Mantis Shrimp

Mantis Shrimp is a Dynamo (Revit) and Grasshopper (Rhino) interoperability project that allows you to read Rhino's native *.3dm file type as well as export geometry from Grasshopper. It is written in Python in form of a user objects (on Grasshopper side for exporting) and custom Python nodes (on Dynamo side for importing). It's an OPEN SOURCE project with all of the source code available on this repository. At the moment it's a collaboration project between myself and Mostapha Sadeghipour, but feel free to join in.

Couple things to check before you can get started:

1. To install/download all of the Mantis Shrimp components use Dynamo's Package Manager. Upon completion of installation your Dynamo set up will be complete and the only thing you have to do is drag/drop Grasshopper user objects onto Grasshopper canvas. Those objects are located in this folder: 

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Dynamo\0.9\packages\Mantis Shrimp\extra

DO NOT MOVE mantisshrimp.py from that folder. Only copy/drag&drop Grasshopper user objects. 

2. Mantis Shrimp is written as Python nodes. Make sure that you have ghPython for Grasshopper installed and of course IronPython 2.7 but the latter should come as a default when you install either Dynamo or Grasshopper.

3. Mantis Shrimp relies on ability to access RhinoCommon.dll to transfer geometry between Grasshopper and Dynamo. Please use a component called "Specify RhinoCommon.dll Path" to set the path of the DLL file. By default it should be located at: C:\Program Files\Rhinoceros 5 (64-bit)\System so check there first. This is a one time process so you only have to do it once from either Dynamo or Grasshopper (that same component exists in both).

4. Exporting from Grasshopper uses a native IronPython2.7 module called pickle or cpickle. Make sure that your IronPython is installed in the default location C:\Program Files (x86)\IronPython 2.7. Again, unless you have specifically changed that location you should be good to go.

5. Read this Getting Started tutorial: http://archi-lab.net/?p=540

6. Read this Export/Import example tutorial: http://archi-lab.net/?p=554

7. Read this Export/Import 3dm files, example tutorial: http://archi-lab.net/?p=578

* Current supported version of Dynamo is 1.0.0.