Datakit Expands its Range of Rhino Plug-ins 

Datakit, a French specialist in data transfer for CAD systems, adds to its Rhino offer with new plug-ins for CreoView, Revit and IFC formats. This has led to the creation of a bundle targeting the architecture and construction industries. 

Rhinoceros 3D, more commonly known as Rhino 3D, is a computer-aided design software that was developed by Robert McNeel & Associates in 1992. Users have found it beneficial for its ease of modeling complex shapes in 3D, according to the company.

The ease of modeling enables users to use it with many other CAD systems. But for that you still need to be able to easily transfer 3D models from one system to another, which is what the import and export plug-ins developed by Datakit will do.

This Lyon (France) publisher, partner of a hundred publishers worldwide, has been offering a whole range of tools to exchange data between CAD systems: Conversion engine, CrossCad/Ware; Standalone converters, CrossManager; and Plug-ins, CrossCad/Plg.

“These are tools that our customers really appreciate because, apart from the fast and efficient data processing and the option to work in batch mode, they also value the ease of installation and use, regular updates, and the customer service efficiency,” says Olivier Rigollet, CEO of Datakit. 

Three New Plug-ins for Rhino 

The Rhino 3D import plug-ins, which already support 12 exchange formats, have been enhanced after the October update with three new formats: 

• Revit, 3D CAD software for architecture by Autodesk; 
   
• IFC, interoperability format for BIM (Industry Foundation Classes); and
   
• Creo View, 3D visualization software from PTC’s Creo products.

These plug-ins only require a Rhino 3D license on the workstation where they’re going to be used and use the same environment and resources as the software. These three new plug-ins are available individually for a fixed license or in bundles that include several plug-ins.

Two Bundles Depending on the Use

These three new plug-ins have led to the creation of a bundle dedicated to the world of architecture that one can now find with the existing general import bundle. The Creo View plug-in is integrated into the existing Rhino import bundle, which now supports 13 formats. Users who own this general bundle and have it up to date can get this new plug-in free of charge. 

Revit and IFC plug-ins are the subject of a new BIM bundle for Rhino. The Rhino plug-ins are based on Datakit’s topological model that, in addition to a re-reading of the native geometrical data, makes it possible to manage links between these geometries, which offers the possibility of working from exact solids similar to those generated in the source software. These plug-ins are fully compatible with the creation and deformation of solids in Rhino 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0. 

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.