Rhino WIP Feature: PushPull Workflow

Hi all,

In the Rhino WIP several new enhancements and additions have been made to create a PushPull workflow. The new enhancements ease the manipulation of solids without needing to trim or split as well as working in perspective views.

Headliner_New

Ortho Z Snap

Ortho mode has been expanded to also allow snapping to the Z direction of the current construction plane.

Ortho_Z

Gumball Closed Extrude

Extruding closed curves with the gumball can now create closed solids by selecting the filled portion of the extrude control on the gumball. When the open portion is selected an open extrusion is created.

Gumball_Extrude_Closed

Auto Align CPlane

When the Auto CPlane button on the status bar is enabled the CPlane automatically orients the itself to the selection.

Auto_CPlane

PushPull

The new PushPull command simplifies splitting and extruding a face. Any curve lying on a face automatically splits the face and the new extrusion is created from the region. Multiple regions can be selected and unioned on the face if they exist.

PushPull_Extrude

PushPull also allows extension of planar faces which preserves the direction of surrounding faces.

PushPull_Extend

Inset

The existing inset command has been expanded to also work with faces of polysurfaces. The command now offsets the inner and outer boundaries of a face along the surface.

Inset

A more detailed look at how these tools can be used can be found in the following introductory video.

Let us know what you think!

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well fone

1 Like

The Auto CPlane combined with F4 to toggle the Gumball are both amazing enhancements! I have a macro in Rhino 7 to set the CPlane to the Gumball which I probably won’t need anymore in Rhino 8 :slight_smile:

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@Joshua_Kennedy

The issue with Rhino is that it doesn’t distinguish between architectural modeling and industrial modeling.

I know, what a surprise that archiFolks use Rhino so extensively.

SketchUp is favored by architect-designers and (particularly) those working on ADU-type projects or similar, or the vast majority of buildings we occupy, which are commonly regarded as pancakes stacked atop pancakes.

He…He… It’s simply a joke (or something similar) made by renowned architects/designers. >> There’s Frank Gehry’s middle finger in my head.

Anyway,

Here is the solution to the problem:

UX: When the mouse pointer is moved over a plan, surface, lines, or curves, the cursor should display a unique shape for each type of geometry (ignore situations where shapes overlap, like a point under a curve, etc.).

Examples:

  1. A rectangular icon (similar to the yellow circle shown in the video, which I believe was generated by the recording software you used) may appear when the mouse cursor travels to a planar shape without the need to press Ctrl/Alt + Click.

noteA: It may only be applicable to architectural modeling. Here, let’s omit buildings designed by Hadid, as they have technically been engaged in industrial modeling (theoretically).

noteB:…Or, Rhino can use different “modes” or “moods” (kə-mŏn′, let’s have both!!) to separate industrial modeling from architectural modeling.

  1. When the mouse cursor moves to a point, a dot icon may appear.

  2. When the mouse cursor moves to a curve, a curve icon may appear.

Key: Ctrl/Alt + Click is NOT for “Push&Pull” operations.


Furthermore, as the name implies, we shouldn’t use gumball extrusion for push-pull.

Metaphorically, it’s like advertising “wireless” products that are wired…

Any SketchUp users support my logic here?

3 Likes

Ahhh… yeah that F4 cycle is nice :grinning:

Nice, very helpful features and post (including the video tutorial). Great job.

Mark

1 Like

I always took Gumball for Granted, the new one is my favorite :slight_smile: Thank you for all the enhancements.

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There is something very important to add : a guide line.

I am very happy with this alternative to SketchUp which is increasingly disappointing its users, fan from the start. With the power of Rhino and Grasshopper.
I am developing an alternative myself.

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Rhinoceros Help - Addguide| Rhino 3-D modeling (mcneel.com)

The only thing I would say is to add a Push/Pull Toobar that include the new tools + old useful tools to make the workflow more presentable to new users.

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I know it does existe, but I would like, for example build a guide line parallel to en existing edge at a distance

I guess you are looking for a new command to either “Offset a Guideline” or “Copy a Guideline” this can be helpful in general architectural plans when you need to do a series of parallel lines of datum.
also I don’t think the Guidlines are being implemented in the Push/Pull workflow, since it relies only on Curves and Polysurfaces.

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Hopefully, this demo provides some insights.

@Joshua_Kennedy

sideNotes:

  1. Snapping is simpler to use in SU due to the fact that intersections, parallel lines, objects on the same plane, etc. have distinct color points.

  2. When the mouse is moved across a surface, it displays hatch patterns.

  3. Defining the edge and face options makes the display mode both robust and straightforward. Perhaps it is meant for architects and designers. It clearly displays interior topography and shapes.

  4. Rhino’s display mode should be delivered in an elegant fashion by default. The complexity of display mode options in Rhino is chaotic. This is not the case for sophisticated users, but I doubt anyone wants to delve into their preference options. >> This world is already complicated for everyone; let’s be more creative and efficient.

The right questions lead to the right answers.

Suggestions:

  1. Outline essential characteristics and recommendations on a blank sheet of paper. Draw diagrams depicting the interrelationships between various features.

  2. Be imaginative and consider the user experience (UI/UX). With macros, it is possible to eliminate features that are no longer required or are redundant, such as the push and pull operations. In other words, this feature is dependent upon its usability. It’s the core of SU.

disp2


edst1

A right question:

Is a skilled Rhino modeler faster and more accurate at making the same model than a new SU user?

I think all rhinoUsers know the answer.

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I agree the color is a bit easier to understand. Rhino has many different snap types and I think trying to define a color of each might be a bit much. The snaps do have a tooltip but you’d still prefer the snap point to be a distinct color?

While not a hatch there is mouse over highlight tucked away behind some settings. Can you give it a look and tell me what you think?

Do you mean these options from your video?

image

Which ones do you need the most readily available? Do they make sense in the object properties?

If I’m understanding correctly you want a tooltip when you hover over a curve to show what type of curve it is (rectangle, arc, circle, polyline, etc?)

For this to make sense would we need to automatically make planar closed curves into faces?

I opened RH-73080. What other tools would you include in the toolbar?

@Joshua_Kennedy

We can ignore shortcut keys like “S,” “P,” “F,” etc. because they’re customizable in Rhino.

“Green” can be used universally for mid-, intersection, quad, etc. points, similar to the essential points shown in the Rhino snapping toolbar.

Near points can be another color.

@Joshua_Kennedy

Please also consider this feature.

3 Likes

TBH, these tools are basic. I’ve given up the “production” part, such as producing shop drawings or construction documents, which is more important than anything else for Rhino and Professionals.

Rhino is good at schematic design and design development but not the rest, due to many reasons.

  1. It can’t handle linework, unlike AutoCAD.

  2. Features aren’t intuitive to use. (Make2D…ugh…)

Suggestions:

Consult with industry professionals, such as experienced architects and engineers.

Those SkechUp tools I mentioned are merely for modeling.

That being said,

Professionals, on the other hand, are less concerned with these details because their primary focus is on administrative tasks.

A question, back on topic:
How about also adding support for pushing/pulling naked surface edges?
This would of course extrude the edge tangentially to the neighbouring surface, in or out. Especially in should be much simpler than without such a tool.

Didn’t think it through fully, but I could have needed this numerous times.

How is this different from what the Gumball does now?

Hello Joshua,

I think a Toolbar that contains these tools for “Quick Start Modeling”
a. Solid Creation and Manipulation
1- PushPull.
2- Inset
3. Wirecut
4. Split Face
5. Merge Coplanar Surfaces
6. Basic Primitives, Plane, Solid, Box, Cylinder
7.Solid Booleans
8. Fillet Edge, Bevel Edge

b. Curves

  1. Rectangle
  2. Polyline
  3. Nurbs / Interpolate Curves
  4. Duplicate Edge / Duplicate Border.

c. Utilities.

  1. Gumball Toggle
  2. Sub Object Toggle
  3. Edge Analysis, Model Checking, Select Bad Objects
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