Welcome to AR-327 !!
Today's learning objectives:
- Understand what a module is
- Understand what a library is
- Know the difference between modules and libraries
- Get familiar with the RhinoCommon library (Rhino's geometry library)
Modules
Modules
What are modules ?
Modules
What are modules ?
a module is a collection of functions and classes in a separate .py file that can be imported and used in your scripts.
Modules
Modules
In general we make different modules for different aspects of our code:
my_project/
|
|----main.py
|----geometry_module.py
|----IO_module.py
|----utils_module.py
Modules
In general we make different modules for different aspects of our code:
io_module.py:
""" This module contains the definitions for the in-out functions and classes """
def read_from_file(filename: str):
...
class IOClass():
def __init__(self):
...
main.py:
import io_module
my_super_important_filename = "./top_secret.txt"
data = io_module.read_from_file(my_super_important_filename)
my_io_class = io_module.IOClass()
Modules
In general we make different modules for different aspects of our code:
io_module.py:
""" This module contains the definitions for the in-out functions and classes """
def read_from_file(filename: str):
...
class IOClass():
def __init__(self):
...
main.py:
# We import all the definitions, we only need to implement/call the classes/functions
import io_module
my_super_important_filename = "./top_secret.txt"
data = io_module.read_from_file(my_super_important_filename)
my_io_class = io_module.IOClass()
Modules
main.py:
# We can also import a module with an alias
import io_module as io
my_super_important_filename = "./top_secret.txt"
data = io.read_from_file(my_super_important_filename)
my_io_class = io.IOClass()
Modules
main.py:
# We can also import only specific functions and classes
# -> not recommanded because we loose track of where the function comes from
from io_module import read_from_file
my_super_important_filename = "./top_secret.txt"
data = read_from_file(my_super_important_filename)
Modules
main.py:
# better, but a bit complicated for nothing
from io_module import read_from_file as io_read_from_file
my_super_important_filename = "./top_secret.txt"
data = io_read_from_file(my_super_important_filename)
Exercice on modules (10 min)
Go to the website's page on functions and solve the the first exercie
Libraries
Libraries
What are libraries ?
Libraries
What are libraries ?
A library is a collection of modules. It is a way to organize and distribute code.
Libraries
In this course, library == package. It is not exactly correct in python, but in the scope of this course, we will make this small simplification
Libraries
What are libraries ?
Python has an extensive standard library that you have already used:
# some basic exemples of the python standard library
print("Hello, world")
list_length = len(my_list)
for i in range(10):
print(i)
We have never defined what print(), len(), or range() should do; someone did it for us in advance
Libraries
Other useful modules in python's standard library:
import math
result = math.sqrt(4)
print(result)
import System
result = System.DateTime.Now
print(result)
import os
result = os.getcwd()
print(result)
import random
result = random.random()
print(result)
Libraries
a single module:
Libraries
a library:
Libraries
my_library/
|
|
|----__init__.py
|
|----geometry_module.py
| |
| |---def do_geometric_stuff()
| |---class SomeGeometryClass()
|
|----IO_module.py
| |
| |---def read_some_data()
| |---class SomeIOClass()
|
|----utils_module.py
| |
| |---def do_useful_stuff()
| |---class SomeUtilClass()
Libraries
By creating a library, you centralize good quality code that can be used in muliple project
my_library/
|
|
|----__init__.py
|
|----geometry_module.py
| |
| |---def do_geometric_stuff()
| |---class SomeGeometryClass()
|
|----IO_module.py
| |
| |---def read_some_data()
| |---class SomeIOClass()
|
|----utils_module.py
| |
| |---def do_useful_stuff()
| |---class SomeUtilClass()
Libraries
The __init__.py is used to mark the folder as a library (it tells the python interpreter that "this is a library").It can contain basic information about the library such as author(s) and version.
__version__ = "1.4.2"
__authors__= "ar-327 2026 students"
Libraries
You can also pre-import modules of you library:__init__.py
from . import geometry_module
from . import io_module
from . import utils_module
__version__ = "1.4.2"
__authors__= "ar-327 2026 students"
main.py
import my_library
file_content = my_library.io_module.read_file_content("./filename.txt")
Libraries
There is a lot of great libraries in python:
Libraries
For the rest of this course we will focalise on the RhinoCommon library: Rhino's main library:
RhinoCommon
RhinoCommon
Before we get into the specifics of RhinoCommon, let's see together how geometry is managed in Rhino
RhinoCommon
RhinoCommon
"133be5f2-e3e3-4d59-ea83-bf0507b19535" and co. are called Global Unique IDentifiers (GUIDs)
RhinoCommon
Is is very important to understand that there is a fundamental difference between the code that creates the geometry, the geometry table where the objects/geometries are stored, and the rendered geometries.
RhinoCommon
Let's see how to:
- Add objects
- Get objects
- Replace objects
- Delete objects
RhinoCommon: Add
RhinoCommon: Add
import Rhino.Geometry as rg
# create a geometric object in memory
point = rg.Point3d(0,0,0)
# get the current document
active_doc = Rhino.RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc
# if you want to add the object to the document
guid_point = active_doc.Objects.AddPoint(point)
print(guid_point) # System.Guid
RhinoCommon: Get
RhinoCommon: Get
import Rhino
# get the object from the document
go = Rhino.Input.Custom.GetObject()
go.SetCommandPrompt("Select point")
go.GeometryFilter=Rhino.DocObjects.ObjectType.Point
go.Get()
# get the object reference of the first object selected
obj_ref = go.Object(0)
# cast the object reference to a point geometry object
point = obj_ref.Point()
print(type(point)) # "class 'Rhino.Geometry.Point'"
RhinoCommon: Replace
RhinoCommon: Replace
import Rhino
import Rhino.Geometry as rg
# create a point
point = rg.Point3d(0,0,0)
# get the current document
active_doc = Rhino.RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc
# add the point to the document
guid_point = active_doc.Objects.AddPoint(point)
# modify the point
point.X = 10
# replace the point in the document
active_doc.Objects.Replace(
guid_point, # the guid of the object to replace
point # the new geometric object (in memeory)
)
RhinoCommon: Delete
RhinoCommon: Delete
import Rhino
import Rhino.Geometry as rg
# create two points
point_A = rg.Point3d(0,0,0)
# get the current document
active_doc = Rhino.RhinoDoc.ActiveDoc
# add the points to the document
guid_point_A = active_doc.Objects.AddPoint(point_A)
# delete the point_B from the document
active_doc.Objects.Delete(guid_point_A, True)
Exercice on RhinoCommon (10 min)
Go to the website's page on RhinoCommon and solve the first exercie using this Rhino file
Library documentation
A documentation is a set of documents that provides information about a library, its features and how to use them.
Library documentation
Of course there is a complete documentation of RhinoCommon:
