The lack of Tables/Schedules in Rhino 6+7+8 (WIP)
Working in & out of architectural offices, offering Rhino-cources, 2D/3D training and tech-hotline for architects & designers, this is two of the most-often asked questions:
- How do we create a simple table of rooms/areas/perimeters (architects) or a BOM with names & quantities of blocks inserted in the current file/assembly (designers)?
- How do we manage X-refs/blocks which are all being revised in parallel (by others) to the editing of the masterdrawing/assembly we are currently working on our self?
Rhino provides us with “text fields”=“dynamic text” and the possibility to count blocks and display areas (in units other than the drawing units), but not (yet) recursively in an assembly which reference other drawings/assemblies via block-manager/worksession.
Block-manager is only a rudimentory replacement for a real X-ref-manager. We lack the ability to see who (if any) is currently editing external files - and get notifications when they are “released” and/or need to be updated. We also need to reference DGN-files which reference other DGN-files similar to what is currently possible with DWG-files.
It would also be nice to access the information (filenames and network-locations) of any referenced files (recursively) and embed it as a text-field/dynamic attribute text ideally via merging it with the Notes, (which can be previewed prior to opening files).
Finally we need to extract information such as areas and block quantities from X-refs in a semi-automated or fully-automated way. A good starting point seems to be the plugin: https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/tabl - Similar to Voidoid’s old Rhino 3 plug-in “Lino”, which was needed back in the day when Rhino natively had fewer 2D layout options.
