COMPUTER AIDED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
ARCH 2710: December 2, 2025

Exercise 6: FINAL SUBMISSION 
Due Date: Friday, December 19, 2025, noon (+ 3 hour grace period = 3 pm) *

Preview Draft

Overview

The final submission of your work for the semester is due on December 19th  at noon. There is a 3 hour grace period to 3 pm. We have covered a range of geometrical modeling, global illumination, animation and visualization methods. You are at liberty to use discretion as to which methods in each of these areas are most relevant to your case study. Please review this entire document in full and bring any questions to office hours or class by December 4th. Your submission should include three parts in priority of:

1. A CAD model file and related still image renderings created with V-Ray.
2. A Grasshopper file related abstractly to or integral to your final project.
3. An animation through the use of the V-Ray plugin to Grasshopper or completed directly in Rhino without Grasshopper.

Place the three parts in a folder titled Final in your exercise 6 submit folder on classes.

* Grading of the final project needs to begin immediately after the project is due. Therefore, this is a hard deadline and no extensions of time will be possible.

Emma Lohr, Arch 2710, Fall 2023, Wren Library, Cambridge	Matthew Rusten, Arch 2710, Fall 2023, Saarinen's Dulles Airport
Select Image For Magnified Alternative View	Select Image For Magnified Alternative View

1. Part 1: Primary Requirement
   Your final project submission should include from 5 to 10 renderings of your model, typically jpg images, and the associated Rhino 3dm file. These files need to placed in your submit directory. Exercise 6/Final folder.Your model itself can either be focused on some part of your subject or its full extents. The scope of what you submit is at your discretion, but also based upon feedback that you've received throughout the term and according to what you find of significance in your case study itself rather than according to a common general format. The resolution of the images should be at the 16:9 ratio at 1920 x 1080 (HD_1080) pixels (preferred), which is a practical limit in the case of longer V-Ray rendering times. Slighly higher resolution is acceptible.
2. Part 2: Grasshopper File 
   Your final submission should include an exploration of an aspect your project's geometry through the use of Grasshopper.  Include both the Grasshopper file and the associated Rhino file. Part 2 may be combined with Part 3 (an animation made with the V-Ray Plugin to Grasshopper) if and only if you animate a geometry object or camera related to your case study. Otherwise, please submit an animation file as a separate part of your submission (see Part 3 below).
3. Part 3: Animation  
   Create an animation directly in Rhino with Sun and Clouds, or by using with the V-Ray plugin to Grasshopper for a time length of approximately 30 seconds (eg. 900 frames @ 30 frames per second, 720 frames @ 24 frames per second, 450 frames@15 frames per second, or 300 frames @ 10 frames per second, 30 frames @ 1 frame per second, or even 10 frames @ 1 frame per 3 seconds if you are really out of time). The animation can be longer than 30 seconds, but no longer than 1 minute. Note that it is important with respect to Rhino that you pre-name your animation frames to the jpg format and use a prefix without a number (e.g. myMovie.jpg). Rhino will then automatically add a number to the output file names, such as "myMovie0000.jpg" , "myMovie0001.jpg", "myMovie0002.jpg", etc.. Compile the frames into the mp4 format per the techniques of workshop 12. See also the TIP* below for controlling the frame rate with the OpenShot video editor. It may be rendered at the resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (HD_720), 960 by 540 pixels (HD_540), or, if necessary due to rendering times, 480 by 320 pixels. At the time of writing this exercise, is recommended that this be done with the VMWare "Virtual Workstation" computers or the standalone workstations in Campbell 107, but not the VMWare "Virtual Classroom" computers due to a software bug that makes the later option less consistently reliable. For the same reason, at your discretion, you may also do the animation assignment in Rhino Render rather than VRay per Subsitte Workshop Notes 14S.

* TIP: For compiling the frames into a movie file, OpenShot is the free open source video editing program that we covered in the discussion session workshop. Right-mouse-button click on the "File Properties" of imported media in the "Project Files" area. To control the elapsed time in the movie for each frame, go to the "Video Details" panel, and then reset the value to 10 frames per second in the "Video Details" panel if you wish the playback speed to be 10 frames per second. Do this before placing the video on the Video Track editor timeline. It will appear to playback at 10 frames per second (or whatever frame rate you wish). The default playback speed is 30 frames pers second.

Caution: Playback speed typically defaults to 30 frames per second, but the speed and resolution can seemingly (but somewhat misleadingly) be also set in the export option dialog box (https://www.openshot.org/blog/2009/07/16/slow-it-down-no-wait-speed-it-up/). For OpenShot, use the Advanced Options tab in the export dialog sequence. In the example below the resolution is set to 960 x 540 pixels. The frame rate is set to 10 frames per second. However, this frame rate is slightly deceptive. In this example it means that it will just render 10 out of every 30 frames, and so the other 20 ot those 30 frames will be missing from the final compiled movie. It will not render each frame at 10 frames per second.  

It would be best to give highest priority to Part 1 a( 3D modleing and V-Ray rendering) in Rhino. Parts 2 and 3 should be viewed as secondary and, and may be approached on a more abstract and limited basis as time allows.

How to hand in this assignment

December 19th is the last date possible to submit the work in time for a review of your work by the SIAs (TAs) and Earl Mark that will be held the next day. Once agin, your rendered image submissions, Grasshopper file, Rhino 3dm file and animation file should be placed within an Exercise 6 folder tyou need to create itled Final in your submit directory.

In addition, submit in writing a one to three paragraph description that describes the focus of your work. The written text should be sent via eMail to ejmark@virginia.edu and copied to your SIA. You are welcome to submit your final project earlier than the final due date. You are requested to verify with the assistance of the course instructor or a student instructional assistant (SIA) that your files are properly copied into the submit folder. Verification of your eMail and submitted work will be given within 24 hours of the final due date. If you do not receive verification, or will not have internet access, then you should check with your SIA for confirmation of any special arrangment that may be needed (or the course instructor if the SIA isn't avaiable).

Submission from Off Grounds, Early Safety Preliminary Submission, Remote Access

You do not need to be present in Charlottesville to submit your final project. However, it's highly recommended you have a fully working draft already submitted in your Exercise 6/Final folder at least two days before the due date or before you leave town, whichever comes first. Moreover, if you do plan to travel before you submit your final draft of this exercise then it is essential that you acquire a copy of VMWare for access to the virtual computer system and VPN for direct file transfer access to the file servers at UVA. You should also install and test in advance these personal versions of WMWare and VPN from your personal computer that you take with you before you leave town. Here again, as previously announced by email, are some essential links that you can use to acquire and receive support on these two remote access programs:

1. Remote Access to Virtual Computers (VMWare):
       VMWare installation and instructions: https://www.arch.virginia.edu/resources/virtual-workstations
       School of Architecture IT Help Line: https://arch-web.arch.virginia.edu/it_request/
   

2. VPN Installation for File Transferz:
       UVA VPN installation and setup: https: //virginia.service-now.com/its?id=itsweb_kb_article&sys_id=f24e5cdfdb3acb804f32fb671d9619d0
       UVA IT Help Line (phone and email): https://in.virginia.edu/helpdesk

Caveats

1. The submission should highlight those aspects of your work which are relevant to the more important thematic parts of your study. Inclusion of all the different techniques we have examined this semester is less important than is the relevance of the techniques used to establishing your personal focus. Look upon these case studies as experiments in modeling, simulation and rendering. Due to the class size, we will not hold a formal review; however, individuals are welcome to meet with Earl Mark or any of SIAs to discuss their work at the end of the term. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you and what direction it may give you for future uses of geometrical modleing and visualization media.
2. Save backup files at frequent intervals and in multiple locations (not just on your personal computer) at least every few hours just in case of unexpected bugs or computer system issues.
3. Office hours for the SIAs and Earl Mark may change during the final exam period. Please check the Canvas Calendar for office hour times and location details.

Good luck!