Tutorial for Rhino Assembly 1.0 Here is a simple tutorial which shows how to start playing with Assembly plugin for Rhino.
The goal is to show how parts can be assembled together into a simple 3D-model providing
a possibility to easily control the final shape.
To start with this tutorial ensure that the plug-in is properly installed and you see this
Assembly toolbar among other Rhino toolbars (see how to install here).
If everything is OK with the plug-in installation, via Rhino's menu File/Open open
the Pantograph.3dm which can be found in Samples folder of the plug-in installation
directory or can be downloaded from our
sample models page .
Click on  icon to open the Assembly Manager panel
which contains a list of existing constraints and dimensions, now it's empty.
For the moment disable the Update Automatically check-box on the Assembly Manager panel. It means that the application of created constraints and dimensions will be done only on the user request.
We will consider the blue part as a base (anchor) of our assembly, let's fix it by clicking
 icon and then selecting the blue polysurface in the working area.
Hit Enter to confirm the creation of the fixation constraint.
"Fixation 1" constraint appears in the Assembly Manager. Double-click it
in order open Constraint Properties panel.
Then, start assembling the parts with creation of a Concentricity constraint. Click  icon. Select the pin surface and the hole surfaces to make them
concentric as shown on the picture.
Then create three other Concentricity constraints for other pairs of pins and holes.
To repeat the same Rhino command you can right-click anywhere instead of clicking its icon
every time. Four Concentricity constraints are now shown in the Assembly Manager.
Let's see what we've just done. In order to apply the constraints and update your geometry
click  icon. All pins and holes are now really concentric (their axes coincide).
However, there is an intersection between the parts. Let's get rid of it by creation of Coincidence constraints for the planar faces of different bars.
Enable the Update Automatically check-box on the Assembly Manager panel. Now all constraints
and dimensions are applied automatically as soon as they are created.
Click on  icon and select the top planar face of the green
pin and the top planar face of the red bar. Coincidence constraint will be created between these
faces. It will be applied automatically making the planar faces coincident.
In the same way create two other Coincidence constraints between the red and the blue parts and
between the green and the magenta parts.
OK, now there is no more intersections between the bars.
By clicking  icon create the Angle dimension in order to control an angle
between the bars. While creating the Angle dimension select the planar face of the red bar and another planar face of the blue one.
Type "C" when asked for the command options
and hit Enter in order to specify an axis for angle measurement (there is a better control
of an angle dimension when an axis is specified). Select the cylindrical surface to be an
axis.
Hit Enter when asked for angle value in order to take the current one (this value is
computed from the current geometrical position between the parts).
Now your model is finally assembled, also there is a possibility to easily control the angle between the
bars.
Modify the angle parameter in order to obtain different configurations of your model. If the
Constraint Properties panel isn't shown double-click the "Angle 1" constraint
or do right-click on it and then select "Edit.." from the context menu. On the
Constraint Properties enter "45" in the Value field and hit Enter.
The geometry of the assembly will be updated automatically, the bars will be rotated and moved
acoording to the changes of the angle dimension.
You can also analyze the kinematics of your model by animating it with changing the angle parameter. To do
that enter "45" and "120" into the Start Value and the End Value fields of the
Constraint Properties panel respectively. Then hit "Animate..." button.
Animation panel appears.
To watch the animation click the right side
of  button. After the animation is stopped try to drag the slider back and forth, see
how model is changed.
In order to modify the bounds for the angle parameter click the "Edit.." button and enter
new Start and End values for animation into the corresponding fields of the Constraint Properties panel.
To have more smooth animation you may also increase the number of frames. Press "Animate..." button
on the panel to animate the model with new parameters.
Play more with this model, try different values of angles.
Try to remove existent constraints and introduce other constraints and dimensions.
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