Create Rhino models using code
Rig1 is a plugin for Rhino that lets you create parametric, interactive, component-based models using code.
Create Rhino models using
Everything you need for parametric modeling
A modern, developer-friendly plugin that makes 3D modeling in Rhino feel like building software.
Component Architecture
Break complex models into composable components. Each piece is a simple C# class with clear inputs, outputs, and geometry.
Your Favorite IDE
Work in Visual Studio or VS Code with full autocomplete, syntax highlighting, debugging, refactoring, and AI agents. All the tools you already use.
Live UI Panel
Expose sliders, color pickers, dropdowns, and buttons directly in a Rhino panel. Tweak parameters interactively while you design.
Dependency Injection
Wire components together automatically. Rig resolves dependencies and configures the entire model tree for you.
Hot Reload
Edit your C# code and see changes instantly in Rhino. No restart needed. Rig watches your source files and rebuilds on the fly.
Real-Time Preview
See your full model in the Rhino document in real time, with every component, attribute, and transform updating live as you work.
Why Rig?
There are three popular ways to build parametric models in Rhino today, and each one runs into walls as the model grows.
| Current approach | Drawbacks | How Rig addresses it |
|---|---|---|
| Record History | Edits outside a history-aware command silently break the chain, and the dependency graph is invisible. | Dependencies are declared in code, so the graph is explicit and always tracked. |
| Grasshopper | Diagrams get hard to understand and modify as they grow. | Models are plain code organized into reusable components that work with Git and code review. |
| Scripting | Scripts tend to be imperative and ad-hoc, with no shared structure or conventions to keep them maintainable. | Models follow a consistent, component-based structure that scales and stays maintainable. |
AI Friendly
AI can already generate geometry and Grasshopper definitions directly, but those outputs inherit the same limitations as building them by hand: raw geometry comes out frozen, with no parameters to adjust, and AI-generated Grasshopper definitions can be hard for humans to understand.
A Rig model is just plain, component-based C#, so AI generates something you can actually work with: real classes with named inputs, an explicit dependency graph, and strongly-typed geometry that you can review, refactor, test, and keep editing, whether the next change comes from you or an agent.
Development Workflow
Rig bridges visual modeling and code-driven logic for a seamless, interactive workflow.
1
Open Your Project
Open your model project (just a C# project) in your favorite IDE and run it. Rig launches Rhino and loads your model automatically.
2
Model & Code in Parallel
Visualize and interact with live geometry in Rhino while writing or modifying components in your IDE.
3
Hot Reload
Save a .cs file and Rig rebuilds the project and reloads the assembly. All dependent components update automatically.
4
Tweak in the Live Panel
Adjust parameters with numeric up/downs, dropdowns, sliders, color pickers, and more. Changes trigger re-evaluation of dependent geometry in real time.
5
Save and Continue Working
Save your .3dm model in Rhino as usual and save your source files in the IDE.
1. Rig is also a small shark found in coastal waters all around New Zealand.