Creating a Contour Model

Scaling, Contouring & Flattening

3 MINUTES

Important Commands and Actions:

Scale the model using the _Scale command and type the scale factor into the command line.
Use the _Contour command to generate a series of contour lines across a surface at a given spacing and direction.
Use the _ProjectToCPlane command in the TOP Viewport to flatten linework to the XY Plane.

Alternative commands:

Instead of _ProjectToCPlane, you can also use the _Make2D command to flatten the linework to the XY Plane.

4 MINUTES

Important Commands and Actions:

Create a new sublayer by right-clicking on an existing layer and selecting 'New Sublayer' in the dropdown list.
To select multiple objects in Rhino, hold down the shift key.
To change the layer an object is on, select it, right-click on the layer you wish to change it to, and select 'Change Object Layer'.
Generate surfaces from closed planar curves using the _PlanarSrf command.
Split surfaces with curves using the _Split command.
Select all the surfaces in your file using the _SelSrf command.
To create polysurfaces (3D objects) from planar surfaces (2D), use the _OffsetSrf command, including typing the offset distance direction in the command line.
To select all objects on a particular layer, right-click on the layer and select the 'Select Objects' option in the dropdown list.

5 MINUTES

Important Commands and Actions:

Select objects in your file and use the _BoundingBox command to generate an enclosed box around what you have selected.
Use the _Explode command to polysurfaces into separate surface objects.
Use the _Scale2D command to readjust the dimensions of a surface in a single direction/axis.
Split the surfaces using the _Split command and selecting polysurfaces as the splitting objects.
Use the _SrfPt command to create a planar surface.
Generate a polysurface using the _OffsetSrf command.
Create notch trimming objects using the _Box tool in the toolbar.
Use the _Copy command for the desired amount of notches you need, and use the _Scale1D to adjust their length to what you need.
To create the notched profile in each polysurface, use the _BooleanSplit command, using the boxes created as the splitting objects.

This support base method is not compulsory for students to follow, but simply a recommendation and demonstration of a possible method you can use.

4 MINUTES

Important Commands and Actions:

Turn on the _Gumball along the options panels and select objects to use it to move and rotate them.
Generate 2D profile curves from 3D objects using the _Make2D command in the TOP Viewport.
Use the _UnrollSrf command to unroll polysurfaces made up of flat, developable surfaces in the XY Plane.
Use the _DupBorder command to generate boundary curves from selected surfaces.
Use the _Offset command for edge curves you wish to create folded tabs.

Make2D Settings:

2 MINUTES

Important Commands and Actions:

When copying objects from one Rhino file to another, select what you wish to copy and use the _CopyToClipboard command, followed by the _Paste command in the _New file.
To place objects onto the provided layers in the template file, select the objects, right-click on the layer you wish to place them on and select 'Change Object Layer'.
Double-click on the provided text to update the required information for your project.
Use the _Scale1D command to adjust the dimensions of the sheet boundaries.
Finally, use the _Move command to nest you linework within the sheet boundaries.

Making a contour model with Non-orthogonal edges.

Last updated 4 months ago

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