Rhino BETA Feature: C++ SDK for Mac

Serengeti (Rhino BETA) Developer
1

Hi all!

The C++ SDK for Rhino for Mac is available from the repository below, which contains the SDK, sample plug-ins, and complete instructions for use — including how to build with CMake, Xcode, and Visual Studio.

https://github.com/mcneel/rhino_sdk_cpp

This SDK allows third-party developers to write plug-ins for Rhino for Mac in C++. This capability has been available on Rhino for Windows since Rhino 2.0.

It runs on Rhino 9 — we won’t be making it available for Rhino 8. It isn’t an official API just yet, but we are hoping to have it officially available before the release of Rhino 9. It is essentially the same as the C++ SDK for Windows, and provides the same low-level access to Rhino that you get with that API.

Please note: providing a C++ SDK for Mac does not automatically make existing Windows plug-ins work on Mac. These plug-ins will need to be rebuilt specifically for Rhino for Mac.

There is no support for MFC or the Win32 API. For cross-platform UI, use Eto. If you have an existing C++ plug-in, you should find that porting your native code to the Mac is relatively straightforward.

Complete instructions for using the SDK — for both macOS and Windows — are in the README of the rhino_sdk_cpp repository. Please respond to this thread with any questions or problems and we’ll get them fixed!

2

Finally! Thank you!

3

This is amazing, thanks!

@andy what are the chances that this will make it in the Rhino9 release?

Super work and thanks again!

4

Andrea

We are very much hoping it will make the Rhino 9 release.

  • Andy
5

Hi @andy
It’s an amazing news! I assume Eto is the way to go for cross platform UI ?
Thanks

6

Hi @andy and @dan
I am trying to setup VSCode to run Mac SDK. It seems to be working.
But I am getting typical C++ linking errors. Can’t find AfxMac.h?

Here is git hub link

7

Also does not seem to run using Xcode. I left an issue on GitHub.

9

@arten

You must have these preprocessor defines for Debug builds:

GCC_PREPROCESSOR_DEFINITIONS = $(inherited) ON_COMPILER_CLANG ON_RUNTIME_APPLE RHINO_APPLE=1 _DEBUG=1 _GNU_SOURCE MY_ZCALLOC Z_PREFIX ON__DEBUG _UNICODE RHINO_V6_READY RHINO_THIRD_PARTY_OSX_PLUGIN_COMPILE

and this for Release:

GCC_PREPROCESSOR_DEFINITIONS = $(inherited) ON_COMPILER_CLANG ON_RUNTIME_APPLE RHINO_APPLE=1 _GNU_SOURCE MY_ZCALLOC Z_PREFIX NDEBUG=1 _UNICODE RHINO_V6_READY RHINO_THIRD_PARTY_OSX_PLUGIN_COMPILE

You’re using CMAKE - so I assume there is a way of defining those in the make file.

  • Andy
10

I don’t see any issues on the Github repo. What am I missing here?

11

Yes - use Eto :slight_smile:

12

With the advent of a C++ SDK for Rhino for macOS, will C++ scripting also come (back) to Grasshopper, like back in Rhino 5 for Windows?

13

I don’t recall ever supporting C++ scripting in any version of Rhino

14

I’m pretty sure there was a C++ scripting component in Grasshopper in Rhino 5, but I might be wrong. It has been a while.

I think I remember this wrong. I wasn’t even proficient in Python back then.

15

If there was c++ scripting, it was not written by McNeel

16

Thank you for your effort and work on Vray for Rhino! Many of my architect friends have been dreaming of finally being able to switch from SketchUp to Rhino on Macs and be able to render in Vray! Thanks!

17

Yes me too. To be able to use Vray in Rhino on a Mac would be very awesome!

18

VRay for macOS would be a great workflow improvement!

19

Just in case it isn’t clear. Providing a C++ SDK for Mac does not automatically make plug-ins work on Mac. These existing plug-ins will need to be rebuilt specifically for Mac Rhino.

20

of course. Is it still on track to be shipped on day one with the official release of Rhino 9? Are you able to share some infos regarding that?

21

We are hoping to have this officially available before the release of Rhino 9.