Skip to main content
The Rhino connector exports geometry and objects from Rhino 3D, preserving layer organization and user data.

​
Hierarchy

Rhino models are organized by File and Layer: 
Root Collection
├── Rhino File
│   └── Layer
│       └── Sublayer (optional)
│           ├── Geometry (standalone)
│           └── Instance
├── Proxies: RenderMaterial[]
├── Proxies: Color[]
├── Proxies: Group[]
├── Proxies: Definition[]
└── Info: views (optional)
The hierarchy reflects Rhino’s layer structure:
  • File - The Rhino file
  • Layer - Rhino layer
  • Sublayer - Nested layer (if present)

​
Object Types

Rhino exports three types of objects:
  1. Geometry - Standalone geometry objects (Point, Line, Mesh, Brep, etc.)
  2. Instance - Block references pointing to Definition proxies
  3. DataObject - Objects with attached user data (less common)

​
Geometry Objects

Standalone geometry objects can appear directly in collections: 
{
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Mesh",
  "id": "...",
  "applicationId": "guid-123",
  "vertices": [...],
  "faces": [...],
  "units": "meters"
}

​
Instance Objects

Instance objects reference Definition proxies: 
{
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Instance",
  "applicationId": "instance-guid",
  "definitionId": "block-guid",
  "transform": {
    "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Matrix",
    "value": [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 10, 20, 30, 1]
  },
  "units": "meters"
}

​
Properties

Geometry and Instance objects can have a properties field dynamically attached containing:
  • User Strings - Key-value pairs stored on the object
  • User Dictionaries - Nested dictionary data
{
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Mesh",
  "applicationId": "guid-123",
  "vertices": [...],
  "faces": [...],
  "properties": {
    "User Strings": {
      "Material": "Steel",
      "Thickness": "5mm"
    },
    "User Dictionaries": {
      "CustomData": {
        "Source": "Import",
        "Date": "2024-01-15"
      }
    }
  },
  "units": "meters"
}

​
Proxies

Rhino models use these proxy types:

​
RenderMaterial

Material assignments for visual representation.

​
Color

Color assignments for objects. Referenced by objects via applicationId.

​
Group

Group proxies encode Rhino group memberships. Objects can belong to multiple groups.

​
Definition

Definition proxies store geometry for block instances. Referenced by Instance objects via definitionId.

​
Info Fields

​
views

An array of Camera objects from named perspective views in the Rhino file. These represent saved view configurations.

​
Example: Rhino Geometry Object

{
  "id": "mesh-abc123...",
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Mesh",
  "applicationId": "rhino-guid-456",
  "vertices": [0, 0, 0, 10, 0, 0, 10, 10, 0, 0, 10, 0],
  "faces": [0, 1, 2, 0, 2, 3],
  "colors": [255, 128, 0, 255, 128, 0, 255, 128, 0, 255, 128, 0],
  "properties": {
    "User Strings": {
      "Material": "Aluminum",
      "Finish": "Anodized"
    }
  },
  "units": "meters"
}

​
Example: Rhino Instance

{
  "id": "instance-xyz789...",
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Instance",
  "applicationId": "instance-guid-789",
  "definitionId": "block-standard-door",
  "transform": {
    "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Matrix",
    "value": [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 5, 10, 0, 1]
  },
  "units": "meters"
}
The corresponding Definition proxy: 
{
  "speckle_type": "Objects.Organization.Definition",
  "applicationId": "block-standard-door",
  "name": "Standard Door",
  "value": {
    "displayValue": [
      {
        "speckle_type": "Objects.Geometry.Mesh",
        "vertices": [...],
        "faces": [...]
      }
    ]
  },
  "referencedIds": ["instance-guid-789", "instance-guid-790"]
}

​
Invariants and Caveats

  1. Standalone geometry - Geometry objects can exist directly in collections, not just in DataObject displayValue
  2. Instance/Definition pattern - Block instances use the Instance/Definition proxy pattern
  3. Properties are optional - Not all geometry objects have properties
  4. Layer organization - Objects are organized by Rhino’s layer structure
  5. User data in properties - Rhino user strings and dictionaries appear in properties field
Use the Instance’s definitionId to find the corresponding Definition proxy, then access proxy.value.displayValue to get the geometry. See Traversal Recipes for a complete example.
  • Color: Simple color assignment (RGB values)
  • RenderMaterial: Full material definition (color, opacity, metallic, roughness, etc.)
Rhino uses both because it supports both simple color assignments and full material definitions.