Rhino versions supported: Beta testing Bongo 3.0 is limited to Bongo 2.0 users. Bongo 3.0 requires a Bongo 2.0 license key. Latest version of Rhino 7.0 is required to install Bongo 3.0 and can be downloaded from Rhino - Download - Rhino 7 for Windows
Notes: This is the current work-in-progress release of Bongo 3.0 for Rhino. The product is in the very early stages of development any will probably change a great deal before release. This may include the file format, so please do not rely on Bongo 3.0 models working in the future. Bongo 3.0 will read Bongo 2.0 files, but will save Bongo 3.0 data only. This data cannot be read by Bongo 2.0, so please backup any files before using them in Bongo 3.0.
Thereâs a couple reasons. First, the Bongo gumball needs to be constrained in certain ways to properly create keyframes. The Rhino gumball can make some transforms that Bongo doesnât like, or canât interpret correctly. Thereâs also hairiness with multiple selection. Second, the Rhino gumball didnât have the proper SDK support to make this happen (the idea was to have Bongo override the Rhino gumball so that if animation mode was enabled it would default to Bongos). There is potential I could get the necessary changes in to fix this. I do agree that it is suboptimal. I tried to make the Bongo gumball as unobtrusive as possible. It only appears in animation mode and if the Rhino gumball is disabled so they donât fight. I am working on some fixes and have a few ideas to help ameliorate this.
It is planned, but development hasnât started yet. There are some big prerequisites for the eventual macOS version, specifically with the user interface and porting it to Eto. You may have noticed there are some new UI elements in Bongo 3 written in Eto, so some slices of the supporting work have been done.
Hello Joshua
I try to access to the changelog but server seams to be out of order :https://www.rhino3d.com/download/bongo/3/wip/changes
I wanted to see what are the modifications. In the past, I had difficulties to use Bongo due to confusion between Bongo hierarchy and use of groups in rhino.
Is the main change in Bongo 3 to add dynamic behavior and to no change in hierarchical and kinematic ?
Christian
@Joshua_Kennedy
Is there any tutorial regards your balljoint kinematic you showed? Or when to expect a documentation that explains the bongo object settings vs connections setting? Currently try to learn the tool but Iâm pretty confused by their dependencies to each other.
I basically donât need the tool for an animation. Instead I need the IK functionality interactively in order to create various kinematic drafts to play with.
Hi,
The development of Bongoâs WIP is temporarily on hold. The documentation for Bongo 3 WIP is currently limited to a few videos.
Iâd recommend using Bongo 2.0 and the IK feature. Bongo 2 has documentation, and it is far more stable than Bongo 3.0 WIP. A word of caution though: in my experience, the use of IK for the exploration of experimental mechanical structures by newcomers to IK often leads to frustration because it is difficult to tell whether a failure is due to the mechanical structure itself or to incorrect processing of it in a IK structure.
When you send me such a draft Iâll gladly take a look at the feasibility and/or lend a hand.
Luc luc@mcneel.com
Thanks for the feedback.
Bongo 2.0 has no gumball manipulation unfortunately. I just recreated the balljoint model from Joshua above and managed to work the same like in the clip. Before I tried kinematics with spindle connections only⌠So kinda realized the problems of the gumball itself. It relies on its axial or rotational movements in space per Link/Object. That is supper stiff and breaks the IK chain easily. In the model from Joshua only possible in the last link (L3) due to the kinematics. The previous links can compensate enough for rotational or axial movements in L3. I donât see a way where u can also manipulate J2 or L2 with the gumball. The rely on trajectories of their previous joints which change due to their orientations.
In Bongo 2.0 the Inverse Kinematic is based upon a Hierarchical chain of objects. The objects are assigned a specific property; âJointâ (either âHingeâ, âTelescopicâ, âRubberbandâ or âUniversalâ) or âConstraintâ (or both Joint and Constraint). The effect of the Joint or Constraint is executed at the position of the so-called Pivot of the Object. A IK chain has a âdrivingâ element and at least 1 constraint.
For some structures it is hard to figure out a proper Hierarchical structure, and to determine the required position of the pivot in the objects involved. Moreover it is hard to rearrange such a Hierarchical structure once it is established.
Hence in Bongo 3.0 WIP the concept of âConnectionsâ is introduced. In order to assemble a mechanical structure a Hierarchical structure is no longer required. The objects are simply mutual connected (hence the name) by independent elements âSpindleâ, âSliderâ, âSlotâ, âBall Jointâ, âGraspâ and âClampâ. Objects can also be âconnectedâ to the World in stead of between themselves. Because of the lack of Hierarchy it is easy to modify a structure or to change which element is âdrivingâ. Moreover working with Connections is far more intuitive as demonstrated here.
In the current version of the WIP a start has been made to develop âActive Connectionsâ, i.e. their behaviour is animatable by means of keyframes. This feature makes Connections not only suitable for Invers Kinematics but also for Forward Kinematics. It sure needs further development. In my humble opinion Connections may even repress the Pivot related approach of Bongo 1.0 and 2.0.
At present in WIP the old IK-joints as well as the Connections are present, although there purpose is the same. The team has not yet decided whether their coexistence needs to remain.
Iâm not sure I understand you correctly.
Is it your goal to find out the possibilities of Bongoâs WIP or are you merely interested in making mechanical structures move regard whether it is in Bongo 2.0 or Bongo WIP?
But anyway⌠indeed Bongo 2.0 doesnât have the gumball. In 2.0 the movement of the L3 must be âanimatedâ by using keyframes. This is of course less spectacular than toying with the gumball. daniel.duerr 2.0.3dm (586.9 KB)
In the version 3.0 WIP connection model the movement of L3 can also be keyframed. daniel.duerr 3.0 WIP.3dm (640.0 KB)
There is no relation between the gumball and the different approach of Connections versus IK-joints. Bongo 2.0 not only has no gumball, foremost ⌠it has no Connections.
Thanks for the background information. My goal: Try to ease the handling of kinematic structures in rhino. This would fasten my workflow compared to selecting and manipulating every bit with the 3d rotation command. Currently I try to reach some good forward kinematics at least. Interactive IK handling with a flexible gumball would be way better but FK as a decent step for the first. FK would also work by Bongo 2.0 sureâŚ
PS. but even having FK with the gumball (Bongo 3.0) is nicer in order to control the angles faster (interactively) instead of dialing them in by hand all the time.
In that case I feel Rhino 3.0 WIP can be a safe enough option for you. The Gumball also functions perfectly on a old school 2.0 hierarchical IK with Joints and Constraints.
As for the Connections though still some work needs to be done. The Clamp and the Grasp Connection arenât trustworthy, and the Connection Manager is rather experimental and easily causes crashes. When you can cope with the (good old) Joints and Constraints I see no reason why you wouldnât do your experiments in the WIP and its Gumball.
Nevertheless, be sure (as always) to hit Crtl-S very frequently.
