Save Rhino data/geomoetry/objects in Grasshopper? No redrawing or accompanying rhino files.

I have posted something similar to this before but I would like to hear by some other users if they also think this would be greatly advantageous to how Rhino and Grasshopper interact, and to be honest I am kind of hoping someone could for now maybe make a VB script component that could kind of do this for now.

I find more and more instances where I need data from Rhino objects in Grasshopper but that data cannot stay saved in the Rhino file, many reasons for that but moving on, for now Grasshopper can only reference to geometry in rhino but not save it.

Three things I can quickly think of where this could be useful.

- An accompanying separate Rhino file will no longer be needed. This then obviously also takes away the need to every time you open a rhino file having to select all the parameters again.

- Sometimes you cannot have the rhino geometry you needed to work off(Input) in the Output file you would present/deliver to someone and in that case the Input needs to be REDRAWN in Grasshopper and having the ability to have a component that has saved Rhino geometry in GH will save huge amounts of time.

- As much as I love creating geometry in GH, sometimes it is much faster to create it quickly in Rhino and then save it in GH and then use it for the definition. Now I realize this would probably change a lot in the way people work in GH, for some they would probably create less in GH and more in Rhino and use GH more as a utility for certain actions with the geometry.

I am very interested in others opinions on this.

Theunis

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vicente Soler on September 30, 2009 at 9:56am

I think it was once mentioned that sometime in the future grasshopper definitions will be able to be embedded into a rhino file. Then you'd just have to pass along the rhino document. Would this solve your problem?

Permalink Reply by Theunis du Toit on September 30, 2009 at 10:08am

Maybe but it depends. I can only guess but if GH is embedded into Rhino it will probably still mean that GH must reference to Geometry in the Rhino, i want GH to be able have this geometry saved in itself.

But David mentioned not too long ago that they had not thought of this feature yet so I doubt it was planned longer ago as part of the plan to embed GH into Rhino. But I can only speculate.

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on September 30, 2009 at 10:29am

Embedding Grasshopper data into the 3dm file is probably something we need to do. Having embedded data will make it easier to share files since there's no longer 2 of them.

The ability to store Rhino data inside the Grasshopper file is indeed something I haven't really thought about before. Complex parameter types such as BReps, Curves, Meshes and Surfaces can only store references. I suppose OpenNURBS gives me sufficient leverage to include these geometry types inside the *.ghx and *.gh file formats.

To say that it hasn't crossed my mind yet is not to say I'm averse to this idea at all. I can see the benefit of it.

--
David Rutten
david@mcneel.com
Seattle, WA

Permalink Reply by WT4 on September 30, 2009 at 2:43pm

I have been using the sketch object import facility to embed 2d drawings into my grasshopper file as part of my engineering teaching. The make2D facility allows me to embed pseudo 3D objects as well.
I have to say that having imported all the 'required' objects, I can then develop any engineering equations live by simply copying and pasting the relevant objects and dragging them to the right locations in front of the students.

Attachments:

sketchobject.jpg, 61 KB

Permalink Reply by Andy Payne on September 30, 2009 at 3:52pm

I know this is off topic to the original thread, but I would also really like to request some re-vamped sketch tools on the canvas toolbar. Nothing major really, but simple rectangles, circles, and arrows could help tag your definition so it's easier to explain to others. It would be a lot easier than having to import the line work from Rhino every time you want to create a "straight-line" rectangle around some components. BTW, I really like your 3D diagrams on the canvas... I hadn't thought of that before, but looks pretty nice.
OK, sorry to have hijacked the thread a bit.

RSS