UserGuide

for
ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino
AddOn
(BETA)

Version18.0.0.7509.18forARCHICAD18
and
Version19.0.0.4517.8forARCHICAD19

UserGuideupdatedSeptember28,2015

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

Thistoolisavailablefree,fromGRAPHISOFTonly.Distributionofthistoolthroughanyotherchannelis
prohibited.Thistooliscurrentlyunderdevelopmentandisinatrialphase.

GRAPHISOFT
VisittheGRAPHISOFTwebsiteatwww.graphisoft.comforlocaldistributorandproductavailability
information.

UserGuidefor
ExportARCHICADModeltoRhinoAddOn
Copyright2015byGRAPHISOFT,allrightsreserved.Reproduction,paraphrasingortranslationwithout
expresspriorwrittenpermissionisstrictlyprohibited.

Trademarks
ARCHICADisaregisteredtrademarkofGRAPHISOFT.

RhinocerosandGrasshopperareregisteredtrademarksofRobertMcNeel&Associates.
Allothertrademarksarethepropertyoftheirrespectiveholders.

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

TableofContents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................4
Keyfeaturesandbenefits.............................................................................................................................................4
Scopeoftheguide........................................................................................................................................................4
GettingStarted..................................................................................................................................................................5
InstallAddOn...............................................................................................................................................................5
UninstallAddOn...........................................................................................................................................................5
SaveARCHICAD3DModelinRhinoFormat.....................................................................................................................6
ExportRhinoOptions........................................................................................................................................................7
SurfaceModel...............................................................................................................................................................7
SolidModel...................................................................................................................................................................7
DetailedOptions(Advanced)........................................................................................................................................7

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

Introduction
ThistoolenablesuserstopassonthemodelorpartofthemodelproducedinARHICADtoRhino.Only
geometricalinformationistransferred,becauseRhinoiscapableofhandlinginformationongeometry
only.Anynongeometricaldata(e.g.properties,tags,scheduledata,quantities,etc.)arenottransferred.
ThisAddOn,availableforARCHICAD18and19,enablesyoutosavetheARCHICAD3DmodelasaRhino
file(*.3DM).

Keyfeaturesandbenefits

ARCHICADelementsaredistinct,selectableelementsinRhino

Relevantelementattributes(surfacecolor,texture)andtheoriginalARCHIADlayerstructureand
groupedelementsareretainedinRhino

Wherepossible,solidelementsareretainedassolid

Scopeoftheguide
Thisguideisintendedtoexplainthecircumstancesandavailableoptionswhilesavinga3dm(Rhinoceros)
fileformatfromARCHICAD.Forfurtherdetailsonworkingwith3dmfilesinRhinocerossoftware,please
visit:http://www.rhino3d.com

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

GettingStarted
InstallAddOn
1. BeforeinstallingtheAddOn,makesurethatARCHICADeitherversion18or19isinstalledon
yourcomputer.
2. DownloadtheAddOntoyourcomputer.
3. LaunchtheSetupWizard

OnWindows:Doubleclickonthe.MSIfiletolaunchtheSetupWizard.

OnMac:DoubleclickontheinstallerfiletolaunchtheSetupWizard.

Afterinstalling,theAddOnwillbeplacedinthefollowingfolder:

OnWindows:ProgramFiles\GRAPHISOFT\ArchiCAD18(19)\AddOns\Goodies

OnMac:Applications/GRAPHISOFT/ArchiCAD18(19)/AddOns/Goodies

UninstallAddOn
OnWindows:
1. IntheControlPanel,selectProgramsandFeatures.
2. FindRhinoOutinthelistofprograms,andclicktheUninstall/Changecommand.Thiswill
starttheuninstaller,whichwillremoveallitscomponentsfromyourcomputer.

OnMac:
1. NavigatetotheApplications/GRAPHISOFT/ArchiCAD18(19)/AddOns/Goodiesfolder.
2. FindtheRhinoOutAddOninthelistofprograms.
3. RemovetheAddOnfilebyplacingitinthetrash.

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

SaveARCHICAD3DModelinRhinoFormat
1.
FromtheARCHICAD3Dwindow,useFile>Saveas...
2.
ChoosetheRhino3DModel(*.3dm)fileformat.

3.
4.

ClickSave.
Ifneeded,adjusttheoptionstochangethewaythatARCHICADelementareinterpreted.
InARCHICAD18:TheExportRhinoModeldialogappears.
InARCHICAD19:ClicktheOptionsbuttontoaccessRhinoExportoptions.

SeeExportRhinoOptions,below.

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

ExportRhinoOptions

ChoosetoimportthefileaseitherSurfaceModelorSolidModel.

SurfaceModel
ChoosethisifyouwanttheARCHICADelementsurfacestoretaintheiroriginalcolorsinRhino.Eachmulti
colorARCHICADelementsmustbeexplodedintoseveralRhinoelements.
Note:AlthoughasingleARCHICADelementcanhaveadifferentcolorforeachsurface,asingleRhino
elementcanhaveonlyonecolorforallsurfaces.Thus,toretainallthesurfacecolorsofamulticolor
ARCHICADelement,itwillbeexplodedintomultipleelementseachwithadifferentcolorinRhino.
UsetheSurfaceModeloptionifyouareusingtheexportedARCHICADmodelforreferencemodel
purposes(e.g.youaremodelingpartoftheprojectinRhino,andyouwanttoseethesurrounding
environmentcreatedinARCHICADintheircorrectcolors.)

SolidModel
Withthisoption,ARCHICADsolidelementsareinterpretedinRhinoasasingleMeshorPolysurface
element.Consequently,itwillhaveasinglecolorinRhino(eveniftheoriginalARCHICADelementused
differentcolorsondifferentsurfaces).
UsetheSolidModeloption,forexample,ifyouusetheRhinomodelinasimulation,wherecolorsareless
important.

DetailedOptions(Advanced)
Note:Thedefaultoptionswillworkformostusers.However,youcanclicktheDetailstabtoseeand
changeexportsettingsifneeded.
GiventhedifferencesinthewayARCHICADandRhinoworkwithcurvedsurfacesandedges,theExport
ARCHICADtoRhinoAddOnseekstooptimizethewayeachelementisinterpreted.Thisisespecially
relevantforARCHICADscompositeelementsandMorphs,whichmighthavecurvedsegmentsand/or
multiplesurfaces.

ExportARCHICADModeltoRhino(BETA):UserGuideforARCHICAD18and19September28,2015

ThedefaultsettingisHybridasmartmethodthatinterpretseachelementaseitherBREPorMesh
dependingonitssurfacegeometrysoyouendupwithbothkindsofelementsinRhino.

Iftheelementconsistsofallflatsurfaces,itisautomaticallyexportedtoRhinoasBREP.
Iftheelementhascurvedsurfaces,itisautomaticallyexportedtoRhinoasaMesh

However,youmaywishtoensurethatallmodelelementsinRhinoareuniformlyinterpretedaseither
MeshorBREP(forexample,forsimplifiedfurthereditingorforexporttoathirdprogramthatdoesnot
recognizeMeshes.)

BREPModel(BoundaryRepresentation)
o LargerfilesizethanMeshModel
o Caninterpretholesandmanysidedpolygons
o Internaltriangulationofcurvedsurfacesisnotvisible(onlytheboundarycurveis
shown)
o Nousercontroloverhardvs.softshadingonedges
MeshModel
o SmallerfilesizethanBREPModel
o Allsurfacesaretriangulatedorquadrangulated.Thus,amorecomplexelement(e.g.
manysidedpolygonorelementwithahole)isalsotriangulated,withresulting
additionaledges
o Theshow/hidestatuselementedgescannotbeindividuallycontrolled;thedisplayofall
elementedgesisuniformlycontrolledwiththeMeshWiresoption
o Foreachedge,youcansetwhetheritsshadingisdisplayedashardorsoft