Course developed by Dr. Terrell Neuage
Students will be instructed in the principles of 3-D modeling using Rhinoceros NURBS modeling software. In a laboratory setting, students will have the opportunity to practice the strategies and methods commonly used in creating and solving 2-D and 3-D geometric problems. Information given in lectures and demonstrations will address aspects of modeling free-form curves, surfaces, and solids. Students will be introduced to a variety of 3-D model applications as they are used in illustration, engineering, design, documentation drawing, entertainment, and animation.
In addition to developing a working knowledge of 3-D terminology and concepts, each student will learn how to create a variety of 3-D geometric models from technical drawings, sketches, real models, and written descriptions.
This course will:
Rhino is a powerful design and visualization tool you can use with most computers running Windows. The home page for Rhino is at www.rhino3d.com. If you want to try it at home, you can download a 30-day free trial. If you prefer to load the trial program from a disk, I will make available the 30-day program. The trial program has all the features of what we will use in class except for the plug-ins for rendering and animation discussed below.
Once a model is completed in Rhino, it can then be used with other applications to further enhance a project. For example, you can create a model and export the file to a CNC machine (Computer Numeric Control) for prototyping or manufacturing or render the model and use it on web pages, newsletters, and presentations. Models can be exported to other software programs for animation. We have several products available on our computers that we will use to enhance our Rhino modeling experience, such as:
Rhinoceros is a 3-D NURBS modeling program for Windows. With Rhino, you can model anything from a heart valve to a ship hull and from a mouse to a monster. Rhino provides a flexible, accurate, and fast working environment. You can model and render objects that you could previously create only using software and hardware many times more expensive.
Rhino is easy to learn and use. With Rhino, you can create free-form curves, surfaces, and solids. You are free to create the model any way you want.
Each student will receive a training manual of 270 pages (Training Manual Level 1). Mid-trimester, you will receive Training Manual Level 2. NOTE: These manuals are yours to keep and make notes in. You will need to keep notes in a folder on your 'U' drive.
We have several training CDs for special interests, such as:
These CDs may be used in the classroom during non-teaching periods if I am in the room.
Peer review is an expected source of feedback for all students. There will be a form and methods established that would encourage each student to be a part of the evaluation process. Modelers should save or archive their model files. Files of the rendered image should also be saved. Make sure that wherever your model is saved, you include your name and the date on the label. These files will be used as examples for other students and may be posted on an internet gallery. See gallery.mcneel.com for examples.
https://neuage.org/AA/rhino/gradesRHINO.htm
Our grading rubric is interpreted as: 4.0=A, 3.0=B, 2.0=C, 1.0=D, 0.0=F. In this scale, half points could be interpreted as pluses or minuses.
Assignments are based on using the Rhino Level 1 Training Manual as a reference and the Sample Design Activities for projects.
Weekly assignments are at www.albany-academy.org/compcon/rhino/notes/index.htm.
Completing assigned activities on time is essential to learning computer software. We must keep up with the daily computer work so future projects can be completed. Students who fall behind in assignments in the first few weeks of class find it difficult to produce more complicated designs near the end of the semester.
Learning the terminology of a software program helps us use the correct term when asking a question or contributing to a class discussion. Weekly quizzes require students to commit to memory the vocabulary used in the software program and the general commands for navigating around the software.
The midterm is the halfway point in the semester. The midterm gives both myself and you the opportunity to look at the progress you have made so far. This is a good time for me to evaluate the pace of the class and make any necessary changes in the curriculum. The final is a cumulative collection of information given over the course of the semester. The final covers vocabulary and a computer modeling section. By the end of the semester, students should be able to re-create simple computer models without detailed instruction.
A required student notebook is one way for me to teach the importance of keeping all of your work together. Students should keep a notebook containing their projects for the entire semester. This is a good way for me to see the improvement in your progress over a period of time. For you, the notebook is a valuable source of reference for future design projects. It also becomes the basis for the required portfolio of work that will be done at the end of the class.
Students are required to keep all handouts, sketches, photographs, computer printouts, projects, and any other information that pertains to the class in the notebook.
The final project is your chance to show off the work you have put into learning the software and design elements over the semester. Although you will be given final project guidelines to follow, I encourage you to be inventive and creative. The final project should be a major portfolio piece when completed.
Non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) geometry is a mathematical representation that can accurately define any shape from a simple line, circle, arc, or box to the most complex 3-D free-form organic surface or solid. Because of their flexibility and accuracy, NURBS models can be used in any process from illustration and animation to manufacturing.
There are four fundamental geometric objects in Rhino: