RhinoChelae
Rhinoceros 3D models the shape of a mechanism and knows nothing about how it moves — no constraint solver, no assembly mates, no mechanism automation. RhinoChelae adds them.
Parts stay connected to each other, so moving one moves the whole assembly the way the real thing would.
Motors and struts do the driving. You set what pushes and how far — the mechanism works out every position in between.
Motion stops where two parts meet, and parts can carry each other by shape alone — no joint required.
Push the strut open and the lid follows the arc it would follow in the workshop.
Turn one arm and the rest of the linkage comes along, as it must.
Six links and not one joint between them. The gold link is anchored; the rest are held by the shape of the metal alone, and follow when the free end is pulled.
A constraint says how parts are connected. Collision says where they cannot go. Both are needed before a simulated mechanism tells you anything about a real one.
So motion stops where two parts meet, parts can rest on and push each other with no joint between them at all, and an assembly cannot be pushed through itself. The mechanism runs into the same walls the built one will.
Dragging is for exploring: grab a part and feel where the mechanism reaches and where it binds. The sequence editor is for showing: put several moves in order and let the whole thing run — and record it as a video when it looks right.
The clip looks like your viewport looks — wireframe for a review, rendered for a client — and it comes out smooth even when the display mode is a heavy one.
One native Rhino tool panel — dock it where your other panels live, or float it on a second screen. No export, no round trip, no second application to learn: the mechanism lives in the same file as the geometry, and behaves like the rest of Rhino.
You do not model the mechanism again. The parts are your Rhino geometry and the axes are lines already in the model — you say what is joined to what, anchor the frame, and pull. Minutes, not an afternoon of rebuilding.
General-purpose mechanism design — the constraints do not care what industry the parts belong to.
Monthly or annual subscription. 14-day money-back guarantee on every purchase.
All features included. Choose the cadence that fits you — €15/month, or €129/year and save 28%.
View pricing plans →14-day money-back guarantee on every purchase.
If you design things that move, tell us about the mechanism you need it to handle. Happy to answer questions or take feature requests before you subscribe.