Top 10 Reasons to Use the Pollination Rhino Plugin

We love Rhino for its unparalleled interoperability with multiple file formats, parametric capabilities, and robust geometry creation. So, of course we are super excited to introduce a Pollination plugin for Rhino. With the addition of Pollination’s simulation recipes, cloud computing capabilities, and simulation metadata, Rhino becomes a formidable platform for all of your environmental simulation needs. Creating a Rhino plugin was a no-brainer for us, because we saw it as the optimal solution to solving one of our industries most egregious problems; the realities of translating CAD/BIM geometry to BEM for the architecture and engineering professions. Read all about the challenges with functional interoperability in a paper Chris and I wrote a couple years ago titled, “The Tool(s) versus The Toolkit”.

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Imagine you are working on a project and they’ve just shared with you a beautiful architectural 3D model. The accompanying renderings have perfect lighting, photo-realistic color rendition, and the details are just flawless. The client is already sold on the vision and now it’s your turn to prove that the building performs as beautifully as it looks. 

You review the model and email the architect back with a turn around time of approximately 3-4 weeks with a fee proposal that will most likely break the project budget. The architect is wondering, the model was perfect; why will it take so long and cost so much? So you have to explain to them that the architectural model was so detailed, that it was nearly impossible and time consuming to simplify it for simulation purposes. It will take time because you have to redraw the plans, export the plans as a file, and then import them to your simulation software to create an analytical model. All before you can start your simulation process! Or even worse, you get an updated model showing some new design changes just as you've started simulating.

Can you relate? 

Well fear no more, Pollination’s Rhino plugin is here to rescue your project timelines and budget. You can keep doing all the above inside the Rhino plugin or use the Rhino plugin as an interoperability software to make a clean analytical model. If you still need convincing, here are our top 10 reasons for using the Rhino plugin:

Setup Geometry

1. Effortlessly create complex or large models in Rhino
2. Use native Rhino geometry editing capabilities (gumball, shortcuts, and commands) to make modifications with speed and precision.
3. Ensure quality assurance by using color by face type or boundary condition commands before you simulate

Interoperability and Automation

4. Import and Export models in several file formats, including IDF, OSM, Rad, gbXML, and HBJSON.
5. Automate repetitive tasks using packaged Rhino scripts.
6. Leverage parametric capabilities of Honeybee in Grasshopper to add geometry or run simulations. 
7. Works on Mac or Windows operating systems.

Run Simulations (Energy / Daylight / and more..) 

8. Use one-click Pollination recipes (including LEED energy or daylight compliance) or create your own to share publicly or privately. 
9. Avoid screen lock, run simulations faster, and share models, workflows, or results via Pollination Cloud integration
10. Do all the above without ever leaving the Rhino interface‍

Get started with the Pollination Rhino plugin today and share your top 10 with us!