General
Is VisualARQ a McNeel Product?
What kind of program is VisualARQ?
What are the main values VisualARQ provides to its users?
- Complex architectural projects modeling in 3D and 2D in an easy and fast way.
- A full library of 3D paremetric architectural objects, customizable and editable anytime.
- Easy editing and automatic update of all the 2D document drawings, which are attached to the 3D model.
- Import and export of IFC 2×3 files, in order to exchange 3D models between Rhino and other BIM plaftorms such as Revit, ArchiCAD, Solibri or Tekla Bimsight.
- The dynamic section tool, which allows to work with real-time section views.
- An affordable price. VisualARQ plus Rhino makes a very affordable and competitive 2D/3D architectural package solution compared to related products in the market.
- Free technical support and constant development based on the users’ needs and requests.
Who is VisualARQ aimed at?
VisualARQ is aimed at architects, interior designers, engineers, constructors, urban planners, renderers, and architecture professionals. It is even useful for product designers in the marine design industry. In general, it can be a very useful tool for any Rhino user interested in architectural modeling or wishing to obtain technical drawings from their designs in a fast way.
Useful features regarding professional profiles.
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Architects
There is a wide range of architectural projects and usages where VisualARQ can be useful:
- Work with 3D parametric architectural objects.
- Navigation tools: Level and Section manager panels.
- Shop drawings tools.
- Other documentation tools (spaces, custom parameters, Quantity take-offs, opening elevations, tags..)
- IFC import and export features.
- Support to any material or render engine that works with Rhino.
- Automate design workflow with Grasshopper components.
- Create custom objects driven by Grasshopper with VisualARQ Grasshopper styles.
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Interior designers:
VisualARQ helps to prepare the architectural environment to work on interior design, and produce the documentation of it.
- Shop drawings tools.
- Work with 3D parametric architectural objects.
- Automate design workflow with Grasshopper components.
- Create custom objects driven by Grasshopper with VisualARQ Grasshopper styles, (including Furniture and custom Element objects).
- Quantity take-offs.
- Engineers, + constructors: VisualARQ is used to open an IFC file, add data on it in Rhino, edit and model some stuff and export it back to IFC:
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HBIM – Scan to BIM professionals (Example):
People that work in historical BIM projects. They bring a scanned building as a point cloud into Rhino, and use VisualARQ to produce a BIM model out of it:
- Work with 3D parametric architectural objects.
- Navigation tools: Level and Section manager panels.
- Shop drawings tools.
- Other documentation tools (spaces, custom parameters, Quantity take-offs, opening elevations, tags..)
- Automate design workflow with Grasshopper components.
- IFC import and export features, IFC Tag, and export custom parameters as IFC Properties.
- Product designers (Example): Even a small product design can get advantage of VisualARQ features to document it:
- Urban planners: Many of the VisualARQ features that are useful for architectural projects, can be applied to urban scale projects:
- Visualization specialists: VisualARQ supports the same render engines than Rhino, so after modeling the project in 3D, you can show it in section, assign materials and shot nice render views.
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Marine / Ship designers
The architecture is always present in the marine design industry. From small boats to big ships.
- Work with 3D parametric architectural objects that can be created from 3D curves (beams, railings). (Watch this video).
- Navigation tools: Level and Section manager panels.(Watch this video).
- Shop drawings tools.
- Create custom objects driven by Grasshopper with VisualARQ Grasshopper styles (Watch this video).
- Quantity take-offs.
Is VisualARQ based on BIM (Building Information Modeler)?
Specifications
Is VisualARQ available in other languages?
Does VisualARQ support Windows 8?
When will be VisualARQ compatible with Rhino for MAC?
Licenses
How can I upgrade from VisualARQ 1 to VisualARQ 2?
Which are the VisualARQ license modes?
Is the evaluation version fully functional?
- VisualARQ objects and styles are no longer saved.
- Copy, paste and explode commands for VisualARQ objects are disabled.
- Style import/export commands are disabled.
- IFC import and export are disabled.
What is an Educational License?
What is a LAB License?
Does VisualARQ support floating licenses?
Can I use a single VisualARQ license in different machines?
Features
Is it possible to import and export VisualARQ documents from and into AutoCAD?
- Import from AutoCAD: Yes. Since Rhino can read .dwg files, VisualARQ can work with them as well. It is therefore possible to start modeling a project in 3D using the 2D drawings imported from AutoCAD. VisualARQ can convert 2D lines into 3D walls, railings, beams, slabs….
- Export into AutoCAD: Yes. Once the 2D documentation drawings of a 3D model are generated in VisualARQ, it is possible to export them into AutoCAD. You just need to save the document as a .dwg file, and keep on working with the file in AutoCAD. This tip gives more information about how to do it.
Is it possible to dimension from the plug-in?
Is it possible to render from the plug-in?
How does VisualARQ help to exchange Rhino models with Revit?
VisualARQ includes a built-in IFC import and export plug-in, which makes it possible to exchange IFC 2×3 files between Rhino and Revit (as well as with other AEC software packages).
VisualARQ adds the ifc Tag feature that lets you assign any IFC category to any Rhino object (ifcWall, ifcBeam, etc…), that will be recognized as generic objects in Revit with data. (Check it out how it works in this video). After exporting a Rhino model through IFC, all VisualARQ objects are recognized in Revit as native architectural objects or generic objects, depending on the object type and how they have been created in Rhino. Check this guide to learn how each object is recognized in Revit through IFC. In addition to the ifc Tag, VisualARQ adds the option to create new custom parameters, and feed the geometry with information. This data can be assigned to geometry through the VisualARQ Grasshopper components. These new parameters are exported to IFC as ifc Properties, that Revit can read.How does VisualARQ integrate with Grasshopper? Is it easy to learn?
- VisualARQ Grasshopper Components: they are the VisualARQ objects and commands available from Grasshopper. They let you automate workflows in Grasshopper using VisualARQ objects and commands. You can also add data and obtain data to geometry and connect VisualARQ with other add-ons for Grasshopper, for multiple purposes within the Grassshopper environment.
- Grasshopper styles: they are VisualARQ objects created from Grasshopper definitions. You define the custom parametric object in Grasshopper and turn it into a VisualARQ object style. Once the new object style is created you can work with it and change its parameters in Rhino as any other VisualARQ object. At this point no Grasshopper knowledge is required, although Grasshopper is running in the background. You can find and download some examples in food4Rhino.