McNeel and Associates, Inc. has recently announced the new Rhinoceros 7, the largest and most important update in recent history to the popular 3D software. Rhino 7 includes Grasshopper the world’s leading algorithms-aided design (AAD) or commonly called ‘computational design’ software platform.
Rhino 7 Highlights
One of Rhino 7’s largest most important new features is the new SubD tools, along with the ability to run Rhino and Grasshopper as a Revit Add-On with Rhino.Inside.Revit technologies. (see: Architosh: “INSIDER: Expanding a BIM Workflow Near You—McNeel’s New Open Source Rhino.Inside SDK,” 30 March 2020 )
Rhino 7 also features many new improvements for presentation work, including enhanced rendering features like PBR materials, Denoisers, Emissive materials, Gradient and Transparent Hatches, and much more. In addition, there are numerous improvements to bug fixes, better documentation, and much more.
Grasshopper has many improvements in Rhino 7, including Grasshopper Player which turns your Grasshopper definitions into Rhino commands. Grasshopper also features Clash Detection, a BIM term used by AEC industries to find objects that occupy the same space. As Grasshopper further embeds itself into BIM workflows for architects, this feature will be most useful. Finally, Grasshopper Component Placeholders is a technology that helps users understand and resolve missing dependencies in Grasshopper definitions.
Rhino 7 with its improved Grasshopper, includes new Grasshopper Player (Image: McNeel)
Finally, Rhino 7 is a development platform. There are major improvements to the free SDKs, with API refinements and better documentation. Again, Rhino.Inside technology is the new technology that allows Rhino 7 and Grasshopper to be embedded into other Windows applications, including exposure to all plugins for both of those applications to work inside the host application.
Availability and Pricing
Rhino 7 commercial licenses are EUR/USD 995. If you have any older version of Rhino, it can be upgraded to Rhino 7 (which includes Grasshopper) for EUR/USD 395. However, that upgrade promotion ends 10 March 2021, whereupon the upgrade price is EUR/USD 595. Click here to learn more.
Rhino 7 with new SubD tools empowers advanced 3D modeling workflows.
For students and faculty, Rhino education licenses never expire. Your Rhino educational license is upgradeable, just buy a commercial license. You will need your old license key. To find it click here.
If you need older version 5 and version 6 licenses, you can buy a full Rhino 7 license and then download old versions and retrieve a legacy key. If you are using LAN Zoo you can upgrade to LAN Zoo 7.
Click here to learn more about Rhino 7.