EnvironmentEditor

To create a new environment

In the thumbnail browser, click the Create New Environment button

In the Open dialog box, select an environment type, or click More types.

Types

Start from scratch

Provides templates for materials.

Load from file

Imports environments from a saved Rhino .renv file.

Basic Environment

Creates a new basic environment.

Start from existing

Displays the environments in the model to use as templates.

Make a copy

Copies the environment into a new independent environment.

Share all settings

Copies the environment with shared settings. Changes to one environment's settings changes both environments.

Show tree view

Displays the environments in a tree showing relationships between environments.

Name

The name of the environment.

Basic Environment Settings

Background

The basic environment is a simple background color and optional texture. The projection of the texture can be set to either planar, spherical (otherwise known as equirectangular or longitude/latitude) or box.

To set the background color

Select the color for the environment background.

Note: You can drag the color swatch to a folder to create a Rhino color file.

To add this color to a color library

Drag it from a folder to another color swatch in the Material, Environment, or Texture Palette panels, or you can drag it onto an object.

Background image

Uses an image as the environment background.

To specify an image

Click the texture control.

(empty - click to assign)

The check box automatically becomes checked the first time you do this. You can clear the check box to turn off the assignment.

Select an image file to use.

Projection

Sets the projection style for the background image.

Planar

Maps texture directly to background. Environment looks always the same no matter where the camera is looking.

Light probe

Also known as angular fish-eye projection or azimuthal equidistant projection. Elliptical subsection reaching each border of the texture is mapped onto the sphere.

See: Wikipedia: Azimuthal equidistant projection.

Equirectangular

Also known as spherical projection. Horizontal line in the middle of the texture is mapped to the equator of the sphere.

See: Wikipedia: Equirectangular projection.

Cubemap

Subsections corresponding to each side of the cube are located side by side dividing the texture into six equal parts.

See: Wikipedia: Cube mapping.

Vertical cross cubemap

Subsections corresponding to each side of the cube are located in a vertical cross pattern. Each subsection is one fourth of the image in height and one third in width.

Horizontal cross cubemap

Subsections corresponding to each side of the cube are located in a horizontal cross pattern. Each subsection is one third of the image in height and one fourth in width.

Emap

Elliptical subsection reaching each border of the texture is mapped onto the sphere. This projection is the result of taking a photo of a mirror sphere with an orthographic camera.

Hemispherical

Like spherical projection but the entire texture is mapped onto the upper half of the sphere. The bottom border of the texture is stretched over the under side of the sphere.

Notes

Allows notes for the environment.

Saving render content

Materials, environments, and textures are stored in the model, but render content can also be saved to files that can be shared between models. Content can be dragged between Rhino sessions and into a folder.

The Libraries panel displays the default content folder. Use this to drag and drop content into the model or to drag and drop model content to an external file.

Creating and editing environments

Saving render content