New VisualARQ 3 - A Game-Changer for Rhino Users in Architecture

Asuni  is thrilled to announce the release of VisualARQ 3, a Game-Changer for Rhino Users in Architecture.

This new version brings a wealth of new features and improvements, making it a monumental leap forward in the capabilities of Rhino for architectural projects.

VisualARQ 3 is compatible with both Rhino 7 and Rhino 8, and it is the culmination of several years of dedicated development, incorporating the most requested features from our user community.

 

New Features of VisualARQ 3 include:

 

Objects Link to Levels

IFC 4 Support

Dynamic Table Report Panel

Buildings with Boundary

Clashes and Clearances Report

Reflected Ceiling Plans

Guides

Walls and Curtain Walls from Grasshopper Styles

Objects Intersections and Interferences

Profile Manager

Export Layouts to DWG

 

Complete list

Attributes

• Restore the option to override text size to object styles
• Option to define linetype scale from the style attributes
• Support “By Material” color
• Allow custom print widths in section attributes and styles attribute
• Link Section attributes with Rhino Section Styles
• Change the term “By Parent” with “By Object” for style attributes
• Section attributes by Layer

Clashes

• Clash & Clear report panel
• Add hard clashes tolerance in clash tests
• Highlight clash issues on top of the geometry
• Add Zoom to Issue in Clashes context dialog
• Avoid having to click ENTER to end the “show issue” command in the Clashes panel
• Implement Clash level filter
• Add a button to Run and pause the clashes analysis in the Clashes panel
• Add “Zoom to issue” option in Clash and Clear panel items
• Show objects in Set A and Set B in different columns, in the Clash-clear panel
• Make description text wrap in the text box, in clash and clear styles dialog
• Automate clash&clear pre-configurations

Grasshopper: Components

• Add “Building” to Pipeline component
• Change the default Max Aperture % value of Door component in Grasshopper to 50%
• Guide components in Grasshopper
• Implement opening styles’ valid host input/output
• Handle component in Grasshopper
• Allow roofs and slabs as host for windows/doors created from Grasshopper
• Implement the Fixed Width and Height in the “Deconstruct Curtain Wall Fixed Dimension Cell”
• Implement “Fill Width” and “Fill Height” options for “Curtain Wall Fixed Dimension Cell” component
• Change the name of the “Set Property Value” component and its “Property” input
• Change the name of the “Get Property Value” component and its “Property” input
• Roof alignment in Grasshopper components
• Remove obsolete Curtain Wall Mullion and Frame components
• Add Custom profile to CurtainWall Frame/Mullion Grasshopper components
• Reorder inputs in the Openings Options component
• Max Aperture property missing in Door and Window Options
• Add Edge Cut value to Roof Style Create a Decompose components
• Define roof slopes individually from Grasshopper
• Make Get Level detect the location of the wall path curve instead of the wall bounding box
• The VA GH Pipeline component should support the retrieval of Block Definitions and Block Instances
• The Get Level should give a list of levels
• Show less Opening components on the VisualARQ GH Ribbon

Grasshopper: Styles

• Support non-geometry output parameters
• Wall styles from Grasshopper definitions
• Curtain wall styles from Grasshopper definitions
• Input geometry for slab and roof Grasshopper styles
• Extend walls created from Grasshopper styles upwards
• Show height parameter in the style properties panel window for walls created from a grasshopper style
• Possibility to order output parameters in groups
• Detect the “height” linked parameter in walls and curtain walls created as Grasshopper styles
• Leave the 3D and Plan view representations checked by default when you create a new Grasshopper style
• Join walls created from Grasshopper styles
• Join options for walls created as Grasshopper styles
• Be able to assign components to Model and Plan view at the same time
• Automatic Horizontal alignment for doors and windows created with Grasshopper styles
• Support for blocks inside Grasshopper styles definitions
• Use different icons for Texts and Hatch components in Grasshopper styles
• Do not convert extrusions into Breps in geometry output components used for Grasshopper styles

IFC

• Support to import and export IFC 4 files.

Interface

• Add Constraints icon
• Change names in the Section Manager commands
• “Filter by” option for output parameters in the Grasshopper Style Wizard
• Change the term for “Guide rules” in the Properties panel
• Show units for length property values
• Show icons for the object types in the import and export styles dialogs
• Profile manager command in the VisualARQ toolbar and Menu
• Menu entries for Guides
• Hide block name in VisualARQ object Properties panel
• Icons for total row types
• Group the Roof’s slope angle and area properties into one

Layout

• Export layouts to DWG
• Export multiple layouts to DWG
• Option to export only the current layout
• Make the DWG command cancellable with the escape key.
• Insert tables in Layouts

Level Manager

• Link Rhino and VisualARQ objects to Levels
• Building contours
  • Show building boundary when creating it
  • Set the Building Boundary as a rectangle directly on the model
  • Extract building boundary
  • Allow the contour of a building to be removed
  • Save Building contour to the document
  • Add “Set building boundary” in the contextual menu
• Allow buildings to be isolated
• Allow buildings to be hidden
• Allow levels to be hidden freely
• Command to isolate levels
• Sub-Levels
• Synchronize level states in all viewports
• Level states
• Add options to create multiple levels on a building
• Ask for confirmation after deleting a building
• Improve the performance when working with different buildings with boundary
• The isolate level action should change the CPlane to the isolated level
• Update the position of CPlane when changing the elevation of a level
• Detect numbers in level name pattern when creating multiple levels
• Show Level elevation reference marks of only one Building in Elevation views
• Tooltips in Level Manager
• Change the text for deleting a building from the contextual menu
• Icons for the floor/ceiling plan view options in the Level manager
• Detect level and floor type when inserting 2D plan views from the level manager
• “Set Plan View to Viewport” should adjust the view zoom to the building boundary
• Make Sync Levels and Toggle Level’s elevation button always active
• Organization of RCP commands in the Level Manager Toolbar
• Disable the “Isolate” option when the building has no boundary
• Set “3 meters” as the default value for Height between levels in the Multiple Level creation dialog.
• Switch between Building Elevation and Document 0 Elevation in viewport elevation marks
• Show Level Elevation in relation to the Z Document origin
• Multiple selection of levels in the Level Manager
• Show the tooltip for the Plan View Reference icon
• Duplicate Buildings and Levels
• Do not let a Construction plane be in a hidden level

Object

• Create boolean interferences between objects
• Command or Option to change the order of intersection
• Order new sizes alphabetically
• Cleanup edges between elements with the same material
• Be able to extract the subtracted or added solids individually
• Subtract a VisualARQ object from another VisualARQ object

Object: Beam

• Calculate the intersection between beams and walls, slabs, and roofs.

Object: Column

• Extrude / extend columns to surfaces
• Extrude / extend Column coating

Object: Curtain Wall

• Curtain wall joints
• Curtain wall from surface
• Custom profiles for Mullion and Frame components of Curtain walls
• Adjust division count in extended curtain walls
• Move “Rotation” parameter to the profile tabs
• Rename one of the two “length” properties in Curtain walls
• Add “Elevation” property to Curtain walls
• Change the default curtain wall height to “by style”
• Options to “Fill Width” and “Fill Height” in “fixed-sized grid” curtain wall style
• Rename curtain wall “gap” properties to “margin”
• Rotate Curtain walls using the gumball or the rotate commands

Object: Guide

• Structural guides
• Link Rhino objects to Guides
• vaGuideGrid command
• Guides from curves
• Manage guides through styles
• Stretch dimensions when moving guides
• Draw guides only in Perspective or Top viewports on the XY plane
• Guides should link with both wall edges
• Add option to do not link any object type to guides
• Choose which elements can be altered by a guide style
• Assign some default Top and Bottom elevation values to guides
• vaSelGuide command
• Control points to modify top and bottom elevation
• Show guides plane only when you select it
• Automatic naming control for guides

Object: Opening Elevation

• Show handles and knobs in opening elevations

Object: Openings

• Add Handle / Knob component for doors and windows
• Determine Openings leaf width by fixed size or by %
• “Auto” default value for leaf sizes
• Tell an opening not to get linked to a wall
• Option to control the Leaf Alignment in relation to the Frame component

Object: Plan view

• RCPs in 2D plan views (Reflected ceiling plan)
• Sort levels by elevation in the plan view “Level” property

Object: Railing

• Make the _vaFlip  command work on railings

Object: Roof

• Control points for roofs created from surfaces
• Move roof “Alignment” property to the “Location” category or tab
• “All Slopes” property is not working when a roof is created from a surface
• Roof from surfaces do not show the slab’s layer structure
• Roof alignment
• Add “Slab areas” property to roofs
• Improve the creation of new roof styles

Object: Section

• Create Sections with the “Clippable” option unchecked by default
• Move End text setting of section styles
• Change term “Length” by “Depth” in section lines
• Orient section arrows in the same direction
• Option to not show the apostrophe symbol in Section reference text
• Identify a section in the model from a selection in the Section Manager
• Mirrored section arrow symbols
• Identify a section in Section Manager from a selection in the model
• Allow ordering section list in the Section Manager

Object: Slab

• Join slabs
• Add Slab layer type
• Join stairs and slabs
• Join beams and slabs
• Intersections between walls and slabs

Object: Space

• Link spaces to levels
• Option to not print the space boundary
• Option to hide the space representation in 3D
• Allow rotating the space label
• Change the alignment of the text inside a space tag

Object: Stair

• Join stair slab with walls and slabs
• Edit the number of the first stair step

Table Report panel

• Quantity take-offs in a dynamic report panel
  • Show tables in a Rhino’s dock view’s report list
  • Identify the elements in the table by selecting them in the model
  • Identify the elements in the model by clicking them in a data table
  • Bidirectional tables: edit table items on click
• Add objects to tables, after having created them
• Remove objects from the table row or by picking them in the model
• Add total amounts at the ends of table fields
• Table filters:
  • Filter openings and spaces by levels in tables
  • Filter objects by Level and Building in tables
  • Filter objects by object styles
  • Filter objects by Layer
  • Visual feedback when filters are applied to a table
• Update VisualARQ 2 tables to VisualARQ 3 tables
• Add a check on table style to activate/deactivate any column’s total row at once
• Make tables always dynamic
• Checkbox to define if a table is dynamic or not
• Access table object or style properties from the layout
• Tables “quantity” property field redefined in table styles
• Possibility to change dots by commas
• Table styles shortcut icon in the Table panel toolbar
• Shortcut to edit the active table style
• Order numbers properly in tables
• Show table preview in the table styles dialogue
• “Apply” option is available in table styles when you modify a field name or change the grouping options
• Add a “Border” option to show the border of the total cell
• Export numeric values in tables to number format
• Do not add totals of openings Elevation in tables
• Remove the unit symbols when exporting tables
• Order tables by the “quantity” field
• Add units in tables next to values
• Assign automatically a name to the chosen property in the new style wizard

Object: Tag

• Manage Tag information by style
• Define the insertion point when creating a tag
• Show tag preview in the tag styles dialogue
• Allow formatting tag text

Object: Window

• Insert windows in slabs
• Insert windows in roofs
• Allow windows to be rotated in 3D
• Create windows from not vertical curves
• Window Leaf size modifications (%, Units, Equitative) in Window Style and Window Style Wizard
• Automatically update leaf size (%) in window styles

Performance

• Major performance improvements when activating sections
• Major performance improvements when activating levels
• Slow performance moving or deleting slabs
• Improvements in saving files

Profile

• Profile manager. Edit custom profiles.
• Specify the insert point when extracting the curve of a custom profile
• Extract the curve of a custom profile
• Rename “Profiles Table” with “Profiles”
• Do not show system profiles in the Profile Manager
• Categories of profiles by the object type they are created for
• Be able to delete custom profiles that are not in use

Reflected Ceiling Plans

• RCP (Reflected Ceiling Plans) in real-time views
• Indicate in viewport’s name that the level displayed is a reflected ceiling plan
• Ignore overhead representation of objects in RCP
• Create RCP as 2D dynamic blocks with the _vaPlanView  command

Template

• Tables in mm template are too small

Toolbar – Menu:

• Changes in the VisualARQ long toolbar
• Add _vaSelGuide  in the Select Toolbar
• Replace icon for Wall From Solid command
• Add the vaCurtainWallFromSurface command to the curtain wall toolbar
• Add the _vaExportToDWG  command in the toolbar and menu
• Show a Column unextend command in the toolbar
• Show _vaSelSameType  and the _vaSelSameStyle  commands in the toolbar and menu
• Guide toolbar
• Add _vaProfiles  command in the right click of the vaProfileFromCurve icon
• Add Clash and Clear icons in the toolbar
• Install toolbars on all computer users
• Add vaCurtainWallExtend command in the menu
• Add the Wall Extract Path command in the Menu and wall context menu

Zoo

• Include a dll necessary to add a VisualARQ license to the Zoo