This video shows how to create toon materials in vray for Rhino 3D.

It seems that Mcneel started testing a new user interface with the cool tab function. It allows you to easily intergrate your most used tools into Tabs.

Add tabs:

Usage:

If you want to switch to new ui, just type the command: testfancytoolbars and open your default toolbar layout(*.tb) or the  file (*.rui) of  Automatic Generation. The program will convert the toolbars you tick into tabs Automatic, You can also drag other toolbars whatever you want to insert an existing tab.

Other Commands:

TestsetPascalColors

TestSetdrawColors

LayoutWorkspace

testFancyToolBars

TestToolbarOptions

TestsetViewportBackground

You can even change the tab/background/… colors to match your taste.

Do you have some ideas about this new user interface? For me, it looks ok.

This tutorial will teach you how to use rhinoceros to design a featured handle quickly.
Original Tutorial from Rhinotoday.com. This video may not be reprint or used without permission.

A plugin you might find helpful.

 Rhino.io is a new connection and import/export plugin, that lets you directly open and save native Rhino3d (.3dm) files from and into MAXON Cinema4d. In addition, updated files in Rhino3d can be merged and they will be automatically updated into Cinema4d. This enables Cinema4d users to use the model in Rhino3d and CINEMA4D at the same time, any update in Rhino3d will be transferred to Cinema4d.

Rhinoceros 3d could therefore also act as a “NURBS plugin for the Cinema4d“, connecting best of both worlds. Rhino3d’s precise and extensive CAD and NURBS tool set, with Cinema4ds modern and flexible tools. Rhino.io imported models also are ready to use for any high quality 3rd party engine like VRAYforC4D, Maxwell, Fryrender, ….)

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Buy

30+ Free HDRi’s from ZBYG.

HDRi environments pack

Resolution: 2000×1000
Images: 30+
Format: OpenEXR

Resources:
First HDRi Pack [link]
Second HDRi Pack [link]
Third HDRi Pack [link]

Download, modify, share and put them to good use.

Bubble for Rhino is a free tool from Asuni CAD that displays a tooltip with information of any object in the document.

You don’t need to execute a command or click on a button toolbar, just place the mouse cursor over any object, wait a second, and Bubble will show you all the information related to it. You can even choose which information will be shown for every object type.

Read more…

[via: T-Splines Blog]

T-Splines 2.3 for Rhino Released Featuring Integration with Grasshopper and Orca3D

Integration with popular programs Grasshopper and Orca3D, as well as translation into Italian, French, and Spanish, further expands T-Splines’ usefulness for creating high-quality freeform designs.

Provo, UT May 3, 2010 — T-Splines, Inc., creators of precise and flexible 3D surface modeling tools with full industry standard compatibility, today announced the production release of T-Splines v2.3 for Rhino. T-Splines gives designers the ability to create high quality freeform models, edit them quickly, and export them for manufacturing directly without any remodeling.

T-Splines 2.3 features integration with two other products based on the Rhino platform, Grasshopper and Orca3D, localization in Italian, French, and Spanish, speed enhancements, and new precision modeling tools. A 25-saves free trial of T-Splines can be downloaded at http://www.tsplines.com/freetrial.

Users of Grasshopper, a popular generative modeling program based on Rhino, can now use freeform T-Spline shapes as the basis of Grasshopper-generated models. A T-Splines component for Grasshopper is also available for push-button conversion of meshes to NURBS.

“Using T-Splines with Grasshopper is the best way I have found to model complex and organic forms using parametric data,” said Rodrigo Medina of designplaygrounds.com. Examples of how to use T-Splines and Grasshopper can be found at http://www.tsplines.com/grasshopper.html.

The integration of T-Splines with Orca3D, a marine plugin based on Rhino, means that naval architects can cut sections through T-Splines hulls and these sections will update dynamically as control points are edited. T-Splines objects can also be used for Orca3D hydrostatics analysis and can have Orca3D weight/cost properties assigned to them. Learn more about how to use T-Splines and Orca3D together at http://www.tsplines.com/applications/marine.html.

The T-Splines plugin is now translated into Italian, French, and Spanish to further enable T-Splines users in these languages to take advantage of the ability of T-Splines to easily create smooth, freeform geometry that can be passed downstream to any CAD program.

T-Splines v2.3 also features a number of speedups, bug fixes, new tools for modeling with precision, and a 25-saves trial.

“T-Splines is of greatest value to the busiest designers, because it allows them to iterate more quickly between designs and converge on the desired shape,” said Matt Sederberg, CEO of T-Splines. “Since we recognize how little time designers have to try new software, we have now made available a free trial of T-Splines that has no time limit–the software is fully functional for 25-saves.”

T-Splines v2.3 is a free service release for existing users of T-Splines v2 for Rhino. New users can purchase the product for $599 or download a 25-saves free trial at http://www.tsplines.com/store.html.

About T-Splines
T-Splines, Inc. develops surface modeling software with optimal control and full industry standard compatibility for industrial designers and CAD professionals. Founded in 2004 and based in Provo, Utah, the company develops and markets end-user plug-ins and software development libraries based on its next-generation, NURBS-compatible technology.

A gallery curated by Drew & Mithi

[View with PicLens]

what is fryrender?

fryrender is the physically-based light simulator developed by RandomControl.  It is a photo-realistic render engine where all the elements involved in the generation of the final image (materials, lights and cameras) are based on physically accurate models.

On fryrender, when you hit the render button, a simulation of the real behavior of light happens inside.  Because of this, it is possible to achieve hyper-realistic results with minimal effort.

Download fryrender demo
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Moreover, Random Control recently released their hybrid-accelerated renderer Arion v1.0. It’s based on their  flagship product – Fryrender but offers a much faster rendering speed while the program can use the CPU, GPU and extra rendering power of other computers via the network(CPU + GPU + LAN).

Rendering Gallery

Read more about arion at randomcontrol.com

Plugin for rhino is coming soon, Let’s keep on paying attention to their products.

Original from Shaper3d.

Author: Ed209.

I`m really fond of this design. And the grasshopper file is very informative. In a word,to see pics following.

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