Rhino for Architectural Modeling: Learning Resources

Rhino
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This post is place to collect links to tutorials and courses that show how to create architectural models in Rhino.
Disclaimer: Most of these videos do not teach architecture, so you will need to look elsewhere for that.

But if you are interested in learning how to use Rhino with architectural and related models, the information here is for you!

Getting Started videos/tutorials for architectural type modeling in Rhino.

These recorded in a LIVE Getting Started series and we only have 2 hrs. start to finish.
So the documentation portion always gets a bit rushed. It definitely deserves it’s own attention.

For drawing precision 2D curves with coordinates, this tutorial The Cat Tree on Windows and Mac is a “under 2hrs” fast moving and fun tutorial. We also talk about precision curve creation, “seed blocks”, macros, Layouts, Length text fields and more.

Classic Layout Tutorials

  • For learning about Layouts in Rhino 7 & 8, this Forum page is your best resource.

  • This Layout tutorial was recorded with Rhino 5.To use with Rhino 7, see these details. The basic concepts are the same, but the UI has bene improved for newer Rhinos.
    (This is on the list to update for Rhino 8.)

In these towards the end of these tutorials, layouts are used to get views of the model setup on a title block.:
Simple Part Model
Rhino Wheel Barrow Tutorial

Advanced Concepts

Block Attributes tutorial is here.
Text Fields video serie is here.

Free and Low Cost Courses

And lots of links to other Architectural Learning Resources are posted here on our Learn page .

My “favs for a fee”

Try an Architectural Add-on to Rhino

VisuaARQ that is specifically for Architectural forms, documentation and BIM.

VisualARQ adds a variety of custom tools for producing architectural models and documentation. Doors, Door styles, Windows, Windows styles, Walls, Wall style, stair routines, railing routines, architectural layer management, linked view sections and elevations, and a Level manger that makes working multiple story buildings much faster and easier. (If you update any of the styles, all the objects using the style update. You can also change an object like a Window to different Window style representation.)

VA also has vector PDF output, door/window/room schedules and IFC output. When some type of geometry is not covered by VA, you and make your own in Rhino or insert a mesh. VA has walls that break and heal, also openings like windows can doors can be deleted, copied, arrayed or mirror into another wall for fast and efficient modeling.

VA has this own set of tutorials and a 90 day trail here.
You can do architecture without it, but It can quickly pay for itself with its architecturally specific tools and features. It also support the CloudZoo licensing and can added to a Team for sharing between multiple users.

New tutorials are coming out all the time.

  • In Rhino 8, the new gumball features and autocplane for the "push pull " work flow gives new promise to “Sketch-up” type workflows in Rhino . See Kyle’s video here.
  • And SectionTools is also included in Rhino 8 WIP, more to come the this feature soon.

So please reply to this thread and add links to courses or videos for doing architectural models in Rhino that you recommend.

Hope there are few links that you may find helpful.
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Fugier

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This is great. Thank you!

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