also lets you remove kinks, make curves uniform, and add or
subtract detail.
Some commands such as Rebuild, Fair, ChangeDegree, and Smooth offer some
automated solutions for redistributing control points over a curve or surface.
Other commands, such as control point dragging and nudging, MoveUVN, and HBar let
you manually control the location of individual or groups of control points.

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The Delete key removes selected curve control points. This changes the shape of thecurve.

Polysurfaces
A polysurface consists of two or more surfaces that are joined together. A polysurface that
encloses a volume of space defines a solid.

SolidsA solid is a surface or polysurface that encloses a volume. Solids are created anytime asurface or polysurface is completely closed. Rhino creates single-surface solids,
polysurface solids, extrusion solids and mesh solids.
A single surface can wrap around and join itself. Example commands include Sphere,
Torus, and Ellipsoid. Control points can be displayed on single-surface solids and moved
to change the surface.

Some Rhino commands create polysurface solids. Pyramid, Cone, and TruncatedCone
are examples of commands that create polysurface solids.

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The SolidPtOn command turns on grip points for polysurfaces, which act like control
points.

Light-weight extrusion objects
Light-weight extrusion objects use only a profile curve and a length as input instead of the
network of isocurves normally needed for NURBS objects. The Box, Cylinder, Tube, andExtrudeCrv commands create extrusion objects. Extrusion objects can be closed with aplanar cap or open. These objects will be converted to polysurfaces by some commands ifnecessary to add more information for editing.

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Polygon mesh objects
Because there are many modelers that use polygon meshes to represent geometry for
rendering, animation, stereolithography, visualization, and finite element analysis, theMesh command translates NURBS geometry into polygon meshes for export. Also, theMesh creation commands MeshSphere, MeshBox, MeshCylinder, etc., draw meshobjects.

Note: There is no easy way to convert a mesh model into a NURBS model. The informationthat defines the objects is completely different.
However, Rhino has a few commands for drawing curves on meshes and extracting vertex
points and other information from mesh objects to assist in using mesh information tocreate NURBS models.

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3 - Selecting Objects
Most operations you will do in Rhino require you to select one or more objects. Objects
can be selected by clicking anywhere on the object. Click away from the object to deselectit. This method lets you select one object at a time.
Objects can be selected before you start a command. This is called prepick. Prepicking is
handy for selecting input objects for many commands. The prepicked objects act as input
for the first prompt to select objects.
Objects can also be selected during a command sequence anytime the command prompts
you to select objects.
By default, objects change color to yellow when they are selected so you can see which
objects are selected. This color can be customized to suit you in Rhino Preferences >Colors > Object display > Selected objects.

Select and deselect objects
Practice selecting objects
1. Open the tutorial model Select Objects.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros >Tutorials and Samples >User's Guide > SelectObjects)
2. In the Perspective viewport, click the sphere to select it.
Notice that the Perspective viewport shows the objects in Shaded mode. The otherviewports use Wireframe mode.
In Shaded mode, you can click anywhere on the object to select it. You don't have toaim for one of the wires.

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3. Hold the Shift key and select the cylinder.
The cylinder is added to the selection.

4. Hold the Command ⌘ key and click the sphere again.
The sphere is removed from the selection.

5. Click away from the objects, or press the Esc key.
The selection is canceled.

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To select additional objects
Hold the Shift key while clicking the objects.

To remove objects from the selection
Hold the Command ⌘ key and click the objects again.

To cancel the selection
Click away from the objects, or press the Esc key.

Choose Objects menu
If you click a location that is very close to the place where several objects are close to eachother, it is possible that Rhino will not be able to determine which object you want toselect. When this happens, a selection menu will appear with a list the possible objects.
As move the mouse over the object name in the list, each object highlights. You can also
scroll through the potential objects using the arrow keys on your keyboard. When theobject you want to select highlights, click or press the Enter key to select it. Choose None
to cancel the selection.

Choose Object menu.

Select objects with windows
Another method is to make a window selection or a crossing selection to select multiple
objects in one operation.
You can click in an open area of the screen and drag to create a selection window.
A window selection selects all objects completely enclosed by the window. A crossing
selection selects all objects that are enclosed by the window or any object the window
crosses.

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To make a window selection
Click in an open area of the screen and drag to the right.

To make a crossing selection
Click in an open area of the screen and drag to the left.

To add objects
Hold the Shift key while making a window or crossing selection.
To remove objects
Hold the Command ⌘ key while making a window or crossing selection.
Practice window and crossing select
1. In the Perspective viewport, click and drag a window around the sphere as shownin the illustration below.

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The sphere is selected.

2. In the Perspective viewport, hold the Shift key then click and drag a window
section from left to right around the box and the cylinder as shown in theillustration below.

The cylinder and box are added to the selection.

3. In the Perspective viewport, hold the Command ⌘ key then click and drag acrossing selection from right to left over the box and cylinder as shown in theillustration below.

The cylinder and box are removed from the selection.

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Other ways of selecting objects
Rhino has many commands and methods for selecting objects. You can select an object by
name, layer, color, type; by capturing with boundaries or crossing fences; by volume
shapes, by group name and many others. Search the Help for the topic Selectioncommands.
Practice selection by object type
1. In the Value box, type SelAll.
The SelAll command selects all visible, unlocked objects in the model.

2. Type SelNone.
The SelNone command removes all of the currently selected objects from theselection.

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3. Type SelSrf.
The SelSrf command selects all visible, unlocked surfaces. In this case, only thesphere is a surface, the other objects are polysurfaces.

4. Type SelPolysrf.
The SelPolysrf command adds all polysurfaces to the selection. In this case, thecylinder and box are polysurfaces.

5. Press the Esc key.
The Esc key clears the selection the same as the SelNone command.

Sub-object selection
You can select sub-parts of objects to use in commands, for example, select a surface edge
to use as input for a Loft or ExtrudeCrv operation. The available parts include polysurface
faces; surface and polysurface edge curves; control points; mesh vertices, faces, boundaries,and edges; and objects within a group. Search the Help for the topic Sub-object selection.
To select parts of objects for use with other commands
Press and hold both the Command ⌘ and Shift keys at the same time and click
an object part.

29

3 - Selecting Objects

Practice sub-object selection
1. In the Perspective viewport, press the Command ⌘ and Shift keys and click aface of the box as shown in the illustration below.

The face you select highlights.

2. Press the Delete key.
The face of the box is separated from the box solid and deleted.

30

4 - Navigating Viewports
Viewports are windows in the graphics area that display views of your model.
You can customize the viewports to suit your preferences. The size of viewports isadjustable; they can be any rectangular size and shape.
Each viewport has its own construction plane and grid that the cursor normally moves on
and a projection mode. To toggle between a small viewport and one that fills the graphics
area, double-click the viewport title.

Viewport title
The viewport title has some special functions for manipulating the viewport. To re-size aviewport, drag the viewport border. You can rename viewports, and use predefined
viewport configurations from the viewport title menu.

Click the title to make the viewport active without disturbing the view or the set of
selected objects.
Double-click the viewport title to maximize the viewport.
Double-click again to restore the viewport layout.
To use the viewport title menu
Right-click the viewport title to display the viewport title menu.

The viewport title menu contains most of viewport and display related commands.
The same commands can be found in the View menu on the main menu bar.

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4 - Navigating Viewports

Viewport projection
Graphical projection is used in technical drawing to project an image of a threedimensional object onto an imaginary fixed plane.
The viewport projection can be parallel, three-point perspective, or two-point perspective.
The viewport projection is set in Viewport Properties. When no object is selected, theProperties panel shows viewport properties.

In the default four-viewport layout, there are three parallel viewports (Top, Front andRight) and one perspective viewport.
For more information about graphical projections, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_projection.

Parallel
In a parallel view, all the grid lines are parallel to each other, and identical objects look thesame size, regardless of where they are in space. Parallel views are also called orthogonalviews in some systems.

Perspective
A perspective view, uses three-point perspective. Grid lines converge to a vanishing point.
This provides the illusion of depth. Perspective projection makes objects farther away looksmaller.

32

4 - Navigating Viewports

Two Point Perspective
In a two-point perspective view, objects look smaller as their horizontal distance increases,
but look the same as their vertical distance increases.

Perspective (left) vs. Two Point Perspective (right).

Viewport navigation
Working in 3-D on a computer requires visualizing 3-D objects drawn on a 2-D medium the computer screen. Rhino provides tools to help do this.
Rhino’s easy view navigation helps you visualize your model. You can look at you modelfrom any direction, look at the whole model, or look into the details. You can change yourview in the middle of a command to see precisely where you want to select an object orpick a point.

Mouse navigation
Dragging with the right mouse button easily manipulates the views so you can look at themodel from various angles. Mouse navigation works differently in parallel and perspective
viewports. In parallel viewports, right mouse drag pans the view. In a perspective viewport,right mouse drag rotates the view, and you must use the Shift key modifier to pan theview.
To pan the view
In a viewport with a parallel projection, such as the Top viewport, drag the mousewith the right mouse button held down.
In the Perspective viewport, hold the Shift key, and drag with the right mousebutton held down.
Undo orredo view changes

If you get lost, there are several ways to get yourself reoriented:
Press the Home key to step back through your view changes.
Press the End key to step forward through your view changes.
To bring all your objects into view, use the Zoom command, Extents option.

33

4 - Navigating Viewports

To rotate a perspective view
In the Perspective viewport, drag the mouse with the right mouse button held
down to rotate the view and see the objects from a different angle.
To zoom in and out
Hold down the Command ⌘ key and drag up and down with the right mousebutton held down.
If you have a mouse with a wheel, you can also scroll the wheel to zoom in and out.

Key and mouse combinations
Pan
In parallel viewports (for example: Top, Front, and Right), drag with the right mousebutton.
In perspective viewports, hold the Shift key, and drag with the right mouse button.
RotateView
In perspective viewports, drag with the right mouse button.
Note: Rotating a parallel view is not common. It is a special operation that should be usedrarely and with caution.
In parallel viewports (for example: Top, Front, and Right), hold the Command ⌘ and Shift
keys, and drag with the right mouse button.
Zoom
Hold the Command ⌘ key, and drag up and down with the right mouse button, or rotate
the mouse wheel.

34

4 - Navigating Viewports

Viewport display modes
You can view your model in a variety of wireframe, shaded and rendered methods that
depend on your needs. Wireframe mode usually offers the fastest display speed. Shadedmodes offer the ability to view surfaces and solids with shading to help you visualize theshapes.

Wireframe
In Wireframe mode, surfaces look like a set of curves that cross each other. These curves
are called isoparametric curves or isocurves. Isocurves do not actually define the surface.
They are merely a visual aid.

To set wireframe mode
1. Open the sample model, Start.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros >Tutorials and Samples >User's Guide > Start)
2. Click the left mouse button in the Perspective viewport to make it active.
An active viewport is the viewport where all your commands and actions take place.
3. Right-click on the viewport title menu, and click Wireframe.

35

4 - Navigating Viewports

ShadedThe Shaded modes, (for example, Shaded, Rendered, Artistic, and Pen) display surfaces
and solids with render meshes to show surfaces.

To set shaded mode
1. On the viewport title menu, click Shaded.

2. Rotate your view by holding down the right mouse button and dragging from thebottom of the view upwards.
You are now under the objects looking up. The construction plane grid helps you
stay oriented.
3. Press the Home key to undo your view changes.

36

4 - Navigating Viewports

Rendered
The Rendered mode shows objects with lighting and render materials applied.

Raytraced
The Raytraced mode displays objects with materials and raytraces the scene and lighting inreal-time.

Other shaded modes
Other display modes and custom settings are described in the Rhino Help.

Artistic (left) and Pen (right) display modes.

375 - Accurate Modeling
The cursor can always move freely, but sometimes you may need to put some restrictions
on the cursor. You can restrict the cursor’s movement to the construction plane grid, adistance or an angle from a point, snap to specific locations on existing objects, or enter
Cartesian coordinates to locate points in 2-D or 3-D space.

The Rhino cursor
The Rhino cursor consists of a marker and a cross. The marker usually stays at the centerof the cross. The cross always follows the mouse movement.

Rhino cursor (1), Marker (2) and Cross (3)The marker may leave the cross when a constraint is in effect. For example, when Elevator
mode is active, a tracking line connected to the marker displays. The location of the marker
is picked when you click the left mouse button.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Grid snap
Grid snap constrains the marker to the crossing points of an imaginary grid that extends
infinitely in the x- and y-directions.
Click Grid Snap in the top panel to turn grid snap on and off. Use the Grid command to set
the snap spacing and other options.

Grid snap on (left), Grid snap off (right)

Ortho mode
Ortho mode constrains the marker movement or object dragging to a specific set ofangles. By default, this is parallel to the grid lines, but you can change this.
Click Ortho in the top panel to turn ortho on and off.
Press and hold the Shift key to temporarily toggle the ortho mode.

Ortho off (left), Ortho 90° (center), Ortho 45° (right)

40

5 - Accurate Modeling

Ortho is active after the first point for a command. For example, after picking the first point
for a line, the second point is constrained to the ortho angle.

Ortho off (left), Ortho on (right)

If you need a different angle for only a single operation, angle constraint is faster to use.
Enter a specific angle for one operation instead of changing the ortho angle and thenchanging it back.

41

5 - Accurate Modeling

Object snaps
When Rhino asks you to pick a point, you can use object snaps to pick a precise location on
an existing object. When you move the cursor near a location on an object that
corresponds to an object snap, the marker jumps to that location.
The Osnap control
Object snaps are set in the Osnap control. The Osnap control is located at the bottom of
the left sidebar.

Persistent object snaps
A persistent object snap stays on until you turn it off. You can turn on as many persistentobject snaps as you need.
Turn on persistent object snaps
In the Osnap panel, select Persistent and then click object snap check boxes.

One-time object snaps
Multiple persistent object snaps may interfere with one another, so you can also turn on an
object snap for a single pick. One-time object snaps override persistent object snaps. This
lets you keep your persistent object snaps set, but to override them as needed with a onetime object snap.

42

5 - Accurate ModelingTurn on one-time object snaps
In the Osnap panel, select One shot and then click an object snap check box.

-OrClick the Osnap button in the top panel. In the pop-up, select One shot and thenclick an object snap check box.

-OrDuring a command, type an object snap name such as, cen (center), int(intersection), tan (tangent), and press Enter.
Object snaps normally take precedence over grid snap or other constraints. In somesituations object snaps work in conjunction with other constraints. You will see examplesof this later in this chapter. For more information, including video demonstrations, see the
Rhino help topic Object snaps.
To temporarily suspend all persistent object snaps
In the Osnap panel, click the Disable all button.
All persistent object snaps will be suspended, but remain their checking status.
To turn on one object snap and turn all others off with one click
In the Osnap panel, hold Alt and click the object snap you want to turn on.
All other object snaps will turn off.

43

5 - Accurate Modeling

Object snaps using references
Some special object snaps let you select multiple reference points or add other advanced
controls.
To turn on complex object snaps
During a command, when you are at a prompt to pick a point, type one of thesecommands:
From, PerpendicularFrom, TangentFrom, AlongLine, AlongParallel, OnCrv, OnSrf,
OnPolysurface, OnMesh, PersistentOnCurve, PersistentOnSurface,
PersistentOnPolySurface and PersistentOnMesh.
See the Rhino help topic Object snaps for more information about these object
snaps.

Constrain cursor movement
When entering points, you can restrict the cursor to a distance or angle from the previous
point.

Ortho
Ortho restricts the cursor movement to a 90-degree angle from the last point created.
Note: The default angle is 90 degrees, but any angle can be used. You can change Ortho
angle in Rhino Preferences > Modeling Aids > Snaps.
Example: Draw a line using Ortho
1. Type Line.
2. At the Start of line prompt, place the first point.
3. At the End of line prompt, drag the cursor away from the start point.
4. Click Ortho in the top panel to toggle Ortho on and off while dragging the cursor.
You will see the cursor jump to 90 degrees when Ortho is on and drag freely when
Ortho is off.
Note: A shortcut for toggling Ortho on and off temporarily is to hold down the Shift
key.

Distance constraint
The distance constraint restricts the distance the cursor can travel from the previous point.
Set the distance constraint during a command by typing a number at the commandprompt.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Example: Draw a line using a distance constraint
1. Type Line.
2. At the Start of line prompt, place the first point.
3. At the End of line prompt, type a number, and press Enter.
Once you have set the distance, drag the line around. You will see that the marker
cannot move away from the first point more than the set distance.
You can also use other snaps such as Grid snap or an object snap to point the line
in a direction.
4. Drag the line around the first point until it heads the direction you want it to go, andpick a point for the end of the line.

Angle constraint
Angle constraint is similar to Ortho, but you can set any angle. The angle constraint setting
is only in effect for the next pick.
Example: Draw a line using an angle constraint
1. Type Line.
2. At the Start of line prompt, place the first point.
3. At the End of line prompt, type < followed by an angle value, such as 35.
The angle symbol < is used because it is similar to the symbol used in geometry toindicate an angle.
4. Once you have set the angle, drag the line around the first point.
You will see that the marker jumps around the first point in 35-degree increments.
5. Drag the line to the distance you want and pick a point for the end of the line.

Distance and angle together
Distance and angle constraints can be used at the same time. The order you enter the
distance and angle does not matter.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Example: Draw a line using a distance and angle together
1. Type Line.
2. At the Start of line prompt, place the first point.
3. At the End of line prompt, type a distance, and press Enter.
4. At the next End of line prompt, type the < character and an angle value, and press
Enter.
5. Drag the line.
You will see that the marker is restricted to the distance from the first point and atincrements of the angle you set.

SmartTrack™
SmartTrack is a system of temporary reference lines and points drawn in the Rhino
viewport using implicit relationships among 3-D points, other geometry, and thecoordinate axes directions.
Temporary infinite lines (tracking lines) and points (smart points) can be used by object
snaps just like real lines and points.
You can snap to intersections of the tracking lines, perpendiculars, and directly to smart
points as well as intersections of tracking lines and real curves. The tracking lines andsmart points are displayed only for the duration of a command.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Coordinate systems
Rhino uses two coordinate systems: construction plane coordinates and world coordinates.
Construction plane coordinates are defined for each viewport. World coordinates are fixedin 3-D space.
For more information about coordinate systems, see www.mathopenref.com/coordinates.

Right-hand rule
Coordinate systems follow what is called the right-hand rule. The right-hand rule can help
you determine the direction of the z-axis in a coordinate system. Form a right angle withthe thumb and forefinger of your right hand. When your thumb points in the positive
x-direction, your forefinger points in the positive y-direction, and the palm of your handfaces in the positive z-direction.

Construction plane coordinates
Each viewport has its own construction plane. A construction plane is like a tabletop thatthe cursor moves on unless you use coordinate input, elevator mode, object snaps, or a
few other instances where input is constrained. By default, each viewport’s construction
plane is independent of those in other viewports.

Rhino’s standard viewports come with construction planes that correspond to theviewport. An exception is the default Perspective viewport, which uses the World Top
construction plane, the same as the default Top viewport.
The grid helps you visualize the construction plane. The dark red line represents theconstruction plane positive x-axis for that viewport. The dark green line represents theconstruction plane positive y-axis for that viewport. The red and green lines meet at theconstruction plane origin (0,0) for that viewport.
Note: By default there is no line showing the construction plane z-axis in order to cut
down on clutter on the screen.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Example: Draw a line using 2-D construction plane coordinates
1. Type Line.
2. At the Start of line prompt, type 1,1.
These are the construction plane coordinates for the start point of the line in theformat x,y where x is the x-coordinate and y is the y-coordinate of the point. There
are no spaces between the coordinate values.
3. At the End of line prompt, type 4,2.
A line is drawn starting at 1 unit from the construction plane origin in the positive
x-direction and 1 unit from the construction plane origin in the positive y-direction andending at 4 units from the origin in the positive x-direction and 2 units from the origin
in the positive y-direction.

3-D construction plane coordinates
You can also use 3-D coordinates to place points that do not lie on the construction plane.
To use 3-D coordinates, during a command, at a prompt requesting a point, type thecoordinates in the format x,y,z where x is the x-coordinate, y is the y-coordinate, and z is
the z-coordinate of the point.
Example: Draw a point in 3-D using construction plane coordinates
1. Type Point.
2. At the Location of point object prompt, type 3,4,10.
This places a point object 3 units from the construction plane origin in thex-direction, 4 units from the origin in the y-direction, and 10 units from the origin in
the z-direction.

Relative coordinates
Use relative coordinates to locate points according to their relationship to the previous
active point. Rhino remembers the last point used, so you can enter the next point relative
to it. Relative coordinates are useful for entering a list of points where the relative locations
instead of absolute locations of the points are known.
To enter relative coordinates, at a command prompt, type the coordinates in the format
rx,y where r signifies that the coordinate is relative to the previous point.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Example: Draw a line using relative coordinates
1. Type Line.
2. At the Start of line… prompt, click to place the first end of the line.
3. At the End of line… prompt, type r2,3, and press Enter.
The line is drawn to a point 2 units in the x-direction and 3 units in the y-direction
from the last point.

World coordinates
Rhino contains one world coordinate system. The world coordinate system cannot bechanged. When Rhino prompts you for a point, you can type coordinates in the world
coordinate system in the format wx,y,z.
The arrow icon in the lower left corner of each viewport displays the direction of the worldx-, y-, and z-axes. The arrows move to show the orientation of the world axes when you
rotate a view.

Elevator mode
Elevator mode lets you pick points that are off the construction plane in the positive or
negative z-direction. Elevator mode requires two point picks to define the point. The firstpoint sets the base point. The second specifies how far the final point is above or below thebase point.
To move the marker in the construction plane z-direction, hold the Command ⌘ key andclick a point on the construction plane, and then drag vertically from the construction planeand click to pick a point.
Using elevator mode to move your pick point vertically from the construction plane lets
you work in the Perspective viewport more easily.

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5 - Accurate Modeling

Example: Draw a 3-D curve using elevator mode
1. Type Curve.
2. At the Start of Curve prompt, in the Perspective viewport, place the first point.
3. At the Next point of curve... prompt, pick a second point in the Perspective
viewport.
4. At the Next point... prompt, hold the Command ⌘ key and pick a point in the
Perspective viewport.
This is the base point for the elevator mode action. After the base point is specified,
the marker is constrained to a tracking line perpendicular to the construction planethat passes through the base point.
5. Drag the mouse in the Perspective viewport.
6. Pick a second point to specify the z-coordinate of the desired point.
-OrType a number to specify the height above the construction plane. Positive
numbers are above the construction plane; negative numbers are below.
You can use other constraints such as coordinates, object snaps, or grid snap for the
first point, and you can use object snaps for the height.

For a short video demonstration of using elevator mode, search the Rhino Help for"Elevator mode."

See also
For more information about the mathematical principles involved in 3-D modeling, see:www.mathopenref.com.

50

6 - Create Surfaces from Curves
One way of working in 3-D is to draw curves that represent edges, profiles, cross-sections,or other surface features and then to use surfacing commands to create surfaces fromthose curves. Curves can be free-standing curves or the edges of existing surfaces.

Surface from edge curves
You can create a surface from three or four curves that define the edges of the surface.
Create a surface from edge curves
1. Open the tutorial model EdgeSrf.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > EdgeSrf)
2. On the Surface menu, click Edge Curves.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the EdgeSrf command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select 2, 3, or 4 open curves prompt, select the four curves as shown in
the illustration below.

To select the curves, you can click each individual curve, or use a window orcrossing selection to select all of the curves at once. A surface is created from thecurves, which define its edges. To review selecting objects, see Chapter 3, Selecting
Objects.

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

Extrude curves
Surfaces can be created by extruding curves in a straight line perpendicular to theconstruction plane.
Create an extruded surface
1. Open the tutorial model ExtrudeCrv.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Extrude)
2. On the Surface menu, click Extrude Curve, and then click Straight.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the ExtrudeCrv command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select curves to extrude prompt, select the curve (1) as shown in theillustration below.

4. At the Extrusion distance prompt, drag a distance with your mouse and click.

52

6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

Loft curves
Lofting creates a smooth surface that blends between selected curves. The curves define"ribs" for the surface you are creating.
Create a lofted surface
1. Open the tutorial model Loft.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Loft)
2. On the Surface menu, click Loft.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Loft command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select curves to loft prompt, select the three curves (1), (2), and (3) asshown in the illustration below, and press Enter.

Tip: Select the curves by picking near the same end where the numbers are. Thisavoids twisting the loft surface. In this model, you can use any selection method.
The Loft command will sort out the order of the curves. In other more complex
cases, picking the curves near the same end may be important, and you may haveto make adjustments for the loft to work properly.
4. in the Loft dialog box, click the drop-down menu under Style to try some of theoptions.
The default style is Normal. As you change the style, the preview will update in realtime to show you what the results will be.

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

5. In the Loft Options dialog box, click Loft.

Revolve curves
Revolving creates a surface by revolving curves about a revolve axis. The curve defines thesilhouette of the revolved surface. This action is sometimes called lathing in otherprograms.
Create a revolved surface
1. Open the tutorial model Revolve.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Revolve)
2. In the Osnap panel, click End.
3. On the Surface menu, click Revolve.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Revolve command in Rhino Help.
4. At the Select curves to revolve prompt, select the curve (1) and press Enter.

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

5. At the Start of revolve axis prompt, snap to one end of the line (2) that defines
the revolve axis.
Note: A reference line is not strictly necessary; you can pick any two points todefine the axis.

6. At the End of revolve axis prompt, snap to the other end of the line (3) thatdefines the revolve axis.

7. At the Start angle... prompt, click the Full Circle option.
The Full Circle option creates a complete 360-degree surface.

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

Revolve curves with a rail
Rail revolve creates a surface by revolving a profile curve around a reference axis while atthe same time following a rail curve as closely as possible. The profile curve defines thesilhouette of the surface, and the rail curve defines a path the profile curve will try tofollow.
Create a revolved surface with a rail curve
1. Open the tutorial model RailRevolve.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide >RailRevolve)
2. On the Surface menu, click Rail Revolve.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the RailRevolve command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select profile curve prompt, select the profile curve (1).

4. At the Select rail curve... prompt, select the rail curve the revolve will follow (2).

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

5. At the Start of RailRevolve axis prompt, snap to an endpoint of the axis line (3).

6. At the End of RailRevolve axis prompt, snap to the other end of the axis line (4).

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

Sweep along one rail curve
Sweeping with one rail creates a smooth surface with from multiple cross-section curves
and a single rail curve. The cross-section curves define the surface shape, and the rail curve
defines a path the surface will follow.
Create a sweep surface with one rail
1. Open the tutorial model Sweep1.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Sweep1)
2. On the Surface menu, click Sweep 1 Rail.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Sweep1 command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select rail prompt, select the rail curve (1).

4. At the Select cross section curves... prompt, select the cross-section curve (2),and press Enter.
Only one cross-section curve is used in this example.
5. At the Drag seam point to adjust... prompt, press Enter.
No adjustment is necessary in this case.

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

6. In the Sweep 1 Rail Options dialog box, click Sweep.
The default Freeform option will be used.

Sweep along two rail curves
Sweeping with two rails creates a smooth surface with from multiple cross-section curves
and two rail curves. The cross-section curves define the surface shape, and the rail curves
define the path the two edges of the surface will follow as closely as possible. Use the
Sweep2 command when you want to control the location of the edges of the surface; forexample, when the using the edges of other surfaces as the rail curves.
Create a sweep surface with two rail curves
1. Open the tutorial model Sweep2.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Sweep2)
2. On the Surface menu, click Sweep 2 Rails.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Sweep2 command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select first rail... prompt, select the first rail curve (1).
4. At the Select second rail... prompt, select the second rail curve (2).

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6 - Create Surfaces from Curves

5. At the Select cross section curves prompt, select the two cross-section curves (3)and (4), and press Enter.

6. In the Sweep 2 Rails Options dialog box, click Sweep.
No further adjustments are needed in this case.

60

7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces
The editing operations in this section break objects apart, cut holes in them, and put themback together. Some of these commands join curves to curves, or surfaces to surfaces orpolysurfaces, and break a composite curve or polysurface into its components.
The commands: Join, Explode, Trim, and Split apply to curves, surfaces, and polysurfaces.

Join
The Join command connects curves or surfaces together into one object.
Join turns lines that touch end to end into polylines, curves that touch end to end into
polycurves, and surfaces and polysurfaces that touch on an edge into polysurfaces orsolids.
When a curve is selected first, surface edges or mesh edges can be joined with the curve tocreate a polyline or polycurve.
Join curves into a polycurve
1. Open the tutorial model Join Curves.3dm(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Join
Curves)
2. Select all of the curves using a window or crossing.
The command history displays 5 curves added to selection.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows 5 open curves.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

3. On the Edit menu, click Join.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Join command in Rhino Help.
The command history displays 5 curves joined into one closed curve.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows closed curve.

Join surfaces into a polysurface
1. Open the tutorial model Join Surfaces.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Join
Surfaces)
2. Select both of the surfaces using a window or crossing.
The command history displays 2 surfaces added to selection.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows 2 surfaces.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

3. On the Edit menu, click Join.
The command history displays 2 surfaces or polysurfaces joined into one
open polysurface.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows open polysurface.

Join surfaces into a solid polysurface
1. Open the tutorial model Join Solid.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Join
Solid)
2. Select all of the surfaces using a window or crossing.
The command history displays 6 surfaces added to selection
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows 6 surfaces.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

3. On the Edit menu, click Join.
The command history displays 6 surfaces or polysurfaces joined into one
closed polysurface.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows closed solid polysurface.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

ExplodeThe Explode command removes the connection between joined curves and polysurfaces.
Explode works on any object that can be reduced to its component parts.
Explode a polycurve into individual curves
1. Open the tutorial model Explode Curves.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Explode
Curves)
2. Select the curve.
The command history displays 1 curve added to selection.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows closed curve.

3. On the Edit menu, click Explode.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Explode command in Rhino Help.
The command history displays Exploded a curve into 5 segments.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows 5 open curves.

Note: For the illustration, the ScalePositions command was used to separate theindividual curves. The Explode command does not move the curves.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

Explode a polysurface into individual surfaces
1. Open the tutorial model Explode Polysurface.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Explode
Polysurface)
2. Select the polysurface.
The command history displays 1 polysurface added to selection.
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows open polysurface.

3. On the Edit menu, click Explode.
The command history displays Exploded a polysurface into 3 surfaces..
The Object Type in the Properties panel shows varies.
Three surfaces were created, two surfaces and a trimmed surface. Select eachsurface individually to check the object type.

Note: For the illustration, the ScalePositions command was used to separate theindividual surfaces. The Explode command does not move the exploded surfaces.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

Trimming and Splitting
The Trim and Split commands are similar. They both cut objects with other objects. When
you trim an object, you select the parts to remove and they are deleted. When you split an
object, no parts are deleted.

Trim
The Trim command cuts and deletes selected portions of an object at the intersection withanother object used as a cutter.
Trim curves
1. Open the tutorial model Trim Curves.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Trim
Curves)2. On the Edit menu, click Trim.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Trim command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select cutting objects prompt, select the blue curve (1) as illustrated
below, and press Enter.
4. At the Select object to trim prompt, select the right side of the red circle (2) andthe black rectangle (3), and press Enter.

The circle and the rectangle are trimmed by the blue curve.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

Trim surfaces
1. Open the tutorial model Trim Surfaces.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Trim
Surfaces)
2. On the Edit menu, click Trim.
3. At the Select cutting objects prompt, select the red surface, and press Enter.

4. At the Select object to trim prompt, select one side of the green sphere, andpress Enter.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

Split
The Split command divides objects into parts using other objects as cutters.
Split curves
1. Open the tutorial model Split Curves.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Split
Curves)2. On the Edit menu, click Split.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Split command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Select object to split... prompt, select the red circle (1) and the black
rectangle (2), and press Enter.
4. At the Select cutting objects prompt, select the blue curve (3) as illustrated
below, and press Enter.

The red circle and the black rectangle are split by the blue curve.
Note: The individual curves in the right image were moved for illustration purpose.
The Split command does not move the split objects.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

Split surfaces
1. Open the tutorial model Split Surfaces.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Split
Surfaces)
2. Select the green sphere.

Note: This is an example of pre-picking input for a command. You can select the
input for the first prompt of most commands.
3. On the Edit menu, click Split.
4. At the Select cutting objects prompt, select the red surface, and press Enter.

The sphere is split by the red surface.
Note: For the illustration, the split surface was moved. The Split command does not
move the split objects.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

UntrimThe Untrim command removes trim curves from a surface restoring the underlying
untrimmed object.
Untrim surfaces
1. Open the tutorial model Untrim Surfaces.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Untrim
Surfaces)
2. Press F10 to turn on the control points for the green surface.
The control point array shows that this surface is actually a trimmed sphere. Whenthe trim curves are removed, the surface fills in to reform the original sphere.

3. On the Surface menu, click Surface Edit Tools > Untrim.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Untrim command in Rhino Help.
4. At the Select edge to untrim... prompt, select the edge of the hole (1) as
illustrated below.

The hole edge is deleted causing the hole to be removed.

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7 - Edit Curves and Surfaces

5. At the next Select edge to untrim... prompt, select the edge of the surface (2) as
illustrated below.

The edge is deleted causing the sphere to return to its full untrimmed state.

72

8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale
Transforms change the location, rotation, number and shape of whole objects by moving,mirroring, arraying, rotating, scaling, shearing, twisting, bending, and tapering. The
transform commands do not break the objects into pieces or cut holes in them.
Note: For all of the following exercises, the images were captured using Shaded mode
display.

Move
Use the Move command when you want to move an object a certain distance or if you
want to use object snaps to place an object accurately.
You can pick these locations on the screen or type coordinates in the Value box.
Practice moving objects
The object of this exercise is to move a sphere from the center of the sphere to thecoordinate system origin at 0,0,0.
The Move command requires a from and to location.
1. Start a new model.
2. Draw a Sphere anywhere on the screen.

3. Select the sphere.
4. On the Transform menu, click Move.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Move command in Rhino Help.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

5. At the Point to move from prompt, with the Center object snap on, move themouse around the edge of the sphere until the Center tooltip displays and click.

6. At the Point to move to prompt, type 0,0,0.
The center of the sphere moves to the 0,0,0 coordinate point.
Tip: Simply typing 0 is a shortcut for the coordinates 0,0,0.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

Move objects by dragging
The quickest way to move objects is to click the object and drag it. Rhino provides tools foraccuately dragging objects. You can drag objects in any viewport. Object snaps help alignobjects to each other.
Practice dragging objects
1. Open the tutorial model Drag Objects.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Drag
Objects)
2. In the Osnap panel, turn on the Centerobject snap.
3. In the Perspective viewport, move the mouse cursor close to the cone's bottomedge, hold down the left mouse button until the Center object snap tooltip displays.
4. Drag the cone to the top edge of the cylinder, the Center object snap tooltip
displays.

5. Release the mouse button to place the cone.
Note: Dragging with accuracy like this can be tricky. Keep your eye on the object
snap tooltips.

Move objects using elevator mode
You can press the Command ⌘ key to move objects in the z-direction. This is called
elevator mode. See Chapter 5, Accurate Modeling, Elevator mode.
Elevator mode is similar to Ortho, except the movement is vertical to the active
construction plane.
To practice using elevator mode to move vertically, you are going to move the box to alocation five units above the center of the sphere.
Using elevator mode to move objects vertically lets you work in the Perspective viewport
more often.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

Move the box with reference to another object
Note: For the following images, the Display Mode Shade-highlight selected surfaces
and polysurfaces option has been turned on.
(Rhinoceros menu > Preferences > Display Modes > Shaded > Objects > Selection)
1. Turn Ortho off.
2. On the Transform menu, click Move.
3. In the Perspective viewport, rotate the view so the sphere is toward the front.
4. Select the box, press Enter.

5. At the Point to move from... prompt, turn on the End object snap and click thelower right corner of the box.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

6. At the Point to move to prompt, turn on the Center object snap.
Drag the box around the equator of the sphere until the Center tooltip displays.

7. Hold down the Command ⌘ key, and click at the center of the sphere.
8. Release the mouse button and the Command ⌘ key, and start to drag the box.
The box can now move only up and down in the z-direction.

9. In the Value box, type 5, and press Enter.
The box will be placed so that the selected end of the box is 5 units in thez-direction from the center of the sphere.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

Copy objects
The Copy command makes copies of objects. Like the Move command, the Copy
command requires a from and to location.
Practice copying objects
1. On the Transform menu, click Copy.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Copy command in Rhino Help.
2. In the Perspective viewport, select the cone and the cylinder, press Enter.

3. At the Point to copy from... prompt, click anywhere in the Top viewport.

4. At the Point to copy to... prompts, click where you want the copies.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

5. When you have enough copies, press Enter or right-click the mouse to end thecommand.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

RotateThe Rotate command rotates an object around a center point.
Rotate an object
1. Open the tutorial model Rotate-Scale.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > RotateScale)

2. Select the green half-cylinder as shown in the illustration below.

3. On the Transform menu, click Rotate.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Rotate command in Rhino Help.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

4. in the Top viewport at the Center of rotation... prompt, with the End object snap
on, click the lower left corner of the half-cylinder as shown in the illustration below.

5. In the status bar turn Ortho on.
6. At the Angle or first reference point... prompt, drag the cursor to the right asshown in the illustration below, and click.
This establishes the base angle for the rotation.

7. At the Second reference point... prompt, drag the cursor up as shown in theillustration below, and click.
The half cylinder rotates 90 degrees counter-clockwise.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

Scale
The Scale commands give you control over the direction of the scale. You can re-size
objects uniformly in one, two, or three directions, or scale an object with a different scale
factor in each direction.
Scale the prism
1. In the same Rotate-Scale model, select the red prism shape.

2. On the Transform menu, click Scale, and then click Scale 3-D.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Scale command in Rhino Help.
3. At the Base point... prompt, with the End object snap on, click the left corner of theprism as shown in the illustration below.
This sets the base point from which the object will grow or shrink.

Note: In this simple example, you will first show the object's original size by picking
two points, a base point and a first reference point. Then you will show the object's
new size by picking a second reference point.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

4. At the Scale factor or first reference point... prompt, click the right corner of theprism as shown in the illustration below.
The distance between the base point and the first reference point sets the original
size for the scale operation.

5. At the Second reference point... prompt, drag the cursor to the right.
The object grows as you drag the cursor.
6. Click to set the new object size as shown in the illustration below.

Enter a number to set the scale factor
To make the object twice its original size, at the Scale factor... prompt, in the
Value box, type 2.
To make the object half its original size, at the Scale factor... prompt, in the
Value box type .5.
Scale an object to a specific size
To make the prism in this example 2.35 units along the original side, at the Second
reference point... prompt, in the Value box, type 2.35.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

MirrorIn this exercise, you are going to practice another basic editing command: Mirror. The
Mirror command makes a reverse-image copy of the object. Objects are mirrored across aline that you draw in a viewport.
Mirror an object
1. Open the tutorial model Mirror Objects.3dm.
(Help menu > Learn Rhinoceros > Tutorials and Samples > User's Guide > Mirror
Objects)

2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
Optional: Review the Help topic for the Mirror command in Rhino Help.
3. On the status bar, turn Ortho on.
4. Select the object.

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8 - Transforms - Move, Copy, Rotate, and Scale

5. At the Start of mirror plane... prompt, in the Top viewport, click to the right of theface as shown in the illustration below.

6. At the End of mirror plane... prompt, drag the cursor toward the bottom of thescreen, and click to end the mirror line.

85

9 - Organization - Layers, Groups, and Blocks
Rhino offers aids to organize your work. Each method offers a different approach to modelorganization. These include:
Layers let you assign a layer designation to objects.
l Groups associate objects so they can be selected as one.
l Blocks let you store and update an association of objects.
lLayersLayers are a way of grouping objects and applying certain characteristics to all objects thathave that layer assignment.
Layer states include a layer name, the color used to display the objects, and the on/off andlocked/unlocked status of all the objects on a layer. Objects are always created on thecurrent layer. This layer assignment can be changed later. Objects on layers that are off are
not visible in the model. Objects on locked layers cannot be selected but can be snappedto.

Popup layer list
The popup layer list is a shortcut for the most common tasks related to layers.
To open the popup layer list
In the top panel, click the Layer pane.
l

The layer pane displays the current layer.

Popup layer list.

879 - Organization - Layers, Groups, and Blocks

In the Popup layer list you can:Change the on/off state
Change the locked/unlocked state
Change the layer color
Set the current layer
In addition, right-click a layer name to perform these actions:
Select objects on that layerl Change selected objects to that layerl Copy objects to that layerlLayers panel
Use the Layers panel for more detailed layer management.
To open the Layers panel
In the lower section of the right sidebar, click the Layers panel icon.

Layers panel.

In the Layers panel, in addition to the actions you can perform in the Popup layer list, you
can also:
Create new layers and sublayers
l Delete layersl Move layers up or down in the layer list
l Elevate a sublayerl Set the layer render materiall Set the layer linetypel88

9 - Organization - Layers, Groups, and Blocks

Set the layer print colorl Set the layer print widthlRight-click in the Layers panel to display a menu offering additional layer functions.

Review the Help topic for the Layers panel in Rhino Help.

GroupsThe Group command creates a virtual container for objects that can be selected as a single
object to move, copy, rotate, or apply properties (e.g., object color). A group can include
other groups. The Ungroup command destroys the top-level group.
For more information about groups, open the Help topic for the Group command.

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9 - Organization - Layers, Groups, and Blocks

Blocks
A block is another way of associating various objects together to form a single object. The
Block command creates a block definition in the model's database. Using a block
definition uses less memory than using groups.
When you edit the block definition, all instances of the block are changed to match the new
definition. Blocks streamline modeling, reduce the model size, and promote
standardization of parts and details. Block definitions can be stored outside the modelusing linked blocks.
Exploding a block instance places the block geometry using the instance location, scale,and rotation.
The Insert command places instances of a block definition in your model. The instancerefers to the block definition in the database.
You can scale, copy, rotate, array, and otherwise transform block instances in the model.
To edit geometry in a block definition, double-click a block instance, or use the BlockEdit
command.
The BlockManager command displays a dialog box that lists all the block definitions in
the model. Use the Block Manager dialog box to view block properties, export a block
definition to a file, delete a block definition and all its instances, update a block definition
from a file, find out what blocks are nested in other blocks, and count the number of block
instances in the model.

90

10 - Annotation: Dimensions and Text
Rhino's dimension commands let you add annotation features to the model:
Dimensions
l Annotation Textl Leadersl Dotsl Hatchingl Create a 2-D hidden-line drawingl NoteslDimensions
You can dimension objects in your model with your choice of font, units display, decimal
precision, text and arrow size, and text alignment.

Dimension commands cover a wide range of dimensioning possibilities:
Dim - Places horizontal and vertical dimensions depending on the direction you pick
the points.
l DimAligned - Creates an aligned dimension.
l DimRotated - Creates a rotated dimension.
l DimAngle - Creates an angular dimension.
l DimRadius - Creates a radius dimension.
l DimDiameter - Creates a diameter dimension.
lAfter dimensions are placed, you can select all dimensions, edit dimension text, turncontrol points on to move dimension elements, and delete dimensions.

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10 - Annotation: Dimensions and Text

Dimensions are created using the current annotation style. Create new annotation styles tocontrol text size and font, and other annotation properties. Use the settings in Document
Settings (File > Settings > Annotation Styles) to create new styles and set the properties ofexisting styles.

Note: Changing your geometry will update the dimensions attached to it. Changing thedimension number will not update the associated geometry.

Annotation Text
The Text command places annotation text in your model.

Leaders
The Leader command draws an arrow leader with text.

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10 - Annotation: Dimensions and Text

Dots
The Dot command places a text dot.
Dots are always parallel to the view. Dots are displayed in the layer color. Dot size isconstant on the screen. As you zoom in and out, the dot displays the same size.

Hatching
The Hatch command creates a pattern of lines to fill a selected bounding curves.

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10 - Annotation: Dimensions and Text

Hidden line removal
The Make2D command creates curves from selected objects as silhouettes relative to theactive construction plane. The silhouette curves are projected flat and then placed on theworld x,y-plane.
The Make2D command options create the 2-D drawings from the current view, current
construction plane, create a four-view layout using US or European projection angles, setlayers for the hidden lines, and display tangent edges.

Notes
With the Notes command you can store text information in your model file. Type
information directly into the Notes panel. If you leave the Notes panel displayed when
you close and save the model file, it will display the next time the file is opened.

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11 - Curve and Surface Analysis
Since Rhino is a mathematically accurate NURBS modeler, it includes tools to provide
accurate information about the objects.

Measure distance, angle, and radiusSome analysis commands provide information about location, distance, angle betweenlines, and radius of a curve. For example:
Distance displays the distance between two points.
l Angle displays the angle between two lines.
l Radius displays the radius of a curve at any point along it.
l Length displays the length of a curve.
lDirection
Curves and surfaces have a direction. Many commands that use direction information
display direction arrows and give you the opportunity to change (flip) the direction.
Every surface is roughly rectangular. Surfaces have three directions: u, v, and normal.
The u- and v-directions are like the weave of cloth or screen. The u-direction is indicated by
the red arrow, and the v-direction is indicated by the green arrow. The colors match thegrid axis colors. The normal direction is indicated by the white arrow. You can think of u-,v-, and normal-directions as corresponding to the x, y, and z of the surface.
These directions are used when mapping textures and inserting knots.
The Dir command displays the direction of a curve or surface.
The illustration shows the curve direction arrows. If the direction has not been changed, it
reflects the direction the curve was originally drawn. The arrows point from the start of thecurve toward the end of the curve.
The Dir command can also change the direction of a curve.

Curve direction.

Surface normals are represented by arrows perpendicular to the surface, and the u- andv-directions are indicated by arrows pointing along the surface. Closed surfaces always
have the surface normals pointing to the exterior.

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11 - Curve and Surface Analysis

The Dir command can change the u-, v-, and normal-directions of a surface. This direction
can be important if you are applying textures to the surface.

Surface direction.

Visual surface analysis
Visual surface analysis commands let you examine surfaces to determine smoothness.
These commands use NURBS surface evaluation and rendering techniques to help you
visually analyze surface smoothness with false color or reflection maps so you can see thecurvature and breaks in the surface.

Curvature analysis
The CurvatureAnalysis command analyzes surface curvature using false color mapping. It
analyzes Gaussian curvature, mean curvature, minimum radius of curvature, andmaximum radius of curvature.

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11 - Curve and Surface Analysis

Environment map
The EMap command displays a bitmap on the object so it looks like a scene is beingreflected by a highly polished metal. This tool helps you find surface defects and validate
your design intent.
The fluorescent tube environment map simulates tube lights shining on a reflective metal
surface.

Zebra
The Zebra command displays surfaces with reflected stripes. This is a way to visually checkfor surface defects and for tangency and curvature continuity conditions between surfaces.

Draft angle analysis
The DraftAngleAnalysis command displays the draft angle relative to the construction
plane that is active when you start the command.
The pull direction for the DraftAngleAnalysis command is the z-axis of the construction
plane. It also uses false color mapping.

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11 - Curve and Surface Analysis

Edge evaluation
Geometry problems such as Boolean or join failures can be caused by edges on surfacesthat have become broken or edges between surfaces that have been moved through point
editing so they create holes. An edge is a separate object that defines the surface’s
boundary.
The ShowEdges command highlights naked edges, non-manifold edges or all edges ofthe surface.

Naked edges

Non-manifold edges

All edges

The Properties command may tell you that a polysurface is open even though it looks
closed. Some operations and export features require closed polysurfaces, and a modelusing closed polysurfaces is generally higher quality than one with small cracks and slivers.
When a surface is not joined to another surface, it has naked edges. Rhino provides a tool
for finding the unjoined or “naked” edges. Use Properties command to examine the object
details. A polysurface that has naked edges lists as an open polysurface. Use theShowEdges command to display the unjoined edges.
Other edge tools let you split an edge, merge edges that meet end-to-end, or force
surfaces with naked edges to join. You can rebuild edges based on internal tolerances.
Other edge tools include:
SplitEdge divides a surface edge at a designated point.
l MergeEdge merges edges that meet end to end.
l JoinEdge forces unjoined (naked) edges to join nearby surfaces.
l RebuildEdges redistributes edge control points based on internal tolerances.
lDiagnostics
Diagnostic tools report on an object’s internal data structure and select objects that may
need repair. The output from the List, Check, SelBadObjects, and Audit3dmFile
commands is normally most useful to a Rhino programmer to diagnose problems withsurfaces that are causing errors.

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12 - Render
In addition to shaded previews, Rhino provides full-color rendering with lights,
transparency, shadows, textures, and bump mapping.
Objects will render white until you add render color, highlight, texture, transparency, andbumps. These attributes are controlled through the Properties and Materials panels.

The process to render scenes consists of four basic steps:
Add lighting.
l Assign materials.
l Set up the environment and a ground plane.
l Render.
l

Although the steps do not have to be done in this order, using this method makes setting
up a scene more efficient. To improve quality, repeat these steps until the image looks rightto you.

LightsIn every Rhino rendering there are light sources that Rhino uses to calculate how objects
are illuminated. If you do not add any light sources to your scene, the default light is used.
The default light is a directional light, with parallel rays, that acts as though you have alamp shining over your left shoulder.
Use the Spotlight, DirectionalLight, LinearLight, PointLight, or RectangularLight
commands to insert indoor lights. You can also turn on the Sun, a parallel light source, thatcan be defined by location, date and time.

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12 - Render

Materials
Materials specify the color, finish, transparency, texture, and bump for use by the renderer.
Set up or import materials in the Materials panel, then assign materials to layers or objects.
You can drag materials from the material library and drop them onto objects.

Environment
Environments describe the space around the model. This space is reflected in objects andcan provide overall lighting. The rendering properties include environment settings likebackground color and image.

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12 - Render

Ground Plane
The ground plane provides an infinite horizontal platform for the image. The ground plane
stretches to the horizon in all directions. Any material can be assigned to the ground plane.
Set up a ground plane in the Ground Plane panel.

Render Preview
Preview a rendering by setting a viewport to Rendered viewport mode.

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13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy
This tutorial demonstrates using solid primitives and simple transforms.

You will learn how to:Enter coordinates and use object snaps to place points precisely.
l Draw a free-form curve and polygon.
l Extrude a curve to create a surface.
l Use a polar array to copy objects in a circular pattern.
l Use Planar and Ortho mode.
l Create a pipe along a curve.
lEnter coordinates
When you pick a point with the mouse, the point lies on the construction plane of theactive viewport unless you use a modeling aid such as object snap or elevator mode.

(1) The cursor moves on the construction plane. (2) An object snap is active. (3) The Elevator mode.

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13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy

When Rhino prompts for a point, you can enter x-, y-, and z-coordinates instead of picking
a point. Each viewport has its own construction plane on which its x- and y-coordinates lie.
The z-coordinate for the active viewport is perpendicular to the x-y plane.
The grid is a visual representation of the construction plane. The intersection of the dark
red and green lines is the origin point (x=0, y=0, z=0) of the coordinate system.

Draw the pull toy bodyThis exercise uses x-, y-, and z-coordinates to place points accurately. When you type thecoordinates, type them just as they are shown in this manual. The format is x,y,z. For
example, type 10,5,6. You must type commas to separate the numbers. These coordinates
place the point at x=10, y=5, and z=6 in the active viewport.

Whenever you type coordinates to place a point, look in all the viewports, so you can get
an idea of how coordinate entry works.
Start the model
1. On the File menu, click New Using Template.
2. In the screen splash, double-click Small Objects - Centimeters.3dm in thetemplate list.

Draw the body ellipsoid
1. In the top panel, turn Ortho on.

10413 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy

2. On the Solid menu, click Ellipsoid > From Center.
3. At the Ellipsoid center… prompt, move the cursor to the Top viewport.
When Rhino prompts for picking a point, moving the cursor to a viewport makes
the viewport active/current.
4. Type 0,0,11, and press Enter.
This places the center point of the ellipsoid at x=0, y=0, and z=11. Look at the pointin the Perspective viewport.

5. At the End of first axis… prompt, type 15, and press Enter.
6. Move the cursor to the right to specify the direction and click.

7. At the End of second axis prompt, type 8, and press Enter.
8. Move the cursor up to specify the direction and click.

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13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy

9. At the End of third axis prompt, type 9, and press Enter.
You now have an egg shape that has different dimensions in all three directions.

Draw the axles and wheel hubs
The axles and wheel hubs are cylinders. The axles are long, thin cylinders, and the wheel
hubs are short, fat cylinders. You are going to make one axle and one complete wheel. You
will then mirror the complete wheel to the other side. You can then either mirror or copy
the complete axle and wheel set to the front of the toy.
Create the axle
1. Rotate the perspective viewport so that you are looking along the x-axis as
illustrated.
2. Turn on Shaded display mode in the Perspective viewport.

3. On the Solid menu, click Cylinder.
4. At the Base of cylinder… prompt, move the cursor to the Front viewport.
5. Type 9,6.5, and press Enter.
When you only type x- and y-coordinates, the z-coordinate is automatically 0.

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13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy

6. At the Radius… prompt, type 0.5, and press Enter.

7. At the End of cylinder prompt, in the command options, check Both Sides.
8. Type 10, and press Enter.
A cylinder 20 centimeters long is created.

Create a wheel hub
1. On the Solid menu, click Cylinder.
2. At the Base of cylinder… prompt, move the cursor to the Front viewport, type9,6.5,10, and press Enter.
3. At the Radius... prompt, type 4, and press Enter.

4. At the End of cylinder prompt, uncheck Both Sides.

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13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy

5. Type 2, and press Enter.
You have created a cylinder that represents a wheel hub.

Draw the lug nuts
You will make the lug nuts by extruding a hexagonal polygon curve.
Create a hexagon
1. On the Curve menu, click Polygon > Center, Radius.
2. At the Center of inscribed polygon... prompt, type 6, and press Enter.
This sets the NumSides option to 6.
3. Move the cursor to the Front viewport, type 9,8,12, and press Enter.
This places the polygon on the surface of the wheel hub.
4. At the Corner of polygon… prompt, type 0.5, and press Enter.
5. Move the cursor to the right ,and click to specify the orientation of the hexagon.

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13 - Solids and Transforms - Pull Toy

Make a solid from the hexagon
1. In the Perspective viewport, select the hexagon you just created.
2. On the Solid menu, click Extrude Planar Curve > Straight.
3. At the Extrusion distance... prompt, in the command options:
Uncheck BothSides
Check Solid
Check DeleteInput
4. Move the cursor away from the wheel hub.
The extrusion direction in preview defines the positive direction for the next step.

5. Type 0.5, and press Enter.

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Array the lug nuts
To create the lug nuts on the first wheel, you are going to use a polar (circular) array. An
array is a set of copies of an object. A polar array copies the objects around a central point.
The objects are rotated as they are copied.
Array the nuts around the center
1. In the Front viewport, select the lug nut.
2. On the Transform menu, click Array > Polar.
3. At the Center of polar array... prompt, in the object snap control, check Center.

4. Move the cursor near the hub edge to until the cursor snaps to the center of the
hub and click.

5. At the Number of items… prompt, type 5, and press Enter.
6. At the Angle to fill... prompt, press Enter.
7. At the Press Enter to accept prompt, preview the result and press Enter.

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Draw the tires
The tire is a solid form called a torus, which looks like a donut. When you are drawing atorus, the first radius is the radius of a circle around which the “tube” is drawn. The second
radius is the radius of the tube itself.
To draw the tire, you will draw the center of the torus tube a bit larger than the diameter ofthe wheel hub. The tube itself is slightly larger than the hub. This makes it dip into the hub.
Create a torus for the tires
1. On the Solid menu, click Torus.
2. At the Center of torus... prompt, in the Object Snap control, select One shot, andclick Between.

3. In the Perspective viewport, move the cursor near an edge of the wheel hub until
the Cen tooltip appears and click.

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4. Move the cursor near the other edge until the Cen tooltip appears and click.
This places the center of the torus at the middle of the hub "between" the centers of
two circles that make up the edges of the wheel hub.

5. At the Radius… prompt, move the cursor to the Front viewport, type 5, and press
Enter.
This makes the radius of the torus tube one unit bigger than the wheel hub.

6. At the Second radius… prompt, type 1.5, and press Enter.
This makes the inner dimension of the torus tube 0.5 units smaller than the wheel
hub.

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Mirror the wheels
Now that you have a whole wheel with tire created, use the Mirror command to create theother three.
Mirror the wheel to the other side
1. In the Top viewport, window-select the wheel as illustrated.
Be sure to select all the wheel parts.

2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
3. At the Start of mirror plane… prompt, at the command line, click the XAxis
option.
A mirrored copy of the wheel is made across the construction plane x-axis.

Mirror to create front wheels and axle
1. In the Top viewport, window-select the wheels and axle as illustrated.

2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror, or right-click to repeat the command.

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3. At the Start of mirror plane… prompt, at the command line, click the YAxis
option.
A mirrored copy of the wheel set is made across the construction plane y-axis.

Draw the eyes
You are going to draw a sphere on the body ellipsoid to represent an eye.
Create an eye using a sphere
1. On the Solid menu, click Sphere > Center, Radius.
2. At the Center of sphere... prompt, in the Object Snap control, click On surface.

3. In the Perspective viewport, select the body ellipsoid, and pick a point on thesurface as illustrated.

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4. At the Radius… prompt, type 3, and press Enter.

Mirror the eye
1. In the Top viewport, select the eye.

2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
3. At the Start of mirror plane… prompt, type 0 (this is a shortcut for typing 0,0,0),
and press Enter.
4. At the End of mirror plane… prompt, with Ortho on, drag the cursor to the left
and click.
A mirrored copy of the eye is created on the opposite side across the x-axis.

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Make the pull cord
To make the cord, you are going to draw a free-form curve using elevator and planar
mode. When the curve is complete, use the Pipe command to make it a thick solid.
Set up the view
1. Zoom out in all the viewports; you are going to need some space in front of the
body ellipsoid to work.
2. In the top panel, turn Planar mode on, and turn Ortho off.

3. In the Object Snap control, click Disable to turn off all object snaps.
In the Object Snap control, select Persistent and check Disable all to turn off all
object snaps.

Create the pull cord at the front of the toy
1. On the Curve menu, click Free-form > Control Points.
2. At the Start of curve… prompt, in the Top viewport, hold the Command ⌘ key
and click near and inside the front end of the body ellipsoid.
This only activates the Elevator mode. You have not placed the start point of thecurve yet.

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3. Move the cursor to the Front viewport, drag the cursor upwards near the end of theellipsoid, and click.

4. At the Next point… prompt, return to the Top viewport, move the cursor left andclick.

Planar mode keeps successive points at the same construction plane elevation.
Elevator mode and object snaps override Planar mode. Watch the curve in the
Front and Right viewports.
5. Place the third point in the Front viewport.

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6. Turn off Planar mode and click several more points in the Top viewport to create afree-form curve. Press Enter when done.
Notice that the points are placed on the Top construction plane.

Make the cord handle
Draw a small Ellipsoid to represent a handle at the end of the curve.
1. On the Solid menu, pick Ellipsoid > From Foci.
2. At the First focus... prompt, hold the Alt key and check End object snap.
Holding the Alt key allows accessing object snap checkboxes while Disable all is
on.

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3. In the Top or Perspective viewport, while holding the Alt key, snap to the end of
the cord curve and click.

4. At the Second focus... prompt, drag the cursor along the cord curve direction
about 5 units.
You can see the distance you are dragging the cursor from the last point in thestatus bar.

The status bar displays the distance between the cursor and the previous point.

5. Click to place the second focus point.

6. Drag the cursor to specify an appropriate size for the handle and click.

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Thicken the curve with a pipe
1. Select the cord curve.
2. On the Solid menu, click Pipe.
3. At the Start radius… prompt, type 0.2, and press Enter.
4. At the End radius… prompt, press Enter.
5. At the Point for next radius... prompt, press Enter.
The pipe will be the same radius for the full length of the curve.

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14 - Tutorial: Revolve Curves - Flashlight
Creating surfaces from curves and joining the surfaces together allows you greater
freedom for modeling the shape.
This tutorial introduces the concept of drawing curves and one method of creating surfaces
from those curves.

You will learn how to:
Add guides to help drawing the profile curves.
l Draw free-form curves.
l Edit control points.
l Revolve curves around an axis to create surfaces.
l Use History.
l

You will use guides as a frame of reference for drawing the profile curves of the flashlight.
To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model file
Flashlight.3dm.

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Set up the guides
Guides are infinite construction lines that only display when you are picking a point for acommand or when you are dragging objects with an object snap active.
Add guides
1. Click anywhere in the Front viewport to make it active.
2. Run the Grid command, and uncheck Show Grid and Show Grid Axes.
This hides the construction plane grid so you can easily see the guides you aregoing to add.
3. In the top panel, turn on SmartTrack.

Note: To use guides, SmartTrack and OSnap have to be turned on at the sametime.
4. Hold down Alt, and click on the Point checkbox in the Object Snap control.
This turns on the Point object snap and turns off all the others.

5. Type AddGuide, and press Enter.
6. Snap to a point, move the cursor vertically or horizontally, and click to add a guide.
If the cursor cannot move vertically or horizontally, hold down Shift to temporarily
enable Ortho mode.

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7. Add more guides as illustrated.

Tip: If a guide is not added properly, use the RemoveGuide command to remove
the guide.

Draw the body profile curve
You are going to draw a profile curve that you will use to revolve and create the flashlightbody.
Draw the body curve
1. In the top panel, click the Layer pane, and click the light bulb of the Points for
guides layer to turn it off.

2. On the Curve menu, click Free-Form > Control Points.
3. Set command options to Degree=3 and PersistentClose=Off.
4. At the Start of curve… prompt, in the Front viewport, snap to the lower-leftintersection of the guides and click.

Note: When guides display, Intersect and Near object snaps are always turned on.

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5. At the Next point... prompt, continue placing points as illustrated. Press Enter
when done.

All the points will be placed either on a guide or at an intersection of two guides.
Note: The first and last two points must be placed along the y-axis so the surface
created from the curve will be smooth at both ends.

Draw the lens profile curve
Make another profile curve for the lens.
Create the outer lens profile curve
1. On the Curve menu, click Free-Form > Control Points.
2. At the Start of curve… prompt, in the Front viewport, hold down Alt and place thefirst point as illustrated.

Note: Holding down Alt hides the guides and avoids snapping to the guides.
3. At the Next point... prompt, release Alt and place the second point.

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4. For the third point, hold down Shift, snap to the lowest guide, click, and press Enterto end the curve.

Note: Holding down Shift enables Ortho mode. The second and third points areplaced along the y-axis.

Offset to create the inner lens profile curve
1. In the top panel, turn SmartTrack off to disable guides.

2. On the Curve menu, click Offset > Offset Curve.
3. At the Select curve to offset... prompt, set the command options
Distance=1.5 and Cap=None.
4. Select the outer lens profile curve in the Front viewport, move the cursor to the left
and click.

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Connect the inner and outer lens profile curves
1. On the Curve menu, click Line > Single Line.
2. In the Object Snap control, check End.

3. Snap to the upper ends of the lens profile curves.
This creates a line to fill the gap.

4. Select the line and the lens profile curves.
5. On the Edit menu, click Join.
The curves and line are joined into a polycurve.

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Build body and lens surfaces
To make the body and lens surfaces, you will revolve the body and lens profile curves 360
degrees. You will use two curve ends to establish the revolve axis.
Create the flashlight body and lens
1. Right-click on the Perspective viewport title, and select Shaded.

Note: The Shaded display mode uses render meshes to display surfaces so you can
see the surfaces when they are created.
2. Select the body and lens profile curves.

Tip: Drag the cursor from right to left, the dashed rectangle is the crossing selection
window. All objects that intersect or are within the rectangle will be selected.
3. In the top panel, click History.
The next command will have History recorded.

4. On the Surface menu, click Revolve.

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5. At the Start of revolve axis prompt, snap to an end of the body profile curve andclick.

6. At the End of revolve axis... prompt, snap to the other end and click.

7. Click Full Circle in command options.

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Use History
We recorded History when building the flashlight body and lens surfaces. In the next
section, we will change the shape of the body profile curve and let History update the bodysurface.
Edit the body profile curve
1. In the Front viewport, select the body profile curve.
The body profile curve and surface are overlapped. The Choose Objects menu
pops up because Rhino cannot tell what you are going to select. You will have toselect curve from the list.

Note: When you select a single curve, its control points turn on automatically. The
control points turn off when you deselect the curve. If you need control points tostay on when a curve is deselected, select the curve, and press F10.
2. Drag the control points to change the shape of the body profile curve.
History updates the body surface for you.

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15 - Tutorial: Sweep, Loft, and Extrude Headphones
This tutorial demonstrates how to create surfaces from profile curves.

You will learn how to:
Use sub-object selection to preselect objects for a command.
l Create a surface from a planar curve.
l Loft, revolve, sweep, and extrude surfaces.
l Cap planar holes to create a solid.
l Draw a helix around a curve.
l Match curve ends.
l Create solid pipes.
l Mirror objects.
l Use layers.
l Use object snaps.
l

To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model file
Headphone.3dm.

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Create the speaker shell
The speaker shell is created using a lofted surface, a one-rail sweep, a solid extrusion of aplanar curve, and a surface fillet. The resulting geometry is joined into one solid.
One way to create a surface is to use existing curves as a guide. When lofting throughcurves, the curves are used as a guide for creating a smooth surface.
Loft curves to create a surface
1. Right-click on the Perspective viewport title, and on the viewport title menu, click
Shaded.
The Perspective viewport is now in the Shaded display mode.
2. Select the three circular curves, with a crossing selection as illustrated.

3. On the Surface menu, click Loft.
4. At the Drag seam point to adjust… prompt, note the display of the curve
direction arrows at the seam points.
In this model, they are nicely lined up, so you do not need to adjust them.
Press Enter.

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5. In the Loft Options dialog box, click Loft to create the loft.

Sub-object selection
Hold down Command ⌘ and Shift, and click to select individual object features such as:
Polysurface facesl Surface and polysurface edge curves
l Mesh vertices, faces, and edgesl Objects within a grouplThis action is called sub-object selection.
Extrude the surface edge
Extrude the lofted surface edge in the center to make a magnet housing on the convex
side of the speaker shell.
1. Hold down Command ⌘ and Shift to select the surface edge at the center of thelofted surface.

2. On the Solid menu, click Extrude Planar Curve > Straight.

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3. At the Extrusion Distance… prompt, move the cursor to the convex side, type 2,
and press Enter.
This makes a solid cylinder for the magnet housing that is two units thick andextends from the original surface edge.

Note: The cylinder you just created is an extrusion object (solid). The housing
cylinder needs to be open on the bottom.
In the next step, you will use sub-object selection to remove the bottom face.

Remove the bottom surface
1. Hold down Command ⌘ and Shift, and click to select the bottom face.

2. Press the Delete key.

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Fillet or round off the edge of the cylinder surface
1. On the Solid menu, click Fillet Edge > Fillet Edge.
The current Next Radius setting should be 1.
2. At the Select edges to fillet… prompt, select the edge at the top of the cylinder,
and press Enter.

3. At the Select fillet handle to edit... prompt, press Enter.

Surfaces that share an edge can be joined into a polysurface.
In the next step, you will join all the surfaces.

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Join the surfaces
1. Select the surface and the polysurface.
2. On the Edit menu, click Join.
To join surfaces, you must select surfaces that are adjacent to each other and theedges must match.

Create the padding and cover
Sweep a curve around the edge of the speaker cone to create the padding around the edgeof the speaker.
Reset the view
1. On the View menu, click Zoom > Zoom Extents All.
All viewports are zoomed in or out to show all the objects.
2. Hide or Delete the three curves used for the loft.

Sweep a curve along one rail
1. On the Surface menu, click Sweep 1 Rail.
2. At the Select rail prompt, select the loft surface outer edge.

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3. At the Select cross section curves prompt, select the cross section curve at the
top of the speaker as shown, and press Enter.
4. In the Sweep 1 Rail Options dialog box, enable Refit rail, and click Sweep.

Make a surface from planar curves
1. Hold down Command ⌘ and Shift, and click to select the inner edge of thepadding as illustrated.

2. On the Surface menu, click Planar Curves.
A planar surface is created at the base of the padding.

This fills the area at the base of the padding with a planar surface created from theedge of the sweep.

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Create the mounting bracket
The next part is the bracket that holds the speaker to the headband. Since the speaker unit
is complete, you can turn its layer off and make the Bracket layer current.
Reset the layers
1. In the top panel, click the Layer pane where it shows Speaker.
2. Make Bracket the current layer, and turn on the layer Bracket Shape Curves.
3. Turn all other layers off.

Reset the view
On the View menu, click Zoom > Zoom Extents All to zoom in on the bracket
shape curves in all viewports.

Extrude a curve into a solid
1. Select the closed curve.

2. On the Solid menu, click Extrude Planar Curve > Straight.
3. At the Extrusion distance… prompt, move the cursor to the left, type 1, and press
Enter.

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Fillet the edges
1. On the Solid menu, click Fillet Edge > Fillet Edge.
2. At the Select edges to fillet… prompt, type 0.2, and press Enter.
3. At the Select edges to fillet… prompt, click Chain Edges, and select the frontedge of the bracket.
The entire edge of the solid should highlight.
4. Press Enter to close that edge selection.

5. At the Select edges to fillet… prompt, click Chain Edges, and select the backedge of the bracket.
6. Press Enter to close that edge selection.

7. Press Enter to finish the edge selection.

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8. At the Select fillet handle to edit... prompt, press Enter.

This rounds all of the sharp edges.

Create a tubular surface from the shape curves
1. Select the curve at the top of the bracket.
2. On the Solid menu, click Pipe.
3. At the Start radius… prompt, in the command options, select Flat for Cap anduncheck Thick.
4. Type 0.3, and press Enter.
5. At the End radius… prompt, press Enter.
6. At the Point for next radius... prompt, press Enter.

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For the second tube
1. Select the curve at the bottom of the bracket.
2. On the Solid menu, click Pipe.

3. At the Start radius… prompt, type 0.2, and press Enter.
4. At the End radius… prompt, press Enter.
5. At the Point for next radius... prompt, press Enter.

Create the headband
The headband consists of a series of ellipses swept along a path.
Reset the layers
1. In the top panel, click the Layer pane.
2. Make Headband the current layer, and turn on the layer Headband Shape
Curves.
Turn all other layers off.

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Reset the view
On the View menu, click Zoom > Zoom Extents All to zoom in on the headband
shape curves in all viewports.

Create an ellipse perpendicular to a curve
1. Turn Ortho on.
2. On the Curve menu, click Ellipse > From Center.
3. At the Ellipse center… prompt, click Around Curve.
4. Select the curve.

5. At the Center of ellipse prompt, snap to an endpoint of the headband curve andclick.
Use the End object snap.
6. At the End of first axis prompt, type 0.5, and press Enter.
7. At the End of first axis prompt, drag the cursor in the x-direction and click.

8. At the End of second axis prompt, type 2, and press Enter.

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9. At the End of second axis prompt, drag the cursor in the y-direction and click.

Array a curve along a path
1. Select the ellipse.
2. On the Transform menu, click Array > Along Curve.
3. At the Select path curve prompt, select the headband curve.

4. In the Array Along Curve Options dialog box, under Array Along Curve
Method, set the Number of items to 3.
5. Under Orientation, click Freeform, and click Array.

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Scale the ellipse
1. Select the center ellipse.

2. On the Transform menu, click Scale > Scale 1-D.
Scale1D stretches an object in one direction.
3. At the Base point… prompt, press Enter.
4. At the Scale factor or first reference point… prompt, type 2, and press Enter.
5. At the Scale direction… prompt, drag the cursor in the y-direction and click.

This makes the center ellipse larger.

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Sweep along one rail
1. On the Surface menu, click Sweep 1 Rail.
2. At the Select rail prompt, select the headband curve.
3. At the Select cross section curves prompt select the three ellipses, and press
Enter.

4. At the Drag seam point to adjust… prompt, examine the direction and seam
points of the curves to make sure they are not twisted, and press Enter.
5. In the Sweep 1 Rail Options dialog box, click Sweep.

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Round the headband ends
Use the same ellipse that formed the first cross-section curve for the headband to create arounded end for the headband. Start by splitting the ellipse in half.
Reset the view
1. On the View menu, click Zoom > Zoom Window.
2. In the Perspective viewport, drag a rectangle to enclose the left end of theheadband to zoom in.

Split the ellipse in half
1. In the Object Snap control, hold down Alt and click the Quadrant object snap.
The Quadrant object snap is enabled. All the others are disabled at the same time.
2. On the Edit menu, click Split.
3. At the Select objects to split… prompt, click the Point option.
4. At the Select curve to split prompt, select the ellipse.

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5. At the Point to split curve prompts, snap to the two quadrants at the narrow axisof the ellipse and click, and then press Enter.

The ellipse is split into two halves.

Create a surface of revolution
1. Select the left half of the ellipse.

2. On the Surface menu, click Revolve.

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3. At the Start of revolve axis prompt, snap to the end of the ellipse half and click.

4. At the End of revolve axis prompt, snap to the other end of the ellipse half andclick.

5. At the Start angle... prompt, snap to the ellipse at the outer edge of the headband
and click.

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6. At the Revolution angle... prompt, rotate the view to see the other side.
Swing the mouse cursor down and snap to the other side of the ellipse and click.

A rounded surface is created at the end of the headband.

Mirror the rounded end
1. Select the rounded end.

2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
3. At the Start of the mirror plane prompt, type 0, and press Enter.

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4. At the End of the mirror plane prompt, drag the mirror line in the y-direction as
illustrated, and click.
Hold down Shift to help move the cursor in the ortho direction.

Join the surfaces
1. Select the surfaces.
2. On the Edit menu, click Join.
Three surfaces are joined into one polysurface.

Create the speaker wire
Use a separate layer to create the speaker wire.
Reset the layers
1. In the top panel, click the Layer pane.
2. Make Wire Shape Curves the current layer and turn on the layer Wire.
Turn all other layers off.

Reset the view
On the View menu, click Zoom > Zoom Extents All.

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Make the helix
1. On the Curve menu, click Helix.
2. At the Start of axis… prompt, click Around Curve.
3. At the Select curve prompt, select the long free-form curve.

4. At the Radius and start point… prompt, type 1, and press Enter.
This sets the radius for the helix.
5. At the Radius and start point… prompt, set Turns=30 and Num Points Per
Turn=8.
6. At the Radius and start point… prompt, in the Right viewport drag the cursor to
the left and click.
Hold down Shift to help move the cursor in the ortho direction.

Reset the view
1. On the View menu, click Zoom > Window.
2. In the Perspective viewport, zoom in on the left end of the helix you just created.

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Match and join the helix to the end curves
1. On the Curve menu, click Curve Edit Tools > Match.

2. At the Select open curve to change - pick near end prompt, select near the left
end of the helix.
3. At the Select open curve to match - pick near end… prompt, select near the
lower end of the vertical curve.

4. In the Match Curve dialog box, under Continuity, click Tangency, and enable
Join.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the other end of the helix.

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Create the speaker wire
1. On the Solid menu, click Pipe.
2. At the Select rail prompt, select the extended helical curve.
3. At the Start radius… prompt, type 0.2, and press Enter.
4. At the End radius… prompt, press Enter.
5. At the Point for next radius prompt, press Enter.

Create the second wire
1. Select the curve at the top left.
2. On the Solid menu, click Pipe.
3. At the Start radius… prompt, type 0.1, and press Enter.
4. At the End radius… prompt, press Enter.
5. At the Point for next radius prompt, press Enter.

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Mirror the headphone parts
Mirror the parts to create the parts for the other side of the headphones.
Reset the layers
1. In the top panel, click the Layer pane.
2. Turn on all layers.

Reset the view
On the View menu, click Zoom > Zoom Extents All.
Delete all the shape curves
1. Press Esc to deselect anything currently selected.
2. On the Edit menu, click Select Objects > Curves.
3. Press the Delete key.

Mirror the left half of the headphones
1. In the Front viewport, window-select the speaker, bracket, small wire, and rotatedellipse as illustrated.

2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
The Mirror command depends on which viewport is active. It uses the construction
plane in the active viewport to define the mirror plane. The mirror plane isperpendicular to the construction plane. Two points define the line in this plane
about which the selected objects are mirrored.

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3. At the Start of mirror plane prompt, type 0, and press Enter.
This is the first point of the mirror line.

4. At the End of mirror plane prompt, turn on Ortho, and drag the mirror line
straight up and pick.

Learn more
For a video tutorial showing a more sophisticated modeling method for a headphone set
using Rhino's Gumball feature, see: Modeling stereo headphones.

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16 - Tutorial: Loft and Sweep - Boat
This tutorial demonstrates classic boat hull lofting techniques using typical plan and profile
curves. The classic hull shape is based on a design from an old Boat Builder’s Handbook
magazine. Many designs similar to this are available over the Internet.

You will learn how to:
Simplify the curves.
l Use curvature graph to improve fairness.
l Create 3-D curves from 2-D curves.
l Create surfaces from 3-D curves.
lMarine terms used in this tutorial
Sheer
The fore-and-aft curvature from the bow to the stern of a ship’s deck as shown in side
elevation.
Chine
The intersection of the bottom and the sides of a flat or v-bottomed boat.
Transom
The planking forming the stern of a square-ended boat.
Fair
The meaning of fair is much debated in the marine industry and not easily defined.
Although fairing or smoothing is traditionally associated with hull surfaces, all visible
surfaces on any object can benefit from this process. In Rhino, the first cue for fairness in asurface is the spacing of the surface isocurves.
There are other characteristics of fair that curves and surfaces tend to have, although acurve or surface may be fair without exhibiting all of the characteristics. If you keep thesecharacteristics in mind while modeling, you will end up with a better final product.
The guidelines for creating a fair surface include:
Use the fewest possible control points to get the curve shape.
l Use the fewest possible curves to get the surface shape.
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Lay out the hull curves
The hull curves were created by tracing the original plans using a background bitmap. The
first step is to check the curves for fairness before creating surfaces from them.

The designer’s curves are illustrated. The sheer and chine are extended at the forward andaft ends to accommodate the lofting process.

To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model file
Victory.3dm.
The curves are laid out on the Plan and Profile layers.

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Check the curves for fairness
Select each of the designer’s curve pairs in plan and profile and use the CurvatureGraph
command to determine if the curves are fair. In this case, the file has the original curves
that were traced from the background bitmap. They are not fair. In other words, the curves
do not smoothly transition from one end of the sheer to the other. Adjust points on any
curve that is not fair. Start with the sheer (the curve at the top of the hull shape). It has thebiggest impact on the appearance of the vessel.
Check curvature
1. Select the sheer curve.
2. On the Analyze menu, click Curve > Curvature Graph On to start theCurvatureGraph command.
3. In the Curvature Graph dialog, increase Display scale to exaggerate the curvature
variation.
We can tell that this curve has a poor curvature quality from its curvature graph.
4. Change the Curvature hair color as needed to make the curvature graph stand out
from the background.
The illustration shows the curvature graph applied to the 2-D sheer in profile.

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Note
The curvature graph should be continuous and exhibit the desired characteristics for the
curve.
lll

When the curve is bending downward, the curvature graph will be above the curve. (1)Conversely, when the curve is bending upward, the curvature graph will be below the
curve. (2)The point of inflection (where the bending is reversing from one side to the other) is
where the curvature graph crosses the curve. (3)16016 - Tutorial: Loft and Sweep - Boat

Fix the curvature
Before doing any point editing to make a curve fair, you will rebuild the curve to remove
excess control points. In general, rebuilding a curve involves using the Rebuild commandalong with examination with the CurvatureGraph command.
When using the Rebuild command, do not use more points than you absolutely need.
Use the CurvatureGraph command to check the curve for fairness after each change.
If the curvature graph is still not satisfactory, move the control points until you have asmooth graph.
l Fair all of the curves in the model as needed before creating surfaces from bad curves.
ll

Rebuild the sheer curve
1. Select the sheer curve.
2. On the Edit menu, click Rebuild to start the Rebuild command.
3. In the Rebuild dialog box, change Point count to 6 and Degree to 5.
4. Enable Delete input, and click Rebuild.

The curvature is improved, but it is not good enough. From the curvature graph, we
can tell that the black curve in the right illustration is the real shape of the current
sheer curve if we overstate it. It bends three times. We will improve the curve
further by editing its control points to make it bend only once.

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Improve the curve further
The fine-tuning curvature of a curve requires moving control points a very short distance.
It is not easy to do this with the normal mouse movement, so we can use Nudge Keys, theMoveUVN, or DragStrength commands to reduce moving strength. We will use the
DragStrength command in this tutorial.
Drag, move, and nudge control points
1. Select the sheer curve and press F10 to turn on its control points.
2. Start the DragStrength command.
3. In the Drag Strength dialog, set the strength value to 5.

Moving the mouse cursor in a distance on the screen will only move an object 5%of the distance.
4. In the Front viewport, select the four control points in the middle.
5. Use Gumball to move the control points in the y-axis.
Make the whole curvature graph below the sheer curve. It can be above the sheer
curve if it is the design.

6. Close the Drag Strength dialog.
Drag strength returns to 100% when the dialog is closed.
7. Press ESC to turn off the curve control points.

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See also
For more information about using Rhino's gumball feature, review the Help topic for the
Gumball command.
Two video tutorials also help with learning to use the gumball
Hello Gumball! (https://vimeo.com/84954262)
Gumball Advanced (https://vimeo.com/260472052)

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Create the 3-D curves
So far, you have been working with 2-D curves. To loft the surfaces, you will use theseplanar curves to create 3-D curves. The planar curves can then be discarded.
With the 3D Curves layer current, you will select the profile and plan view representationsof each curve. You will use the Crv2View command to create the 3-D curve that combines
the x-, y-, and z-coordinates of the 2-D curves. The 2-D curves must be planar for thiscommand to work.
Create the 3-D curves
1. Set the 3D Curves layer current.
2. Select the plan and profile representations of the sheer curve.

3. On the Curve menu, click Curve from 2 Views to start the Crv2View command.
A 3-D curve is created. It is the intersection of the two surfaces extruded from thetwo input curves.

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4. Repeat the Crv2View command for the chine curve.

5. When you are satisfied that the proper curves were created, delete or hide the four
input curves of the Crv2View command.

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Revise the curves
For the lofting process to work on the bottom panel, it cannot come to a point. The lofted
shape must be rectangular. This is why the curves are extended beyond the centerline. The
curves can be lofted into a rectangular surface that can then be trimmed back. Except forthe bottom curve, the sheer and chine curves are already extended.
Trim the centerline
1. Select the centerline and the bow curve.

2. On the Edit menu, click Trim to start the Trim command.
3. Click the centerline near the forward end, and press Enter.
The centerline is trimmed to the end of the bow curve.

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Extend the centerline
1. On the Curve menu, click Extend Curve > Extend Curve.
2. At the Select boundary objects... Press Enter for dynamic extend prompt,
press Enter.
3. At the Select curve to extend... prompt, set the command option Type=Smooth,and click the centerline near the forward end in the Top viewport.

4. At the End of extension... prompt, click the command option ToPoint.
5. Move the cursor close to the ends of the shear and chine curves, but do not snap tothem, click and press Enter.
The bottom curve for lofting is created.

6. Press ESC to turn off the curve control points.

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Loft the hull surfaces
We have created three edge curves for one side of the hull. A lofted surface will be createdfrom these curves.
Loft sheer, chine, and bottom curves
1. Make the Hull layer current.
2. On the Surface menu, click Loft.
3. At the Select curves to loft... prompt, select the sheer, chine, and bottom curves
in order and near the same ends, and press Enter.

4. In the Loft Options dialog box, in the Style drop-down menu, click Straightsections.
5. Under Cross-section curve options, select Rebuild with, set the control point
count to 10, and click Loft.

6. Hide the sheer, chine, and bottom curves.

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Create the other side of the hull
We have created one side of the hull. We will mirror the hull to the other side. Use bothsides to trim each other. To make the both sides fully intersect, we will extend the bottom
surface before mirroring.
Extend the bottom surface
1. On the Surface menu, click Extend Surface.
2. At the Select an edge to extend... prompt, set Type=Smooth.
3. Click the bottom edge, move the edge a short distance outward and click.

Mirror the hull surfaces
1. In the Top viewport, select the hull.
2. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
3. At the Start of mirror plane... prompt, click XAxis.
The hull is mirrored to the opposite side across the CPlane x-axis.

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Trim the hull surfaces
1. Select the hull surfaces on both sides.
2. On the Edit menu, click Trim.
3. In the Front viewport, crossing-select the hulls as illustrated, and press Enter.
Drag the selection rectangle from right to left. Do not cross the blue bow curve.

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Build the transom
The transom will be a surface created from a closed planar boundary.
Trim the hull surfaces
1. Select the transom centerline.

2. On the Edit menu, click Trim.
3. At the Select object to trim... prompt, enable Extend Cutting Lines.
The line will work as an infinite line to trim the hull surfaces.
4. In the Front viewport, crossing select the hull behind the transom centerline.
The hull surfaces are trimmed to the line.

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The transom edges do not form a closed boundary. We will add a line to fill the gap for
creating the transom surface.
Add a line to close the transom area
1. On the Curve menu, click Line > Single Line.
2. Pick the two corners with the End object snap to create a line.

Create the transom surface
1. On the Surface menu, click Planar Curves to start the PlanarSrf command.
2. At the Select planar curves... prompt, select the line and the transom edges, andpress Enter.

3. Select the hull and the transom surfaces.
4. On the Edit menu, click Join.
The surfaces are joined into a polysurface.

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Check for errors
1. Select the hull.
2. On the Analyze menu, click Edge Tools > Show Edges.
The command should report "Found 11 edges total; 3 naked edges, no nonmanifold edges."
If your hull has more edges or naked edges, the hull was not built correctly. You
should start over and follow the steps carefully.
3. In the Edge Analysis dialog, select Naked Edges.
The naked edges display as magenta. You should not see any naked edges otherthan the upper edges of the hull.

4. Close the Edge Analysis dialog.

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Add the deck
The last step is to create the deck surface. Two curves describe the silhouette of the deck.
They will be used as references to create the cross-section curve of the deck. In the end, thedeck surface will be created from a curve network.

Compromise between concept and reality
When building a 3-D model from a 2-D concept plan, it is usually the case that the 3-Dmodel cannot exactly match the 2-D plan. How to compromise between a 2-D concept anda 3-D model is one of the modeling skills you will develop. In this case, the deck profile
curve does not end at the hull corner. We will move the curve end to the hull corner.
Adjust the control points
1. Select the deck profile curve, press F10 to turn on its control points.

2. Drag the first control point, using the End object snap to move the point to thecorner of the hull, and click.

3. Press ESC to turn off the curve control points.

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Project the vertical line on to the hull
1. On the Curve menu, click Curve from objects > Project.
2. At the Select curves and points to project... prompt, in the Front viewport,
select the vertical line, and press Enter.

3. At the Select surfaces... prompt, select the hull, and press Enter.
The line is projected onto both sides of the hull.

Draw one half of the cross-section curve
1. In the top panel, click the Planar to turn on Planar mode.
2. On the Curve menu, click Free-Form > Control Points.
3. In the Right viewport, use the End object snap to place the first point at the end of
the deck profile curve (1).
4. Hold down Shift to turn Ortho mode on, move the cursor to the right, and click toplace the second point (2).
5. Release Shift and click to place the third point (3).

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6. Snap to the upper end of the projected curve on the hull (4), click, and press Enterto finish the curve.

Mirror the half of the cross-section curve
1. On the Transform menu, click Mirror.
2. At the Select objects to mirror prompt, in the Right viewport, select the halfcross-section curve, and press Enter.

3. At the Start of mirror plane... prompt, click the YAxis option or type Y, and press
Enter.
The curve is mirrored to the other side across the viewport y-axis.
4. Select the two half cross-section curves.
5. On the Edit menu, click Join.
The two half cross-section curves are joined into a polycurve.

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Create the deck surface from a curve network
The deck cross-section curve (1), the deck profile curve (2), and the upper edges of thehull (3) and (4) form a curve network that will be used to create the deck surface.

1. On the Surface menu, click Curve Network to start the NetworkSrf command.
2. At the Select curves in network... prompt, select the four curves, and press Enter.
3. In the Surface From Curve Network dialog box, under Edge matching, selectPosition for A, B, and C, and click OK.
The deck surface is created.

Join the parts
1. Select all of the surfaces.
2. On the Edit menu, click Join to create a polysurface.

17717 - Tutorial: Point Editing and Blending Penguin
This tutorial demonstrates point-editing techniques including moving and scaling control
points and adding knots to surfaces to increase control. In addition, you will use blends tocreate smooth transitions between surfaces.

Rendered with Penguin renderer by Jari Saarinen.

You will learn how to:
Rebuild surfaces to add additional control points.
l Insert knots in a surface to add control points in a specific location.
l Edit surface control points to define a shape.
l Scale control points to change the object shape.
l Use object snaps projected to the construction plane.
l Orient an object on a surface.
l Create smooth blends between surfaces.
l

To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model file
Penguin.3dm.

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The body
You can open the example model, Penguin.3dm, and try to match the shapes of thecomplete penguin on the hidden Complete layer as you are building the model. You canexperiment with your own shapes, too.
The body and head are created from one sphere. The shape is formed by moving thecontrol points in the sphere to create the head.
Draw a sphere
1. On the Solid menu, click Sphere > Center, Radius.
2. At the Center of sphere... prompt, move the mouse cursor to the Top viewport.
3. Type 0, and press Enter.
The center of the sphere is placed at the construction plane origin (0,0,0).
4. At the Radius... prompt, type 10, and press Enter.
A sphere with a radius of 10 units is created.

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Rebuild the sphere
Use the Rebuild command to add more control points to the sphere.
1. On the Edit menu, click Rebuild.
2. At the Select curves, extrusions or surfaces to rebuild prompt, select thesphere, and press Enter.
3. In the Rebuild Surface dialog box, set the Point count in the U and V directions
to 8, and the Degree in the U and V directions to 3.
4. Check Delete input, and click Rebuild.

Turn control points on
Use the PointsOn command or press F10 to turn on the sphere’s control points.
Look in all the viewports at the structure of the control points.
The next step will change this structure so that moving the control points does not
influence the whole sphere.

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Insert knots
Use the InsertKnot command to insert two knots in the sphere in the area where youwant the neck.
1. On the Edit menu, click Control Points > Insert Knot.
2. At the Select the curve or surface for knot insertion prompt, select the sphere.
3. At the Point on surface to add knot prompts, set the command option
Direction=U.
4. Click on the sphere to insert two knots (isocurves) in the u-direction only as
illustrated.

Examine the control point structure after inserting the knot.

You will reposition control points to create the indentation for the neck and toreform the body shape.

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Flatten the bottom
1. In the Front viewport, window-select the control points near the bottom of thesphere.

2. On the Transform menu, click Set XYZ Coordinates.
3. In the Set Points dialog box, check the Set Z, clear the Set X and Set Y checkboxes, select Align to World, and click Set Points.
4. Drag the selected control points up, and click.

This will align all of the selected control points to the same z-value (up in the Front
viewport), flattening the surface.

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Move points
1. Window-select the top rows of control points in the Front viewport.

2. Click Gumball in the top panel to turn it on.
3. Drag the green arrow of the Gumball widget to move the control points up toshape the body.

See also
For more information about using Rhino's gumball feature, review the Help topic for the
Gumball command.
Two video tutorials also help with learning to use the gumball
Hello Gumball! (https://vimeo.com/84954262)
Gumball Advanced (https://vimeo.com/260472052)

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Scale points
1. In the Perspective viewport, hold the Shift key and drag the Gumball scale
handle (the small blue rectangle).
The control points are scaled in two directions.

Look at different viewports to see the changes in the body shape as you move thecontrol points closer to and farther from the center.
Match the example model or use your own shape.

2. Drag the Gumball scale handle without holding the Shift key.
The control points are scaled in one direction. Make the body slightly flatter in thefront and back direction near the head.

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The eyes
The eye is an ellipsoid shape that is oriented onto the surface.
Create the eye
1. Start the Ellipsoid command.
2. In the Top viewport, place the center point anywhere.
3. At the End of first axis prompt, type 1.1, and press Enter.
This constrains the distance from the center point to the end of the axis to 1.1 units.
4. Drag the cursor to the right and pick.

5. At the End of second axis prompt, type 1.1, and press Enter to constrain the
distance.
Using these constraints will create a circular ellipsoid when it is seen from the top.
6. Drag the cursor up or down in the Top viewport and pick.

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7. At the End of third axis prompt, type 0.5, and press Enter.

Orient the eye on the surface
1. Select the eye ellipsoid in the Top or Perspective viewport.
2. On the Transform menu, click Orient > On Surface to start the OrientOnSrf
command.
3. At the Base point... prompt, in the Top viewport, pick the center of the ellipsoid.

4. At the Reference point for scaling and rotation prompt, pick any point to theright or left of the eye ellipsoid.
The exact location is not important.

5. At the Surface to orient on prompt, select the penguin body.
6. In the Orient on Surface dialog box, click Orient.

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7. At the Point on surface to orient to… prompt, move the cursor onto the headarea where you want to place the eye and click.

Mirror the eye
1. Start the Mirror command.
2. In the Front viewport, at the Start of mirror plane... prompt, type 0, and press
Enter.
3. At the End of mirror plane... move the mouse cursor along the y-axis with Orthomode and click.
The second eye is created.

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The beakThe beak is another ellipsoid that you can edit to change the shape.
Create the basic beak shape
1. Start the Ellipsoid command.
2. In the Top viewport, place the center point anywhere.
3. At the End of first axis prompt, type 3, and press Enter.
This constrains the distance from the center point to the end of the axis to threeunits.
4. Hold the Shift key, drag the cursor to the right, and pick.

5. At the End of second axis prompt, type 2, and press Enter.
Using these constraints creates a circular ellipsoid when it is seen from the top.
6. Drag the cursor up or down in the Top viewport and pick.

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7. At the End of third axis prompt, type 1, and press Enter.

Shape the beak
1. Select the beak and press F10 to turn on the beak's control points.
2. In the Front viewport, window-select the upper row of points.
3. Drag the selected points up.

4. Window-select the middle points of the lower rows.
5. Drag the control points up to shape the beak.

Tip: You can also try the Nudge keys (Alt + Arrow direction keys) to nudge theselected points.

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Move the beakMove the beak into position using Gumball.

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The feet
The feet are created using another ellipsoid. Knots are added to help create the webbed
toes.
Draw the beginning ellipsoid
1. In the Front viewport, start the Ellipsoid command.
2. Place the center point anywhere.
3. At the End of first axis prompt, type 1, and press Enter.
This constrains the distance from the center point to the end of the axis to one unit.
4. With Ortho on, drag the cursor up, and pick.

5. At the End of second axis prompt, type 3, and press Enter.
6. In the Top viewport, with Ortho on, drag the cursor up, and pick.

7. At the End of third axis prompt, type 3, and press Enter.

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Rebuild the ellipsoid
1. Use the Rebuild command to add more control points to the ellipsoid.
2. In the Rebuild Surface dialog box, set the Point count in the U and V directions
to 8.
3. Set the Degree in the U and V directions to 3.
4. Check Delete input, and click Rebuild.

Insert knots to create the webbed feet
1. Select the ellipsoid and start the InsertKnot command.
2. Enable Symmetrical and set Direction=V.
3. Insert four knots (isocurves) in the ellipsoid as illustrated, and press Enter.

Scale the points from the center
1. Windows-select the control points on both top and bottom of the ellipsoid as
illustrated.
Hold the Alt key to avoid moving control points.
Hold the Shift key to add more control points to the selection.

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2. Start the Scale2D command, and in the Top viewport, pick the center point with
the Point object snap as the Base point.

3. Pick another point away from the ellipsoid as the First reference point.

4. Drag the points to make the whole foot about twice the size of the original ellipsoidand click.

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Move and rotate the foot into position
1. Use Gumball to move the foot in the Top and Front viewports under the penguinbody.

2. Select the foot in the Top viewport.
3. Click Gumball's blue rotation control, type -15, and press Enter to rotate the foot15 degrees.

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Mirror the foot1. Select the foot and start the Mirror command in the Front viewport.
2. Type 0, and press Enter to place the start of the mirror plane at the construction
plane origin.
3. Hold the Shift key to enable Ortho mode, drag the mouse cursor up or down, andclick.

Create a cutting plane
1. Select the feet, on the Surface menu, click Plane > Cutting Plane.
2. In the Front viewport, pick two points to make a planar surface that passes throughthe feet as illustrated.
Hold the Shift key to enable Ortho mode while picking the second point.

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Trim andJoin the feet and the plane

Trim the bottoms of the feet off with the plane as the cutting object.
1. Select the feet and the cutting plane.
2. On the Edit menu, click Trim.
3. In the Front viewport, click the three positions as illustrated, and press Enter.

4. While the remaining surfaces are still selected, on the Edit menu, click Join.
The surfaces are joined into two closed polysurfaces.

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The tail
The tail is another ellipsoid. It is joined to the body with a smooth blend surface.
Create the tail shape
Draw an Ellipsoid.
First axis: 4 units (Y in Top view).
Second axis: 3 units (X in Top view)
Third axis: 1.5 units (Y in Front view).

Position the tailUse Gumball to Move and Rotate the tail into position.

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Union the tail and body
Combine the tail and the body shapes with a Boolean operation.
1. On the Solid menu, click Union.
2. At the Select surfaces or polysurfaces to union prompt, click the tail and thebody, and press Enter.
The tail and body are combined into a single object.

Smooth the sharp edge between the tail and body
The transition between the tail and body is rather abrupt; so replace this with a smoothblend surface.
1. On the Solid menu, click Fillet Edge > Blend Edge.
2. At the Select edges to blend... prompt, type 0.6, and press Enter.
The NextRadius option is set to 0.6 units.
3. Pick the edge between the tail and body, and press Enter twice.

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The wings
Create the base wing shape
Draw an Ellipsoid.
First axis: 6.5 units (Y in Front view).
Second axis: 1.2 units (X in Front view)
Third axis: 2 units (Y in Top view).

Bend the wing to the body
1. Move the ellipsoid close to the body in the Front viewport.

2. On the Transform menu, click Bend.
3. At the Start of spine prompt, in the Front viewport, pick near the bottom of thewing ellipsoid.

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4. At the End of spine prompt, pick near the top of the wing.

5. At the Point to bend through… prompt, drag the top of the wing toward the
body to intersect.

6. If further positioning is required, use Gumball to place the wing.

Mirror to the other side
Use the Mirror command to create the opposite wing.

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Boolean Union the wings and the body
1. Select the body and wings.
2. On the Solid menu, click Union.
The body and wings are trimmed by each other and joined into a single object.

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Finishing touches
To finish the penguin, split the front part of the body so a different material can be applied
to it.
Draw a trimming curve
Draw a curve from the beak down to the bottom.
1. On the Curve menu, click Free-Form > Interpolate Curve.
2. In the Right viewport, pick three points as illustrated, and press Enter.

Split the body with the curve
Split the body surface with the curve. This allows a different material for the front of thebody.
1. On the Edit menu, click Split.
2. At Select object to split... prompt, select the body, and press Enter.
3. At Select cutting objects... prompt, select the curve, and press Enter.

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Add a light and materials
To produce a realistic rendering of your model, materials and lighting will be required.
Set up the light
1. On the Render menu, click Create Point Light.
2. In the Top viewport, click near the location as illustrated.

3. In the Front viewport, move the point light to be higher than the penguin.

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Create materials
1. Type Materials and press Enter.
The Materials panel is opened on the right side.
2. Click the

button, and on the material template list, click Plastic.

3. Replace the name Plastic with the name Body.
4. Under Plastic, click the Color swatch to open the Color dialog.
5. Select a dark gray color.

6. Create three more Plastic materials named Eyes, Beak and Feet, and Belly.
7. Set the Eyes color to black, the Beak and Feet color to orange, and the Belly color
to white.

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Assign materials
1. Make the Perspective viewport current, on the View menu, click Rendered.
2. Drag the Body material from the Material panel, and drop it onto the penguin
body.
The material is assigned to a single object.

3. Drag the Belly material from the Material panel, and drop it onto the front part ofthe penguin.
4. Select the beak and feet.
5. In the Material panel, right-click on the Beak and Feet material, and click Assign
to Objects.
The material is assigned to multiple objects at once.
6. Select the eyes.
7. In the Material panel, right-click on the Eyes material, and click Assign to
Objects.

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18 - Tutorial: Trace Images - Dragonfly
This tutorial demonstrates how to get started modeling an object using photographs asreference material.

You will learn how to:l

Trace images to create profile curves.

l

Sweep a cross-section along two rails to create the body segments.

lCreate the tail from a curve network.

l

Use blend surfaces to create the chest.

lEdit control points to change the shape of a surface for the head.

Starting images.

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Note: The top and side views are actually of different specimens of this dragonfly. In theside view, the wings are folded up. We will be using the side view image only to draw theside view curves of the body.
To download the tutorial files
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial image files
Dragonfly Top.jpg and Dragonfly Side.jpg.

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Place the reference images
Start the model
1. On the File menu, click New Using Template... to begin a new model.
2. On the Splash screen, in the template list, double-click Small Objects Millimeters.3dm.

Place the top view image
1. Drag the image file DragonFly Top.jpg from Finder and drop it onto a Rhino
viewport.
2. In the Image Options dialog, select Picture, and click Apply.
3. Move the cursor to the Top viewport, type 0, and press Enter.
This places the first corner at the construction plane origin, 0,0,0.
4. Type 50, and press Enter.
This sets the length of the Picture plane to 50 mm.
5. Move the cursor above the X axis, and click.

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Place the side view image
In the Front viewport, use the same steps to place the image file DragonFly
Side.jpg.

Align the top view image
1. On the Object Snap panel, check Midpoint and End.
2. In the Perspective viewport, move the cursor near the tail of the top view image
and hold the left mouse button.
The Midpoint tooltip appears to indicate the middle point of the edge is snapped.
Note: Do not release the left mouse button.

3. Drag the Picture plane, snap to the lower-left corner of the other Picture plane, andrelease the left mouse button.

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Align the side view image
1. In the Top panel, turn on Gumball.

2. In the Perspective viewport, select the side view Picture plane.
3. Drag the blue arrow down and align the body in the side view image with the top
Picture plane.

4. Turn off Gumball.

More about gumballFor more information about using Rhino's gumball feature, review the Help topic for the
Gumball command.
Two video tutorials also help with learning to use the gumball
Hello Gumball! (https://vimeo.com/84954262)
Gumball Advanced (https://vimeo.com/260472052)

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Reduce visibility of Picture materials
The Picture command creates a Picture material with the selected image as the texture
and assigns the material to the Picture plane. Reducing visibility of the Picture material
makes tracing the image easier.

Black curves on the full color texture (left) and on a transparent grayscale texture (right).

1. In the Materials panel, two materials have been added by the Picture command.

2. Select both materials in the Materials panel.
Tip: Select a material, hold Shift, and select the other.
3. In the Texture settings below, check Grayscale.

4. In the Transparency settings, drag the slider to 80%.

Lock Picture planes
Select the two Picture planes and run the Lock command.
(Edit > Visibility > Lock)
This makes it so the Picture planes cannot be selected. Selecting curves on or
behind the Picture planes will be easier.

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Trace the chest and body
Draw chest profiles
1. Start the Curve command.
(Curve > Free-Form > Control Points)
2. In the Front viewport, start the curve at the neck (1).
3. Trace along the upper profile of the chest and end the curve at (2) where the chest
and body connect.

4. Draw another curve along the lower profile of the chest.
Use the End object snap to start and end the curve at the endpoints of the first
curve.

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Create body segment profiles
The body consists of several segments. We only need to draw the profiles of one
segment.
1. Start a curve at (1) in the chest and above the ends of the chest profiles.
2. Reference the image and end the curve at the end of the first segment.
Tip: Use five points to draw the curve. Place the last two points close to form a curlyend (2).

3. Select the curve, and start the Mirror command.
(Transform > Mirror)
4. Pick at (1) and then (2) to define the mirror plane.
Tip: The mirrored curve has to intersect with the lower chest profile.

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Duplicate body segment profiles
1. Select the upper body segment profile, and start the Orient command.
(Transform > Orient > 2 Points)
2. In the command options, check Copy and select 1 D for Scale.
3. Snap to the right end of the curve, and click to place the first reference point.

4. Snap to the left end of the curve, and click to place the second reference point.

5. Snap to the same end again, and click to place the first target point.

6. Using the image as a reference, click at the end of the second body segment.

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7. Snap to the current end, click, and continue duplicating more curves along the upper
body profile.

8. Click at the end of the last body segment, and press the ESC key to end the command.

9. Use the same procedure to duplicate the other curve along the lower body profile.

Fine-tune body segment profile curves
The last three lower body segment profile curves do not match the image. We will use
control point editing to improve them.

1. Select one of the curves.
Its control points turn on automatically.

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2. Move the control points to make the curve match the image.

3. Adjust the other two curves.

4. Select all body segment profile curves, and Join them into two polycurves.
(Edit > Join)217

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Create the body segments
Create the body cross-section
1. Start the Circle command to draw a circle from its diameter.
(Curve > Circle > 2 Points)
2. In the command options, click Vertical.
3. In the Front viewport, snap to the two ends of the body profile curves to create acircle.

Create the body segment surfaces
1. Start the Sweep2 command.
(Surface > Sweep 2 Rails)
2. In the Perspective viewport, select the two body profile curves (1) and (2), and thecross-section circle (3) in order. Press Enter when done.

3. Press Enter one more time to accept the default seam location.

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4. In Sweep 2 Rail Options, set the options as shown below, and click Sweep tocreate the surface.

5. On the Perspective viewport title menu, click Shaded to see the surface.

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Create the tail
Draw the side profiles of the tail1. Start the Curve command.
(Curve > Free-Form > Control Points)
2. Use the Quadrant object snap to start the curve from the top quadrant point of the
body edge.

3. Continue drawing the curve in the Front viewport.
Use four points to create the curve.

4. Create another curve from the bottom quadrant point of the body edge.

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5. Continue drawing the curve in the Front viewport.

Create the end cross-section of the tail1. Create an Ellipse from its diameter.
(Curve > Ellipse > Diameter)
2. In the command options, click Vertical.
3. To draw the ellipse vertical to the Front construction plane, in the Front viewport,
use the End object snap to place the first and second points of the ellipse at theends of the two curves.

4. In the Top viewport, reference the image, and place the third point of the ellipse.

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Draw the top profiles of the tail1. Start the InterpCrv command.
(Curve > Free-Form > Interpolate Points)
2. In the Perspective viewport, use the Quad object snap to start the curve from theleft quadrant point of the body edge (1).
3. End the curve at the left quadrant point of the ellipse (2).

4. In the Front viewport, select the curve, and move the two control points up a small
distance.

5. In the Top viewport, move the two control points in the vertical direction to makean "S" shape.
Tip: To maintain the curve's shape in the Front viewport, move the control points in
the Top viewport only in the y-direction.

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6. Mirror (Transform > Mirror) the curve to the other side.

Create the tail surface
Now we have a curve network that we can use to create the tail surface.
1. Start the NetworkSrf command.
(Surface > Curve Network)
2. In the Perspective viewport, select the four curves, the ellipse, and the body edge,
and press Enter.

3. In the options dialog, set the options as shown below, and click OK.

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Clean up the model
1. Use the SelCrv command to select all the curves in the model.
(Edit > Select Objects > Curves)

2. Hold the Command key and click on the two chest profile curves to deselect them.

3. Hide all the curves that will not be used in the future.
(Edit > Visibility > Hide)224

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Join body and tail surfaces
1. Start the Join command.
(Edit > Join)
2. Select the body and tail surfaces, and press Enter.
The body and tail are joined into a single object.
3. While the new body-tail object is still selected, run the Cap command.
(Solid > Cap Planar Holes)
A planar surface is added to each open end to make it a closed object.

Create the trimming cylinder
We will create a cylinder and use it to trim the tail.
1. Start the Cylinder command.
(Solid > Cylinder)
2. In the command options, check Solid, and click 2 Point.
3. Use the Quadrant object snap to place the start (1) and end (2) of the cylinder baseat the left and right quadrant points of the tail edge.

4. In the command options, select None for Direction Constraint and check Both
Sides.

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5. In the Front viewport, move the cursor to make the preview cylinder roughly
perpendicular to the tail and click.

Trim the tail1. Start the BooleanDifference command.
(Solid > Difference)
2. Select the body-tail object as the object to subtract from, and press Enter.
3. Select the cylinder as the object to subtract with, and press Enter.

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Create the chest
Create the dummy surfaces
We will make two dummy surfaces to help create one side of the chest.
1. Turn on Gumball.
2. Select the two chest profile curves in the Perspective viewport.
3. Drag the small dot on the green arrow of the Gumball widget for a short distance.
The two curves are extruded into two surfaces. They are the dummy surfaces.

4. While the curves are still selected, run the Hide command.
(Edit > Visibility > Hide)Create the chest surface
1. Start the BlendSrf command.
(Surface > Blend Surface)
2. Select the two edges of the dummy surfaces.
Tip: Select the two edges close to the same end.

3. In the options dialog, click the lock icon to link the two sliders.

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4. Set the options as shown in the illustration below.

5. Look at the Top viewport and drag the sliders to the left until the blend surface
profile matches the chest profile in the top image.

6. Click OK to create one side of the chest.

7. Delete the two dummy surfaces.

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Mirror the chest surface
1. Select the chest surface, and start the Mirror command.
(Transform > Mirror)
2. With the Perspective or Top viewport active, click the command option XAxis.

3. Join both sides into a whole chest.
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Create the head
The head is deformed by control points editing from an ellipsoid.
Start the head from a sphere
1. Start the Sphere command.
(Solid > Sphere > Center, Radius)
2. In the Front viewport, pick at (1) for the sphere center and (2) for the radius.

3. In the Top viewport, select the sphere, and turn on Gumball.
4. Drag the Y scale handle (the small green rectangle) down for a short distance.
The sphere became an ellipsoid.

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Rebuild the ellipsoid
1. Rebuild the ellipsoid.
(Edit > Rebuild)
2. In the Rebuild Surface options dialog, set the options as shown in the illustration
below, and click Rebuild.

Shape the head
1. Select the head, and press F10 to turn on its control points.
2. Start the SelCircular command.
(Edit > Select Objects > Area and Volume Select > Circular)
3. In the Front viewport, as shown below, click at (1) to set the center of the selection
circle.
4. Click at (2) between the outermost two rows of control points to define the size ofthe selection circle.

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5. In the Top viewport, drag Gumball's X move control (the red arrow) to the left.

6. In the Front viewport, window-select the control points as illustrated.

7. Drag Gumball's XY plane control toward the lower-right.

8. Press ESC to turn off control points.

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Add the neck
The neck is a blend surface between the head and body. You will first combine the headand body, and then create a blend surface along the edges between them.
Combine the head, chest, and body
1. In the Front viewport, move the head to enclose the endpoint of the chest as
needed.
If the endpoint of the chest is not inside the head, the neck surface will fail to create.

2. Select the head, chest, and body, and run the BooleanUnion command.
(Solid > Union)

3. Start the BlendEdge command.
(Solid > Fillet Edge > Blend Edge)
4. Set the command option NextRadius to 0.5, and check Preview.
5. Select the edges between the head and chest, and press Enter.

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6. Preview the result, and press Enter to create the neck.

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Create the eyes
The eyes are simple ellipsoids.
Start the eye from a sphere
1. Start the Sphere command.
(Solid > Sphere > Center, Radius)
2. In the Perspective viewport, pick two points around the head to create a sphere.
The sphere size does not matter.

3. Tune on Gumball and drag the Z scale handle (the small blue rectangle) up tosqueeze the sphere into an ellipsoid.

4. Turn off Gumball.

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Position the eye
1. Select the eye ellipsoid and start the OrientOnSrf command.
(Transform > Orient > On Surface)
2. In the Perspective viewport, snap to the center of the ellipsoid, and click.

3. Pick another point on the construction plane as the reference point.

4. Select the head as the target surface.
5. In the options dialog, set the options as shown in the illustration below, and click
Orient.

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6. Move the ellipsoid on the surface to a proper location, and click.

7. Disable all object snaps.
8. Move the cursor to define the size of the eye, and click.

Mirror the eye
1. Select the eye and start the Mirror command.
(Transform > Mirror)
2. In the top panel, click History.
3. Click the command option XAxis.
4. Use Gumball to adjust the position, size, and orientation of the first eye.
History will update the mirrored eye on the other side.

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Trace the wings
The wings are solids created from closed planar curves.
Draw the outline curve
1. Hide the body.
(Edit > Visibility > Hide)
2. Double-click the Top viewport title to maximize the viewport.
3. Use the Curve command to trace a wing on one side.
(Curve > Free-Form > Control Points)
Tip: Place the last control point at the first control point to make a closed curve.

4. Draw the other wing on the same side.

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Extrude the curves to make solids
1. Select the two wing curves, and start the ExtrudeCrv command.
(Solid > Extrude Planar Curve > Straight)
2. In the command options, uncheck BothSides and check Solid.
3. Set the extrusion distance to 0.1, and press Enter.
Two thin solid wings are created.

Relocate and mirror the wings
1. Use Gumball to move the wings up.
Place the front wing higher than the back wing.

2. In the Top viewport, Mirror the wings to the other side.
(Transform > Mirror)

3. Hide the solid wings and the outline curves.
(Edit > Visibility > Hide)239

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Create the legs
The legs are pipes created from polylines with various radii.
Draw the center polyline
1. Start the Polyline command.
(Curve > Polyline > Polyline)
2. In the Top viewport, start every polyline close to the center line of the body.

3. Trace down the center line of each leg with four points (three segments).

4. In the Perspective viewport, select a polyline, and use Gumball to move thecontrol points down.
Tip: Look at the Front viewport to help locate the points.

You will have to use your imagination a little for this since the two pictures do notshow the legs of the same dragonfly.

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Pipe the polylines
1. Start the Pipe command and select a polyline.
(Solid > Pipe)
2. Type 0.4, and press Enter for the start radius.
3. Type 0.1, and press Enter for the end radius.

4. Use the End object snap to snap to the corner between the first and second
segments and click.
5. Type 0.3, and press Enter.

6. Snap to the corner between the second and third segments and click.
7. Type 0.2, and press Enter.

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8. Press Enter again to create the pipe.

9. Create the other five legs with the same procedure.

Unhide the body and wings
1. Start the ShowSelected command.
(Edit > Visibility > Show Selected)
2. Select the body and wings, and press Enter.
3. Unlock the Picture planes and hide them.
(Edit > Visibility > Unlock)4. Use Gumball to rotate the wings slightly to add realism.

242

19 - Tutorial: Flow Along a Surface - Wrap Text
This tutorial demonstrates wrapping solid text objects onto a mug. These text objects could
be used to Boolean with the mug.

You will learn how to:
Create solid text objects.
l Wrap the text objects onto a surface.
l

To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model fileWrap.3dm.

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Create the planar reference plane
The CreateUVCrv command generates the planar border and trimmed curves of a surface
that can be used as a guide to orient your text objects.
Create the UV curve
1. Start the CreateUVCrv command.
(Curve > Curve from Objects > Create UV Curves)
2. Select the side surface of the mug, press Enter.
A rectangle and two circles are created on the Top construction plane starting fromthe origin. The rectangle represents the side surface boundary. The two circles arewhere the handle join to the side surface.

Create the planar surface
1. Select the rectangle.
2. Run the PlanarSrf command.
(Surface > Planar Curves)
An untrimmed planar rectangle surface is created.

3. Delete the rectangle curve.

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Create text objects to wrap
Create text objects
1. Start the TextObject command.
(Solid > Text...)
2. Select a font and set Height to 1.0.
3. Type your text.
4. Under Output, select Solids and set Thickness to 0.2.
5. Check Group output.
6. Click Apply and place the text on the planar surface inside the rectangle boundary.

Wrap the text objects onto the mug
1. Select the text object group.
2. In the top panel, click History.
3. Start the FlowAlongSrf command.
(Transform > Flow along Surface)
4. In the command options, enable Copy and Auto Adjust, and disable Rigid.
5. Select the planar surface near the lower-left corner and close to the lower edge.
This is the base surface.

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6. Select the mug side surface at the corresponding position.
This is the target surface.
The text objects are wrapped onto the mug.

If the base or target surface is not selected at the correct corresponding position,
the text objects will be wrapped with a wrong orientation. When it happens, undo
the command and try again.

Position the text objects
1. Use Gumball to Move, Rotate, and Scale the text objects on the planar surface
inside the rectangle boundary.
Let History update the text objects on the mug.
2. Move the text objects down to intersect with the planar surface.

History updates the text objects to intersect with the mug.

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Boolean the text objects with the mug
Boolean operations will break History connection. Click OK when you see the History
Warning.
Use the BooleanDifference command to subtract the text objects from the mug.
(Solid > Difference)

Or, use the BooleanUnion command to combine the text objects into the mug.
(Solid > Union)247

20 - Tutorial: Blocks - Mechanical Part
This example shows how to use Rhino to model a simple mechanical part.
You will learn how to:
Create extrusion objects.
Boolean-difference shapes.
l Drill holes.
l Create a 2-D line drawing from the 3-D shapes.
l Dimension the 2-D line drawing and modify dimension text.
ll

To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model file
Toolblock.3dm.

Create solid shapes
Start by creating two basic solid shapes from the profile curves on layers Profile-01 andProfile-02.
Set up the layers
In the Layers panel, confirm that the Profile-01 layer is current.

Extrude the profile curve
1. On the Solid menu, click Extrude Planar Curve > Straight.
2. Turn on the End object snap.
3. At the Select curves to Extrude prompt, select the blue profile curve, and press
Enter.

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4. At the Extrusion distance prompt, in the command options, check Solid anduncheck Delete Input.
5. Snap to the end of the magenta construction line, and click.

The extruded shape is a solid because it forms a closed volume in space.

Hide the solid
Select the solid, on the Edit menu click Visibility > Hide.

Set up the layers
In the Layers panel, make layer Profile-02 current.

Extrude the profile curve
1. Select the red profile curve.

2. On the Solid menu, click Extrude Planar Curve > Straight.
3. At the Extrusion distance prompt, in the command options, check Solid anduncheck Delete Input.

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4. At the Extrusion distance prompt, in the Front viewport, drag the extrusion above
the height of the blue curve and click.

The solid appears on the current red layer Profile-02.

Show the solid
On the Edit menu click Visibility > Show.

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Boolean the two solids
1. On the Solid menu, click Difference.
2. At the Select surfaces or polysurfaces to subtract from prompt, select the blue
solid, and press Enter.
3. At the Select surfaces or polysurfaces to subtract with prompt, in thecommand options, check Delete Input.
4. Select the red solid, and press Enter.
The result will be a new solid or polysurface. A polysurface is a collection of
surfaces that can be closed or open. A solid is a collection of surfaces that areclosed.

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Drill the holes
A construction circle is already in place for creating the first hole.
Make holes in the solid
1. Select the blue circle as shown in the illustration below.

2. On the Solid menu click Solid Edit Tools > Holes > Make Hole.
3. At the Select a surface or polysurface prompt, select the gray polysurface.
4. At the Depth point... prompt, drag the hole through the upper portion of theobject.

5. Pick a point in the Right view.

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Copy the holes
After one hole is drilled, you can copy the others.
Copy the holes
1. In the Osnap panel, turn on the Point object snap.
2. On the Solid menu, click Solid Edit Tools > Holes > Copy Hole.
3. At the Select holes in one planar surface prompt, select the first hole, and press
Enter.
4. At the Point to copy from prompt, snap to the point object in the center of thefirst circle, and click.

5. At the Point to copy to... prompt, snap to the next point that makes the center ofthe next hole, and click.

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6. Repeat this for the two holes that are on the other side of the part.

Do not use the point in the center of the part.

Create the round hole
The center hole does not pass entirely through the upper part of the blue solid. There is
no reference circle to start from.
1. On the Solid menu, click Solid Edit Tools > Holes > Round Hole.
2. At the Select target surface prompt, select the top surface of the gray solid.
3. At the Center point prompt, set the command options as below:
Depth=0.5
Radius=0.156
DrillPointAngle=180
Through=Unchecked
Direction=CPlaneNormal

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4. Snap to the point object in the middle of the gray solid to finish creating the hole.

Test the solid
The resulting polysurface is a closed solid. A solid defines a closed volume in space.
Object properties will report if this part is a closed solid.
1. Select the part.
2. On the Edit menu, click Object Properties (F3).
3. In the Properties panel, click Details.
In the Object Description window, you will find the listing to confirm that theobject is valid and closed.
Geometry:
Valid polysurface.
Closed solid polysurface with 23 surfaces.

Make a 2-D drawing
The Make2D command generates 2-D lines from the 3-D solid.
Create a 2-D line drawing
1. Select the part.
2. On the Dimension menu, click Make 2-D Drawing.
3. In the 2-D Drawing Options dialog box:
Under Projection, select Third angle projection.
Under Options, select By output layers, and check the Tangent edges and
Hidden lines boxes.
4. Click Apply.

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Dimension the 2-D drawing
Using the 2-D drawing, add dimensions to the part.
Set up the layers
1. In the Layers panel, make the Dimensions layer current.
2. Turn off all layers except the Dimensions and Make2D layers.
3. In the Linetype column for the Make2D > Hidden > Curves layer, click
Continuous.
4. In the Select Linetype dialog box, select Hidden.

Set up the viewport
Double-click the viewport title to maximize the Top viewport.

Dimension the part
1. On the Dimension menu, click Linear Dimension.
2. In the Osnap panel, turn on the End object snap; turn off the Point object snap.
3. At the First dimension point prompt, pick the upper left corner of the part.
4. At the Second dimension point prompt, pick the upper right corner of the part.
5. At the Dimension line location... prompt, pick a location for the dimension line.
6. Repeat to generate a vertical dimension on the right side of the part.

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Chain dimension the part horizontally
1. On the Dimension click Linear Dimension.
2. At the First dimension point, in the command options check Continue.
This will generate a chain of dimensions.
Tip: If the current dimension continues a previous dimension, click the NewChain
button.
3. At the First dimension point prompt, snap to the lower left corner of the part with
the End object snap, and click.
4. At the Second dimension point prompt, snap to the center of the first circle with
the Center object snap, and click.

5. At the Dimension line location... prompt, pick below the part.

6. At the next Second dimension point prompts, continue picking the centers of thecircles.

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7. Finish by picking the lower right corner of the part, and press Enter.

Note: If the dimension text and arrows do not fit inside the dimension lines, you
can fix this later in the dimension Properties. Dimension properties let you specify
the location of the text and arrows.

Chain dimension the holes verticallyRepeat the chain dimensions to create vertical dimensions.
Click the New Chain button to start dimensioning.

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Add radial dimensions
1. On the Dimension menu, click Radial Dimension.
2. At the Select curve for radius dimension prompt, select the circle on the far
right.
3. At the Dimension location prompt, pick above the part.

4. Double-click the radial dimension text, and in the text edit box, add the text:
Typ. 5 Places.

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21 - Tutorial: Layouts - Title BlockThis example shows how to use Rhino to model a simple mechanical part.
You will learn to create a layout with a title block for printing.
To download the tutorial model
1. On the Rhino Help menu, click Learn Rhinoceros, and then click Tutorials andSamples.
2. In the Tutorials panel, under User's Guide, double-click the tutorial model file
Toolblock_Layout.3dm.

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Layout viewports
Use a layout to arrange the 2-D lines for the printer.
Add a layout
1. On the Viewport control bar, click the Layout button.

2. In the New Layout dialog, select the following and click Apply.
Initial Detail Count=1
Size=Letter (8.5" x 11")
Orientation=Landscape
Page 1 will appear in the Layout window.

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Insert a title block
In this section you will add a title block and re-size the detail to fit.
Set up the layers
1. In the Model layers panel, make the Title Block layer current.
2. Confirm that you are in layout space.

Insert the title block
1. On the Edit menu, click Block > Insert Block Instance.
2. From the name list, select Ansi_A_TB.
3. Under Insertion point, clear the Prompt box, and click Apply.
The corner of the title block will be placed at 0,0.
4. Select the detail.
Note: Double-click outside the detail frame to make sure the detail is not active.
Click on the detail edge to select it.
5. On the Edit menu click Control Points > Control Points On.

6. Drag the corner points to re-size the detail to fit in the title block.
7. Press the Esc key to turn off the control points.

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Lock the detail view
1. Select the detail.
2. In the Properties panel on the Detail page, under Scale Value, set the inches on
page and inches in model to 1.0.
3. Check the Locked box
This prevents future panning and zooming when the detail view is active so thedrawings stay in the correct size.

Add print widths
1. In the Model layers panel, click Default in the PrintWidth column, and set thevalues to the following:
Dimension=0.35
Title Block=0.5
Make2D > Visible > Curves=0.70
Note: On the View menu, click Print Preview to display print widths in viewports.

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