Insert

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Block
File

Edit

Blocks >

Insert Block Instance

File

Insert

Ctrl (CMD) + I

The Insert command inserts an internally stored block object or an external file as a block, group, or individual objects. The Insert command lets you pick a specific insertion point and apply a scale and rotation to the objects when inserting.

Insert a block

  1. Select a block name.

  2. Pick a location in a viewport.

Insert a model file

  1. Click the file browser button to insert an external file as a block, group, or individual objects.

    -Or-

    Drag any supported geometry file format from File Explorer, and drop it onto a Rhino viewport. In the dialog box, click Insert file.

  2. Set insert file options.
  3. Pick a location in a viewport.

Insert options

Name

Lists the names of blocks defined in the model.

Insert as

Block instance

Inserts the model as a block instance.

As Group

Inserts the model as a group.

Individual objects

Inserts the model as individual geometry objects.

Block preview image

Insertion point

Prompt

Prompts to pick an insertion point.

X/Y/Z

Type the x, y, and z coordinates.

Scale

Scales the objects.

Prompt

Prompts to pick a scale.

Uniform

Sets the same scale for the x, y, and z directions.

X/Y/Z

Sets a separate scale for each direction.

Rotation

Rotates the objects.

Prompt

Prompts to pick a rotation angle.

Angle

Sets a rotation angle.

File

Click to insert an external file.

Block Definition Properties

Block definition name

The file name and preview.

External file

Read linked blocks from this file

If the external file contains linked blocks, these will be inserted.

Block definition type

Embedded

Inserts geometry into the current file. This will not update if the external file changes.

Embedded and linked

Inserts geometry into the current file and maintain a link to the external file. Linked geometry can be updated when the external file changes. See: BlockManager. If the external file cannot be located, the geometry is still defined in the current file.

Linked

Maintains a link to the external file only. Linked geometry is updated when the external file changes. See: BlockManager. If the external file cannot be located, the geometry will not appear in the current file.

Layer style (Linked blocks only)

A linked block definition references an external file. Each time a model containing a linked block definition is loaded, Rhino reads the referenced file to create the contents of the linked block definition. When you create a linked block definition, specify one of two linked block definition layer styles.

Active

All layers for the linked block definition are saved in the active model. All layer attributes, including rendering material, can be edited and are saved. For each layer in the linked model, if there is a layer in the current model with a matching short name, that layer is used, otherwise a new layer is created.

Reference

The layer tree from the linked model is added to the current model as reference layers under a "grandparent" layer with the same name as the linked file. All of the added layers are reference layers. Only the on/off, locked/unlocked states and the layer color can be modified.

Description

The description attached to the block definition.

Hyperlink

Description

The description of the URL.

URL

The URL attached to the block definition.

Test

Check that the URL is valid.

Resolving render content conflicts

Rhino detects material, environment and texture name conflicts in the following file operations:

When a render content item name already exists in the current model, but the content settings are different, the conflicted items will be resolved based on the related advanced settings.

Search for PasteConflictOption (for paste) and ImportRenameConflictingEx (for import and insert) in Advanced settings and change the value as described below.

0 = Do not import incoming conflicted render contents.

1 = Import and rename incoming conflicted render contents with [imported] post-fix.

2 = Import incoming conflicted render contents and overwrite existing ones.

3 = Pop up the Render Content Name Conflict dialog and let you decide how to resolve the conflicts.

Resolving block conflicts

When a conflicted block is inserted, imported, or pasted into a model, you will be asked to resolve the conflict. A block conflict happens when two different blocks use the same name.

Model block

The block already defined in the model will be used instead of the block defined in the file being inserted.

File block

All instances of this block in the model will be updated.

Keep both blocks

The block you are inserting will be renamed as you specify.

Do this for all block name conflicts

The Block Name Conflict dialog box will not be displayed again.

Import

Toolbar Menu

File
Standard
STL Tools

File

Import

The Import command merges all objects from file into the current model. When you import a file into the current document, the objects of that file are merged into the current document as they are in the other file.

Steps

  1. Select a file type.
  2. Select a file.
  3. Click the Open button.

-Or-

  • Drag any supported geometry file format from File Explorer, and drop it onto a Rhino viewport. In the dialog box, click Import file.

  • Rhino imports objects to the model on their original layers and creates the layers if they do not already exist.
  • If the imported file type does not contain layer information, such as when you Save a file using the Geometry only option, the objects are placed on the current layer.

Resolving render content conflicts

Rhino detects material, environment and texture name conflicts in the following file operations:

When a render content item name already exists in the current model, but the content settings are different, the conflicted items will be resolved based on the related advanced settings.

Search for PasteConflictOption (for paste) and ImportRenameConflictingEx (for import and insert) in Advanced settings and change the value as described below.

0 = Do not import incoming conflicted render contents.

1 = Import and rename incoming conflicted render contents with [imported] post-fix.

2 = Import incoming conflicted render contents and overwrite existing ones.

3 = Pop up the Render Content Name Conflict dialog and let you decide how to resolve the conflicts.

Resolving block conflicts

When a conflicted block is inserted, imported, or pasted into a model, you will be asked to resolve the conflict. A block conflict happens when two different blocks use the same name.

Model block

The block already defined in the model will be used instead of the block defined in the file being inserted.

File block

All instances of this block in the model will be updated.

Keep both blocks

The block you are inserting will be renamed as you specify.

Do this for all block name conflicts

The Block Name Conflict dialog box will not be displayed again.

Open

Toolbar Menu Shortcut

File
Standard
STL Tools

File

Open

Ctrl (CMD) + O

The Open command opens a specified Rhino or other supported format file in the current Rhino window.

Steps

  1. Specify a file type.
  2. Select a file.
  3. Click the Open button.

-Or-

  • Drag any supported geometry file format from File Explorer, and drop it onto a Rhino viewport. In the dialog box, click Open file.

Note

  • When Rhino opens a non-3dm model, the title bar reflects the name of the model that was opened. When the model is saved for the first time, this model name is entered as the file name.
  • When Rhino reads polygon mesh formats, the polygon mesh objects in the original file are not converted to NURBS objects; they remain polygon meshes in Rhino; they are not converted to NURBS objects.

See also

Paste

Insert objects from the Clipboard.

Work with files

Work with blocks, groups, and worksessions

Import and export objects

Index of import/export file types

Rhino Wiki: Imported and linked block layer names