VitruAI + Rhino / Grasshopper
VitruAI for Rhino / Grasshopper reads .3dm geometry and Grasshopper definitions directly through Rhino’s COM/.NET API and a Grasshopper component pack, with no exports or IFC round-trips. It supports Rhino 7 and Rhino 8 on Windows plus Grasshopper 1 and GH2-preview, and is currently shipping with 1–3 design partners on facade and massing workflows.
- Reads and writes .3dm geometry, Grasshopper definitions, layers, and user data directly from Rhino and Grasshopper, without intermediate export steps.
- Hands facade and massing intent to Revit documentation while preserving geometry, mass parameters, and metadata via Speckle or direct push into the next tool.
- Ships as a signed Rhino plug-in (.rhp) plus a Grasshopper component pack, installable under standard IT controls and traceable to your VitruAI workspace.
Install, requirements, and what runs through the integration.
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Install in ~20 minutes
Drop the signed .rhp plug-in into Rhino’s plug-ins folder, enable it from Rhino’s Plug-in Manager, and install the Grasshopper component pack via the Package Manager so it updates with your normal feed. Point the plug-in at the workspace token your admin issued to bind the machine to your VitruAI tenant. Typical teams wire a first facade or massing test with a Rhino to Revit translation workflow in a single session.
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Rhino 7 and Rhino 8 on Windows
The integration supports Rhino 7 SRs and Rhino 8 on Windows with an Authenticode-signed plug-in that IT can validate against your certificate policy. Rhino 6 is not supported because of the older .NET runtime and missing API hooks VitruAI agents rely on for stable parametric updates. Rhino for Mac support is available as a Labs engagement for firms that need vitruai for rhino grasshopper on mixed-OS teams, with co-designed test scenes and performance profiling.
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Direct Grasshopper canvas read
VitruAI components drop onto the Grasshopper canvas like any other GH node and subscribe to specific parameter outputs, including lists, trees, and custom data. When a designer drags a slider or swaps a panelisation definition, the agent re-reads the upstream geometry and parameters without any manual export. This pattern works for both Grasshopper 1 and GH2-preview, and is the same pattern used in the Grasshopper facade to Revit workflow.
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Speckle and direct hand-off paths
For firms already on Speckle, the Rhino plug-in can send geometry, attributes, and element IDs to a Speckle stream that the Revit team consumes, keeping Grasshopper and Revit in step. Teams without Speckle can use direct plug-in-to-plug-in transfer via the Rhino↔Revit Interop Agent, which pushes cleaned geometry and parameter sets into VitruAI + Revit for documentation. Both paths keep the original Grasshopper parameters visible so the documentation team knows which sliders drove the final form.
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Outbound HTTPS only — no inbound ports
The Rhino plug-in and Grasshopper components initiate outbound HTTPS connections only, so IT does not need to expose inbound ports or open RDP. VitruAI provides a single FQDN and IP range for firewall rules, with tenant regions in eu-central or me-central to keep data close to your projects. Logs record which machine, user, and definition triggered each run, giving computational leads a clear audit trail for each facade or massing study.
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Rhino-only and Rhino.Inside.Revit side by side
Firms already using Rhino.Inside.Revit can keep that pattern for in-session modelling while adding this Rhino-only integration for parametric studies that live outside Revit. The plug-in works in pure Rhino sessions, while Rhino.Inside.Revit continues to host Rhino objects inside a Revit process. The two approaches can share Speckle streams and Revit models, and teams can reference the Rhino.Inside.Revit integration page when deciding which pattern fits each project stage.
Rhino / Grasshopper integration FAQ
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Does this work with Rhino 7?
Yes, the plug-in supports Rhino 7 and Rhino 8 on Windows; Rhino 6 is not supported because the .NET runtime and API surface are missing features VitruAI agents require. Teams running mixed versions typically standardise on a specific Rhino 7 SR or Rhino 8 build for the Beta. Rhino for Mac support is available as a Labs engagement, where we co-design test scenes and validate performance before wider rollout.
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Can VitruAI read my existing Grasshopper definitions?
Yes, the Grasshopper component pack subscribes to outputs from any existing Grasshopper definition, so you do not need to rebuild scripts or change your panelisation logic. You drop VitruAI components at the points where you want geometry or data captured, such as final facade panels or massing envelopes. The same approach underpins the Grasshopper facade to Revit use case, where existing definitions drive Revit-ready geometry without reauthoring.
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How does the hand-off to Revit work?
You can either send geometry and parameters through Speckle or push directly between Rhino and Revit via the Rhino↔Revit Interop Agent. Speckle works well for firms that already maintain a Speckle workspace and want streams that both Rhino and Revit clients subscribe to, using the Speckle integration for governance. Direct transfer suits teams that prefer a tighter link between Rhino and VitruAI + Revit, with fewer moving parts and clearer responsibility for each hand-off.
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What about Rhino.Inside.Revit — is this the same thing?
No, this integration runs in standalone Rhino and Grasshopper sessions, while Rhino.Inside.Revit hosts Rhino inside a live Revit process. Rhino.Inside.Revit is ideal when you want Rhino geometry living directly in a Revit model, and you can read more about that pattern on the Rhino.Inside.Revit integration page. The VitruAI Rhino / Grasshopper plug-in focuses on parametric studies that hand off cleanly to Revit documentation teams, often via the Rhino to Revit translation workflow.
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What does the Beta cohort look like?
The Beta cohort consists of 1–3 design partners running facade or massing workflows that hand off to a Revit documentation team on real projects. Partners co-design the Grasshopper component pack, default data schemas, and example definitions, and in return they agree to structured feedback sessions and case-study consent. Each Beta deployment ships a per-project accuracy and performance report calibrated to the partner’s Rhino, Grasshopper, and Revit pipeline so BIM and computational leads can quantify the time saved per study.