Rhino Export Guidelines

In this guide we will walk through how to export glTF files from Rhino to be processed on VNTANA. We will go over installing the exporter and configuring our materials for a successful export.

Lets dive in!

Jump to: Workflow | Export Process | Installing glTF exporter | Material Configuration | Applying Materials | Exporting | Appendix

Workflow

Export Process

We will walk through how to export a glTF file from Rhino. Since the glTF file format uses PBR materials it is recommended to use Rhinos Physically Based material to ensure an accurate export.

Installing glTF exporter

In order to export a .glb from Rhino we must first install the .glb export package. This can be found in Rhinos package manager Tools > Package Manager.

Type in .glb in the search field, and select and install the “gltf-binexporter”. This will allow us to export as a .glb.

Now that we can export as a .glb will need to ensure our materials are set up correctly.
We must ensure the material being used is the Rhino Physically Based material.

Material Configuration

If your Material is not a Physically Based material, you will need to create a new material by clicking the plus icon in the material library window and selecting Physically Based material.

Now that our material is created we will need to dial in our settings.

By default the Physically Based material allows us to adjust the values for our Base color, Roughness and enable Metallic properties.

If we require more detail or have textures for our material we must click the drop down “Detailed Settings”.

From this window please enable the following Channels:
Base Color/ Metallic / Roughness – This allows us to apply textures for our base color, roughness and metallic, with more detailed control over our metallic channel.

Bump/Normal and Displacement – This allow us to apply our normal maps.

Now that we have our full material properties enabled we can either apply textures to the desired channels or dial in the specific value. If you do not have textures and are happy with the materials appearance you can skip down to Apply the Material section

Base Color: Color value or Texture

Roughness: Input Value of 0-1 or a Texture

_{Note: Roughness is the inverse of gloss. A value of 1 indicates the material is very rough and has a alot of area for light to bounce around in to create a flat surface, think concrete.}

_{A value of 0 indicates a material that is very smooth and reflective, think a mirror.}

Metallic: Input Value of 0-1 or a Texture

_{The metallic channel controls the metallic properties of the material. By default you are able to toggle between Metal and non-metal.}

_{The detail panel allows us to apply a texture or introduce a value for our metallic channel.}

Metallic: 1 Roughness 0

Metallic: 0 Roughness 0

Normal: Input Texture

_{The normal map allows us to embed surface detail into our material. Think wood grain or the grout/bricks of a brick wall.}

Applying Materials

It is important that the material be assigned correctly depending on your scene set up.

If the material is assigned to the layer ensure the objects within the layer are not nested and that any CAD blocks are “exploded”. This can be achieved by typing in “Explode” with your asset selected.

This will break up the joined object into its mesh objects.

You can now apply your material via the layer by clicking on the black space in material if no material is present or by clicking the material name.

This will bring up a window allowing you to select your desired material.

If you want to use the material from the layer, select the mesh and in the Properties: Material panel ensure “Use Layer Material” is selected.

Or apply it directly to the Object, You can do this by dragging and dropping the material onto to the object or you can select the mesh and apply the material in the properties panel.

Exporting

With our materials set up we are ready to export.

With our asset selected, navigate to File> “Export Selected”
This will bring up a dialog menu asking where you would like to save the file.

Select .glb (glTF Binary File) from the drop down, If the option for .glb is not present please install it from the package manager, instructions can be found above. Click save.

This will bring up the glTF export setting dialog. We do not recommend making any changes the defaults work fine. Click Ok.

Appendix

Metallic and Roughness Break down

Metallic – Roughness at 0
Metallic 0

Metallic .5

Metallic 1

Roughness – Metallic at 0

Roughness 0

Roughness .5

Roughness 1