I started with SubDThickenCurves and then used that SubD surface in GH with Crystallon to create a variable lattice structure, then to Dendro also in GH to bake out the mesh. I finally used the new Physically Based material with a subsurface setting and Rhino Render in v7 for the image.
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Very cool, Brian!
Hello Brian,
Could you advise me on how to get a cheap and cheerful similar effect in Rhino 5 with a very low-power laptop ? We regularly build 3D printed models for our wind tunnel with polyamide powder sintering and it would be cool to be able to preview the model in Rhino. They look a bit like this when they are done (image from Polyrepro, looks like the Louvre Abu Dhabi to me):
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Hi Graham,
If you are using Rhino Render in Rhino 5, the best suggestion I’d have would be to use a few Rectangular lights around the model, one cool in color, one warm and one from behind. You won’t have the physically based material that I was experimenting with here in the Rhino 7 WIP which has a sub-surface scattering ability so that will limit the translucency effect in the thin areas but it should get you close.
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Thanks Brian… Here using the white mat plastic material, a blueish white light, an orangeish one and a white one overhead, plus a dark grey ground plane for a simple tower model… I don’t think I’ll give up the day job 
The two things that will make this hard to copy using Rhino 5 Rhino Render will be the lack of indirect illumination of light bouncing around between surfaces and also the SSS (sub surface scattering) of light through thin areas. Rhino 7 Rhino Render can do both which makes for more realism with 3D printing materials. Your light color, balance and placement look good though.
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Sir could you explain the process for rhino 6 then
In Rhino 6 Rhino Render, I’d use the Raytraced display mode to get indirect illumination. Then use ViewCaptureToFile to save the render. This will get you closer than Rhino 5 could. If you own Rhino 6, you can use the Rhino 7 WIP now too. See the Serengeti category or the Download page on Rhino3D.
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