Rhino 3D is a NURBS-based 3D modeling software; it’s widely adopted by architectures, industrial designers, automotive designers, marine designers and jewelry designers. It’s also commonly used in CAD / CAM, rapid prototyping and the graphics and multimedia design industries.

One of the major strength points of Rhino 3D is Plugins which are add-ons that extend the capabilities and functionality of the software. Some of the most widely used plugins are; Flamingo (raytrace rendering), Penguin (non-photorealistic rendering), Bongo, and Brazil (advanced rendering), Maxwell Render, V-Ray, and CAM/CNC milling plugins are also available for Rhino 3D.

This post is a road map for anyone willing to start learning Rhino 3D online for free from scratch, the post will present and compare between the best online sources where beginners can start from and follow along, the sources stated in this post are full structured courses so you won’t find a link to a single video or a group of unrelated tutorials.

Start Learning Rhino 3D for Free from Scratch

Rhino 3D Website

Rhino 3D Website is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning Rhino 3D through video tutorials. You don’t have to register to have access to the course.

Structure: The training is divided into 11 sections, each of the sections is divided into video tutorials, each of the video tutorials covers a certain topic in Rhino 3D.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the tutorial you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the Vimeo page where the video resides.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

Free. The training is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

The training isn’t well-organized.

Verdict: This is one of the best outlets where beginners can start learning Rhino 3D online for free.

University of Michigan

University of Michigan is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning Rhino 3D through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the course.

Structure: The course is divided into 4 sections, each of the sections is divided into lessons (video tutorials), each of the video tutorials covers certain topics in Rhino 3D.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the tutorial you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to a new page where the video resides.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

Free. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners. The instructor makes it very easy to follow along.

Cons

The training covers an old release of Rhino 3D, which might not be a problem for many beginners.

Verdict: This is an excellent source for beginners to start learning Rhino 3D online for free.

Rhino 3D TV

Rhino 3D TV is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning Rhino 3d through video tutorials, you’ve to register in order to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into sections, each section covers a certain topic in Rhino 3D (e.g. Introduction, Grasshopper, Rendering, etc.) and each of the section is divided into lessons that covers the topic of the section. The training is divided in a way that makes it easy for those who wants to get a general idea about a certain topic/plugin in Rhino for example someone who wants to learn more about Flamingo only, or Brazil only etc..

Interface: The interface is quite simple, just click on the topic you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to a new page where the topic’s videos resides, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

Now, the pros and cons:

Pros

Free. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners. The course organization makes it easy for anyone willing to learn certain topics/plugin in Rhino 3D (e.g. Flamingo only, Grasshopper only, etc.)

Cons

The major drawback about this outlet is that you need to register and wait for your registration to be approved in order to have access to the training; the approval process takes nearly 24 hours.

Verdict: This is an excellent source for Rhino 3D users who might be professional in using the software but wants to learn about Brazil or Grasshopper or any other specific topic/plugin.

Plethora Project

Plethora Project is the fourth free online outlet where beginners can start learning Rhino 3D through video tutorials. This is more of a “learn by doing” training.

Structure: The training is divided into 14 video tutorials, each video tutorial covers certain topics in Rhino 3D.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the tutorial you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the Vimeo page where the video resides.

No, the pros and cons:

Pros

Free. The training has a “learn by doing” style.

Cons

The training covers an old release of Rhino 3D.

Verdict: This outlet is very suitable for beginners who prefer the “learn by doing” training style.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning Rhino 3D for free

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn Rhino 3D) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

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