2 things I didn't know 2 days ago Rhino to SolidWorks and 2007 Training

There has been a Rhino plugin for SW for quite some time, but you needed to get it from the Rhino website.

Muggs

"John Layne"

Well- It was somewhat finnicky. It would import unknit surfaces in as separate parts that you would have to reassemble.

Funny, I never had that problem Thomas. I would create a Poly surface first and "mostly" it wasn't a problem.

Muggs

Perhaps it was because they were on seperate layers. I havent used it in a while, but I am glad of the closer interoperability between the two programs.

Yes, the Rhino add-in has been available for version of SolidWorks prior to 2007 but it had not been updated since 2001 and there were some definite problems. With 2007, we updated it and built it in to the core product (you do have to check the add-in thou.) Additionally, you can edit a Rhino Surface from within SolidWorks (launches Rhino and opens up session with surface file.) You can also replace (re-import) a different Rhino file for the current one in the SolidWorks FM.

Even with the current 2007 import, there are some current limitations, some that will be addressed in 2007 service packs and some that will be addressed for 2008 (next summer) along with possibly some new enhancements to further our integration with Rhino. I did say possibly=EF=81=8A

Currently in SP0 and SP1 you can only use the Edit Rhino feature if it is one surface feature. Also after working on the Rhino file in Rhino, you must save and close the Rhino session before returning to the SolidWorks session. We hope to overcome this in a 2007 SP. Also, if the Rhino File contains several non-manifold surface bodies, they will be opened up into SolidWorks as separate part files. We realize that in most cases, the user will want the option to open them up as one part file with several multi-bodies.

We are committed to strengthening our partnership with McNeel and associates.

If you have any further questions, I will try to answer them for you. We want to see Rhino/SolidWorks users successfully using these together.=20

Regards

Mark Biasotti Product Manager =E2=80=93 Rhino Integration

Mark,

Thank you for clearing that up. I've been using Rhino for quite a while and before SW surface capabilities were where they are presently, I used Rhino quite a bit more for all of my "Swoopy" surface creation. It's a rare occasion that I need to use Rhino because I "can't do that in SW", I mainly use it for creating surfaces using the MicroScribe (creating a grid of splines) and lofting a surface then save and import into SW.

Now what would be nice (and you're not going to want to hear this) is a SaveAs .3dm, so I can go directly from SW to Rhino and then render in Flamingo. Sorry, but I didn't want to waste my chance at my request to "The Man" (appologies to John).

Muggs

Even with the current 2007 import, there are some current limitations, some that will be addressed in 2007 service packs and some that will be addressed for 2008 (next summer) along with possibly some new enhancements to further our integration with Rhino. I did say possibly?

Currently in SP0 and SP1 you can only use the Edit Rhino feature if it is one surface feature. Also after working on the Rhino file in Rhino, you must save and close the Rhino session before returning to the SolidWorks session. We hope to overcome this in a 2007 SP. Also, if the Rhino File contains several non-manifold surface bodies, they will be opened up into SolidWorks as separate part files. We realize that in most cases, the user will want the option to open them up as one part file with several multi-bodies.

We are committed to strengthening our partnership with McNeel and associates.

If you have any further questions, I will try to answer them for you. We want to see Rhino/SolidWorks users successfully using these together.

Regards

Mark Biasotti Product Manager - Rhino Integration

This is pretty interesting. Can you describe what the user might expect to happen to dependancies if the Rhino object is edited (what sort of editing are we talking about, CV manipulations, trim manipulations, surface recreation, etc.) or replaced?

... But you can read SW files directly into Rhino

Mark

In case anyone is interested This:

Muggs

I like and use Rhino as well and am happy to see the "upgrade" finally.

What is interesting to me is that Rhino was developed by Ex-Autodesk people. And now a more integral part of SolidWorks!

Welcome to the "Bright Side"...

Aron

"John Layne"

Yes, that is what I meant to send as a link.

Muggs wrote: