Rhino plug-in for mesh - limitation

[Patrick M]

In recent tests, we (Vincent) was using Rhino+Grasshopper to simplify and unify DWG contours, elevated in Rhino, then run through Grasshopper again to get a mesh into Archicad. 

We are seeing a major limitation to the Grasshopper plug-in: that only points can be plugged into the mesh script; what we really need is "user defined ridges" as an option. 

Anyone have a work-around to get real contours onto a mesh with Rhino? Any GS developers have any influence on expanding this part of the GH plug-in to allow for more usable/versatile/flexible mesh development?

I'll add that Vincent Todosiev (not myself) has been putting in a lot of leg work to figure out this workflow, so I hope he'll be able to chime in here to give more details on what he's done. These are just screen shots I snapped from our last meeting.

   

Operating system used: Mac Apple Silicon Sonoma

[stoneunturned]

I find it odd that we cant magic wand all the contours at once and let some good programming add them to our mesh in a successful sequence. One at a time? lord

So far sticking with:

-2D contours for plans (from surveyor)

-a high-ish poly textXYZ import (145k) for the sun study (from GIS or other into Rhino +GH)

-and an accurate ACmesh made from the surveyors contours for rolling max build height, earthworks considerations etc

Should be a one stop solution, but i think GS are getting closer.

Have played with converting linework(with z) to morph - morph lines are visible in 3d, but do not cast or receive shadows.

[ThaboM_COA]

Use Morph to generate contour lines its the only work around i found for it to work. 

[Patrick M]

yes, I've done that too. Just a very manual extra step for what should be a semi-automated workflow

[stoneunturned]

Agreed.

for clarity, have you tried exporting the mesh from Rh as a point file (.txt with correct options) and importing with AC’s ‘import survey into mesh’ tool?

I haven’t used the plugin yet. Just the YouTube tutorial by frank hu on ‘how to transform contours into a rhino surface’ (covers high and low poly) and the successful export/import process mentioned above. Managed to get a mesh in from cold in an hour

It yielded a ~150k poly mesh which slows down even my relatively grunty machine, but was created with a rapid work flow.

[Pato99]

I don't know about you guys, but in residential I find the user defined ridges to be helpful not just for benching a house pad, but representing heights in a vectorial/sketch render. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.  

Our surveys can be large, but typically they're small, so less point data and harder to make assumptions. So, we rely heavily on Contours more so than survey points. 

Given that the poly lines do have heights, I don't see why this couldn't be defined.

Probably get the award for the worst workaround idea, but if you need the lines represented in 3D, maybe you could split the mesh in GH using the contours and import as multiple meshes. :S 

I've posted a Wish for this thread. Let me know if I should change anything in the description.  
User Defined Ridges on Mesh for Grasshopper defini... - Graphisoft Community

[Ancha]

Totaly agree that there should be improvements in the mesh tool and the contour creations - management. Since you have a dwg file with the countours, the process should be a matter of 5 clicks. I also would like to see the option to display different contours on the mesh (between 1m or 0.5m etc).