All Rhino commands can be used in command macros. Command macros can be run by typing the command at the command prompt, from toolbar buttons, shortcut keys, command aliases, from the ReadCommandFile command, or using the Paste command into Rhino's command stream.
Write command macros just as you would type the command sequence at the command line. A space between characters or a new line act like pressing Enter at the command line.
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Character |
Meaning in macro |
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Causes the command to repeat automatically without pressing Enter to restart. |
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Cancels the previous command. An exclamation point (!) and a space in the beginning of a macro cancels any previous command. At other locations, it cancels the macro. If necessary, the exclamation point can be used at the end of the macro. |
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Runs command as English command name. Rhino can be localized in many languages. The non-English versions will have commands, prompts, command options, dialog boxes, menus, etc., translated into their respective languages. English commands will not work in these versions. For scripts written in English to work on all computers (regardless of the language of Rhino), the scripts need to force Rhino to interpret all commands as English command names. For example: In the English version of Rhino, the following macro works: Circle 3Point 0,0,0 1,1,0 0,3,0 But in the French version of Rhino, this won't work. Instead you need one of these macros: Cercle 3Point 0,0,0 1,1,0 0,3,0 To make sure macros work worldwide, write them in English and put _ in front of all command names and options. |
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Suppress dialog box. All commands can be made into macros at the command line (even commands that have dialog boxes by default). To suppress the dialog box and use command-line options, prefix the command name with a hyphen (-). |
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The next command is a nestable command. View and construction plane manipulation and object snaps are nestable. Geometry creation commands are not nestable. One-shot object snaps and sub-object picking filters are automatically nestable and do not require an apostrophe. |
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If the first character in a toolbar macro is not "!" and the last character is" /", the script runs on the command line without Enter , so more information can be added. This feature is useful for building a command string out of parts like digits, decimal points, angles (such as "<45") that are on buttons, making a "numeric keypad" on the screen. |
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Suppresses command options for clutter free command feedback. The options still work as usual. |
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; |
Comment. Lines beginning with a semicolon (;) are not part of the macro, but let you document the macro or try alternative input. For example: ; This is a test macro |
Examples
Draw a circle
This macro creates a circle centered at 5,5 with a radius of 10:
! _-Circle 5,5 10
The spaces between the entries are the same places you would press Enter when typing the command by hand.
Deselect objects and start the Move command
This macro starts the Move command, but makes sure no objects are selected before asking you to select objects to move:
! _SelNone _Move
Create a curve through points
This macro creates a set of three points, selects them all, and fits a polyline through the points:
! _SelAll _Points _Pause _Pause _Pause _Enter _Invert _CurveThroughPt _EnterEnd
How this script works:
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! _SelAll |
Cancels all previous commands and selects all the objects currently in the model. |
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_Points |
Runs the Points command. |
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_Pause _Pause _Pause |
Allows picking three point locations. |
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_Enter |
Simulates pressing Enter, which stops the creation of point objects. |
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_Invert |
Inverts the selection. All visible objects in the scene were selected at the beginning of the script, so after Invert only the newly created point objects are selected. |
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_CurveThroughPt |
Creates a polyline through the point objects. |
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_EnterEnd |
Completes the command. |
Bypass a dialog box
! -_Rebuild _Pause _Points=10 _Degree=3 _Enter
Select a curve, then run this macro. All options will be set by the macro.
To try these scripts
| 1. | Select the macro right from this Help topic. |
| 2. | Press Ctrl + C to copy it to the Clipboard. |
| 3. | Click in the Rhino command prompt, and press Ctrl + V to paste the macro. |
Special scripting commands
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Pause |
Stops for user input in a macro. Example ! _Circle _Pause 50 This macro asks for a point and then draws a circle with a 50 unit radius centered there. |
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Enter |
Simulates pressing Enter inside a macro. This command does not repeat the previous command like pressing Enter does. |
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EnterEnd |
Completes the command. |
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SetRedrawOff |
Prevents screen redraw, construction plane or camera changes during macros. |
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SetRedrawOn |
Turns screen redraw back on after SetRedrawOff. |
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NoEcho |
Turns off echoing of macro commands to the command history window. |
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Echo |
Turns on echoing of macro commands to the command history window. |
The MacroEditor command opens an edit window for macro creation and testing.
Macro Editor Panel
Steps
| 1. | Type commands in the Macro Editor window. |
| 2. | To test, click Run. |
| 3. | To delete the macro, click Delete. |
Notes
| ● | Selecting some text and clicking Run will run only that selected part of the macro. |
| ● | There is a right click context menu for selecting all, copy, paste, delete, run, etc. |
The ReadCommandFile command reads and executes a command macro from a text file.
Steps
In the Open Text File dialog box, select the file to read.
The file contents are copied into the command line, and the lines of the command file are interpreted as if they were typed into the command line.
Notes
| ● | When building command files, use the Enter command, which is equivalent to pressing Enter to execute commands. |
| ● | If you read in a particular file often, assign ReadCommandFile to a toolbar button along with a filename. For example: -ReadCommandFile myfile.txt |
| ● | If the file name has spaces, surround the text with quote marks. For example: -ReadCommandFile "my file.txt" |
Example
Make a text file like the following example that has commands for creating all your curves in it, and then create the curves all at once with ReadCommandFile.
! _interpcrv
23,5,0
23.2,5,0
23.7,5.2,1
_Enter
_interpcrv
26.1,4.9,1.1
26.8,4.9,1.0
27.1,4.8,0.9
_Enter
etc&.
The Echo command turns on echoing of macro commands to the command history window.
To turn echoing off, use the NoEcho command.
The NoEcho command turns off display of macro commands in the command history window.
To turn echoing on use the Echo command.
Note: NoEcho or _NoEcho needs to be the very first word in the macro for it to work properly. Everything, including the exclamation point should follow, separated by a single space.
The Enter command functions as pressing Enter for use in scripts or toolbar button programming.
Example
This script sets a construction plane by three picked points:
'_CPlane _3Point
_Pause _Pause _Pause _Enter
The EnterEnd command functions as pressing the Enter key to complete a command string for use in macros or toolbar button programming.
EnterEnd is handy when a command is deep, in terms of command options such as Options or DocumentProperties, and you want to exit after one of these without counting how many Enters you need to get back to a blank command prompt. For example:
! _-DocumentProperties _Mesh _Custom _MaxEdgeSrf .01
would require at least two or three enters to exit the command. With EnterEnd, the command exits as soon as you want it to.
Example
! _-DocumentProperties _Mesh _Custom _MaxEdgeSrf .01 _EnterEnd
Example
This macro asks for a point and then draws a circle with a 50 unit radius centered there.
! _Circle _Pause 50
The Pause command stops a macro for user input.
The Run command runs another application from inside Rhino.
Steps
Type the name and path of the file to run.
The SetRedrawOff command disables screen redraw, construction plane, or camera changes during scripts.
To turn screen redraw back on
Use the SetRedrawOn command.
The SetRedrawOn command enables screen redraw, construction plane, or camera changes during scripts.
To turn screen redraw off
Use the SetRedrawOff command.
RhinoScript is a plug-in for running scripts. Scripting languages allow loops, variable names, browsing for files, queries, and other
The commands to use:
The basic steps are
| 1. | Write a script function. RhinoScripts use the file extension .rvb. |
| 2. | Run the LoadScript command to load a script into memory. |
| 3. | Use the RunScript command to run the function name. |
For more help on scripts
From the Rhino Help menu, click Plug-ins and then click RhinoScript.
For more information on Rhino-specific scripting, see: http://wiki.mcneel.com/rhino/basicmacros.
The LoadScript command reads a script file from disk, loads it into the script interpreter, and runs it.
Steps
In the Load Script File dialog box, click the Help menu.
For the on-line RhinoScript programmers reference, see: http://www.rhino3d.com/5/rhinoscript/index.html.
The RunScript command runs a previously loaded script.
Steps
In the Run Script Subroutine dialog box, click the Help menu.
The EditScript command opens a text editor utility for editing RhinoScript files.
Steps
In the Edit Script dialog box, click the Help menu.
The RunPythonScript command runs a Python script.
For the on-line Rhino.Python programmers reference, see: http://www.rhino3d.com/5/ironpython/index.html.
-RunPythonScript
Options
ResetEngine
Forces the python engine to re-initialize. This is only useful while python scripts that span multiple files are being written and tested.
The EditPythonScript command edits a Python script.
For more information on Rhino-specific scripting, see: http://wiki.mcneel.com/developer/python.
The SetUserText command attaches text information to an object.
The information is stored in a key/value format similar to what the Windows registry uses.
Retrieve the information with the GetUserText command. This information can also be attached by .NET plug-ins and VisualBasic scripts.
This information is easily accessed in .NET and Visual Basic scripts.
Example
Text key = Weight
Text = Kilograms
Options
AttachTo
Attaches text information to the object geometry.
If the information is closely associated with the geometry, attach it to the geometry. For example, a circle's radius should be attached to the geometry because the information will be invalid if the circle is control-point edited and changed into a NURBS curve.
Attaches text information to the attributes of an object.
If the information is higher-level attribute information, like color, then it should be attached to the object's attributes. Attribute information will persist when an object is control point edited, trimmed, copied, and so on.
The GetUserText command retrieves text information attached to an object using the SetUserText command. This information can also be retrieved by .NET plug-ins and VisualBasic scripts.
The SetDocumentUserText command attaches text information to a Rhino .3dm file.
The information is stored in a key/value format similar to what the Windows registry uses.
Retrieve the information with the GetDocumentUserText command. This information can also be attached by .NET plug-ins and VisualBasic scripts.
This information is easily accessed in .NET and Visual Basic scripts.
Steps
| 1. | Type a text key. |
| 2. | Type the text. |
The GetDocumentUserText command retrieves text information attached using the SetDocumentUserText command. This information can also be retrieved by .NET plug-ins and VisualBasic scripts.
Steps
Type a text key or press Enter for all keys.
Rhinoceros 5 © 2010-2015 Robert McNeel & Associates. 17-Sep-2015
