General

Is VisualARQ a McNeel Product?
VisualARQ has been developed by Asuni CAD, a company specialized in software development and distribution for architectural design, engineering, landscaping and industrial design. Based in Barcelona, Asuni CAD and McNeel Europe belong to the same company group, working in close collaboration with this and other projects.
What kind of program is VisualARQ?
VisualARQ is a plug-in designed for a sector of the architectural market. It allows you to work within Rhino’s interface, providing specific tools to create/edit architectural plans, and to work with parametric 3D Objects -such as walls, doors, windows, columns, slabs, roofs, stairs and railings- making the architectural design process and its documentation much easier to handle.
What are the main values VisualARQ provides to its users?
  • Complex architectural projects modeling in 3D and 2D in an easy and fast way.
  • A full library of 3D paremetric architectural objects, customizable and editable anytime.
  • Easy editing and automatic update of all the 2D document drawings, which are attached to the 3D model.
  • Import and export of IFC 2×3 files, in order to exchange 3D models between Rhino and other BIM plaftorms such as Revit, ArchiCAD, Solibri or Tekla Bimsight.
  • The dynamic section tool, which allows to work with real-time section views.
  • An affordable price. VisualARQ plus Rhino makes a very affordable and competitive 2D/3D architectural package solution compared to related products in the market.
  • Free technical support and constant development based on the users’ needs and requests.
Who is VisualARQ aimed at?

VisualARQ is aimed at architects, interior designers, engineers, constructors, urban planners, renderers, and architecture professionals. It is even useful for product designers in the marine design industry. In general, it can be a very useful tool for any Rhino user interested in architectural modeling or wishing to obtain technical drawings from their designs in a fast way.

Useful features regarding professional profiles.

Is VisualARQ based on BIM (Building Information Modeler)?
Yes. VisualARQ has a set of parametric architectural objects and tools, that make design and documentation processes easier and faster. All project documentation (plans, sections, elevations, schedule tables for room areas, openings quantifications, etc) is attached to the 3D model and is updated automatically at any change on the 3D model. In addition, VisualARQ provides the option to import & Export IFC files, which is the the standard file format of exchanging objects in the building industry.

Specifications

Is VisualARQ available in other languages?
VisualARQ is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Czech, Portuguese, Russian, Korean and Chinese simplified. The Help is also available in Japanese.
When will be VisualARQ compatible with Rhino for MAC?
We certainly are very interested in developing a VisualARQ version for Rhino for Mac, but we won’t be able to work on it until Rhino for Mac supports third party plug-ins written in C++, as VisualARQ was developed using that language. Once Rhino for Mac supports those kind of third party plug-ins, our development team will be able to determine how much work/time we need for adapting VisualARQ to Rhino for Mac. More information about Rhino for MAC: https://www.rhino3d.com/mac

Licenses

How can I upgrade from VisualARQ 1 to VisualARQ 2?
If you own a VisualARQ 1 license, you can upgrade to VisualARQ 2 for free. Download the last VisualARQ 2 update from the website (https://stg.visualarq.com/download/update/) and use your VisualARQ 1 license to fill the download form. You will receive by e-mail the download links and your VisualARQ 2 license key (starting with VA20-…). After installing VisualARQ 2, run the vaLicense command, select the Standalone option, and validate VisualARQ with your VisualARQ 2 license key.
Which are the VisualARQ license modes?
Is the evaluation version fully functional?
Yes, it is. After the 90-day trial you can still use VisualARQ, but some features are disabled:
  • VisualARQ objects and styles are no longer saved.
  • Copy, paste and explode commands for VisualARQ objects are disabled.
  • Style import/export commands are disabled.
  • IFC import and export are disabled.
Does VisualARQ support floating licenses?
Yes, it does. VisualARQ supports floating licenses using Cloud Zoo, or the Rhino Zoo, both free services of McNeel. Learn more about License modes here.
Can I use a single VisualARQ license in different machines?
You can install VisualARQ in different machines. But a single VisualARQ license can only run in one machine simultaneously.

Features

Is it possible to import and export VisualARQ documents from and into AutoCAD?
  • Import from AutoCAD: Yes. Since Rhino can read .dwg files, VisualARQ can work with them as well. It is therefore possible to start modeling a project in 3D using the 2D drawings imported from AutoCAD. VisualARQ can convert 2D lines into 3D walls, railings, beams, slabs….
  • Export into AutoCAD: Yes. Once the 2D documentation drawings of a 3D model are generated in VisualARQ, it is possible to export them into AutoCAD. You just need to save the document as a .dwg file, and keep on working with the file in AutoCAD. This tip gives more information about how to do it.
Is it possible to dimension from the plug-in?
Yes, there is a command to create automatic walls and openings dimensions from the 3D model. In addition, Rhino provides a set of drafting tools for the rest of the 3D model dimensioning and documentation.
Is it possible to render from the plug-in?
VisualARQ provides a material manager which supports materials of all render engines that are supported by Rhino (Rhino render, V-Ray, Flamingo nXt, Maxwell, etc…). This tip gives more information of how to assign materials to VisualARQ objects.
How does VisualARQ help to exchange Rhino models with Revit?

VisualARQ includes a built-in IFC import and export plug-in, which makes it possible to exchange IFC 2×3 files between Rhino and Revit (as well as with other AEC software packages).

VisualARQ adds the ifc Tag feature that lets you assign any IFC category to any Rhino object (ifcWall, ifcBeam, etc…), that will be recognized as generic objects in Revit with data. (Check it out how it works in this video). After exporting a Rhino model through IFC, all VisualARQ objects are recognized in Revit as native architectural objects or generic objects, depending on the object type and how they have been created in Rhino. Check this guide to learn how each object is recognized in Revit through IFC. In addition to the ifc Tag, VisualARQ adds the option to create new custom parameters, and feed the geometry with information. This data can be assigned to geometry through the VisualARQ Grasshopper components. These new parameters are exported to IFC as ifc Properties, that Revit can read.
How does VisualARQ integrate with Grasshopper? Is it easy to learn?
VisualARQ integrates with Grasshopper in two different ways:
  • VisualARQ Grasshopper Components: they are the VisualARQ objects and commands available from Grasshopper. They let you automate workflows in Grasshopper using VisualARQ objects and commands. You can also add data and obtain data to geometry and connect VisualARQ with other add-ons for Grasshopper, for multiple purposes within the Grassshopper environment.
  • Grasshopper styles: they are VisualARQ objects created from Grasshopper definitions. You define the custom parametric object in Grasshopper and turn it into a VisualARQ object style. Once the new object style is created you can work with it and change its parameters in Rhino as any other VisualARQ object. At this point no Grasshopper knowledge is required, although Grasshopper is running in the background. You can find and download some examples in food4Rhino.
Is it easy to learn? If you are familiar with Grasshopper, you will find it very easy to work with the VisualARQ Grasshopper components or create new custom objects from Grasshopper definitions. If you are not, there are useful material to learn from scratch how to use VisualARQ with Grasshopper: