How to build 3D model using solid body techniques in Rhino?

This tutorial teaches architectural students to transfer a 2D drawing into 3D modeling. The strategy is starting with a solid box and adjust it to fit the requirement. The example using here is Frank Gehry’s Winton guest house.

Part I: How to draw the fireplace?

1. Lock the original plan and open the elevation image in another window. Build a box in the perspective view.

2. For making the parapet, first, draw a rectangle by following the boundaries of the top of the box. “Offset” the rectangle by snapping to the wall thickness line showing on the plan drawing. Make another box by snapping the newly offset rectangle, type -6”.

3.Use “Booleandifference” to let the small box cut into the big box.

4.To build the smoker outpost, make a box in 3’x3’x10’.

5.“Move” the outpost by snapping the corners.

6.Snap the bottom-left corner and “rotate” for 30 degrees.

7.To build the outer ring on the top of the outpost, use polyline to draw a square and “offset” for 2”. Delete the original polyline after offset.

8.Select the line, use “extrudecrv” comment and turn on the “s” (solid) option. Extude for 2”. Delete the polyline after extude.

9.Select everything, “Booleanunion” them.

Part II: How to draw the bedroom?

1. Draw a box. Select the north-top edge, use “moveedge” comment to move the line along the vertical edge and type -3’. After that, move the upper-left vertical edge to fit the plan drawing. Use the same process to draw the garage, kitchen and loft spaces.

2.To export to a jpg file, click File>print, save to an image file with 200 resolution.

Part III: How to set light and shadows in Rhino?

1. Type in “Documentproperties”>view>display modes>rendered to open the setting panel and adjust the following items. First, go viewport settings>solid color>choose light gray. And then, go surface edge settings>edge thickness (pixels)>change to 1. Finally, go lighting scheme>ambient color>change to dark gray.

2.Type in “Documentproperties”>view>display modes>rendered>shadows and uncheck the shadow if needed. Also, turn on the Groundplane for the shadow to cast on.

3.Click the arrow on the right side of “Perspective”>raytraced with neon, check the “sun on” and “skylight on”, and wait for neon to render until it done (=reach 256). Use viewcapturetoclipboard and paste to photoshop clipboard.