diff --git a/grasshopper/README.md b/grasshopper/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..757c6bed82912cd2d66aa6b7085f29efa7df354c --- /dev/null +++ b/grasshopper/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,46 @@ +# Rhino/Grasshopper + +## Quick Links + +- [Rhino downloads](https://www.rhino3d.com/download/) +- [Grasshopper docs](https://grasshopperdocs.com/) +- [Rhino3dm repo](https://github.com/mcneel/rhino3dm.git) +- [Rhino Compute Server rep](https://github.com/mcneel/compute.rhino3d) + +## About + +[Rhino](https://www.rhino3d.com/) is a CAD program that's particularly popular in the +architecture world. [Grasshopper](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/) is a dataflow +algorithmic design plugin for Rhino. It was originally an extension that you'd have to +download and install separately, but it became wildly +popular and is now packaged with Rhino. + +On its own, Grasshopper is already a powerful tool for parametric and algorithmic design. +It's been a mainstay of generative architecture for years. Traditionally, it's been used +from within Rhino, but it's becoming easier and easier to run Rhino/Grasshopper "headless", +i.e. from the command line and without a GUI. This is very helpful for full algorithmic +design, where you may want to batch process thousands of variations. + +Since 2018, there has been a Python library called [rhino3dm](https://www.rhino3d.com/features/rhino-inside). This library allows you to read and write Rhino's `.3dm` CAD files. +It also lets you construct geometry, but you're somewhat limited in which operations you +can use. Closest point calculations, intersections, and tessallations, [for example](https://developer.rhino3d.com/guides/compute/features/) are off the table. + +But new in Rhino 7 is something called [Rhino.Inside](https://www.rhino3d.com/features/rhino-inside/). Rhino.Inside allows Rhino to be embedded in other applications as a geometry/CAD kernel. + + + + + +## Installing + +Rhino installers can be downloaded from [here](https://www.rhino3d.com/download/). Note that it's +not free software, so you have to have a license to use it. In the School of Architecture +and Planning here at MIT, we're lucky to have a department-wide license. Otherwise, McNeel +offers free 90 day trials if you give them your email addresss. + + +## + +``` +python -m pip install cma numpy matplotlib +```