How can I install RhinoArtisan?

In this documentation we have a section that shows you how to download, install and activate your licence.

How to download, install and activate your license

How do I activate my RhinoArtisan license?

It’s very simple. When you buy RhinoArtisan — even for the evaluation — you receive a product key, and activating it only takes a moment from inside Rhino or RhinoArtisan.

You’ll find the complete step-by-step in Step 3 of our installation guide.

How to download, install and activate your license

How can I update Rhino?

Having Rhinoceros installed with the most recent version is crucial for stability and security reasons. Here is how to check if you have the latest version and how to update it.

In the Help menu, click on Check for Updates…

The following window will show you if you have the latest version. Please check the Enable Updates and Usage Statistics option is enabled.

You can also buy it manually by clicking on Check Now…

How can I update RhinoArtisan?

RhinoArtisan will display a message in your command prompt whenever there’s an update available to download. If you see this message and close RhinoArtisan, the update process will begin.

RhinoArtisan User Interface

You can also update RhinoArtisan manually by clicking on the Update button on the File tab.

Rhino User Interface

The upgrade option is also available in Rhino.

Do I need previous CAD experience to use RhinoArtisan?

No. RhinoArtisan is built to make the creation process highly visual: every change you make to the model is reflected on screen immediately, which makes learning far more intuitive — even with no CAD background.

It also ships with extensive libraries of components and designs. You can start a piece completely from scratch, or pick an existing component and adjust its dimensions, proportions, gems, settings and other parameters. That dramatically reduces modeling time, especially while you’re learning, because you don’t need to build every element from zero.

As with any professional tool, reaching an advanced level takes training and practice — but the visual, parametric tools make getting started much easier.

Courses, tutorials and video lessons

How long does it take to learn RhinoArtisan?

Someone with no prior experience can start creating simple designs within their first training sessions.

How long it takes to work fully autonomously depends on the complexity of your pieces, how often you use the software, and the time you invest in practice — designing a basic piece is very different from mastering custom designs, advanced pavé or complex production-ready models.

Courses, tutorials and video lessons

What does RhinoArtisan offer to schools and educational institutions?

RhinoArtisan offers an accessible way to introduce students to 3D jewelry design. Its jewelry-specific tools let students learn professional design, modeling and production-preparation workflows without starting from a completely generic CAD environment.

RhinoArtisan for Schools

Do I need to know Rhino before learning RhinoArtisan?

Previous Rhino experience isn’t required — but RhinoArtisan runs inside Rhino, so it’s worth learning Rhino’s basic concepts along the way.

Our training combines Rhino’s general tools with RhinoArtisan’s jewelry-specific commands, so you pick up both in a single, structured path.

Courses, tutorials and video lessons

Is RhinoArtisan a good fit for a business starting from zero in CAD?

Yes — as long as someone in the team takes ownership of learning and using the software consistently.

RhinoArtisan is designed specifically for jewelry, with visual tools, component libraries and parametric commands that remove much of the initial complexity of generic CAD platforms.

For a team starting from scratch, we recommend a structured learning path built on our courses, videos, tutorials and documentation, backed by our technical support.

What are the minimum system requirements?

RhinoArtisan runs comfortably on most modern computers, but there’s a baseline you’ll want to meet for a smooth experience. You’ll find the full list — processor, RAM, graphics card, operating system and supported Rhino versions — in our system requirements page.

System Requirements

Does RhinoArtisan work on Mac?

At the moment, RhinoArtisan is optimized exclusively for Rhino on Windows. Rhino for Windows provides certain features and capabilities required for the plugin to deliver the best possible performance and functionality.

Unfortunately, Rhino for Mac does not yet include all the necessary features, which currently prevents us from offering a compatible macOS version.

For now, our focus is on continuing to improve and expand RhinoArtisan on Windows. However, we are closely following the development of Rhino for Mac, and we do not rule out the possibility of a Mac version in the future as the platform evolves.

Rhino 8 and .NET Core 7: What Does It Mean?

With the release of Rhino 8, the developers have updated the .NET libraries to Core 7, bringing a significant improvement in performance compared to Rhino 7.0. This upgrade not only enhances user experience but also unlocks new possibilities to make the most of the software’s capabilities.

At RhinoArtisan, we’ve ensured that version 6.0 is fully aligned with Rhino’s recommendations, allowing you to enjoy seamless integration and optimal performance with both.

For compatibility reasons, Rhino 8 offers the option to run at reduced performance using the older .NET Framework 4.8 libraries, ensuring that plugins that haven’t been updated can still function. However, this creates an important limitation: Rhino 8 does not support the simultaneous use of both libraries. This means that if you are using a plugin based on the older libraries, Rhino will be unable to load other plugins that rely on the newer ones.

We strongly recommend reaching out to the developers of any plugins that have not yet been updated to request compatibility with the new libraries. It would be a shame to have Rhino 8 and not fully benefit from its capabilities.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help.

How can I know which version of Rhino I’m using?

You can see your Rhino version inside Rhino. Click on the Help menu and About Rhino:

In the right-bottom area of the window, you will see the version. In our case is Rhino 7.0 SR19.

What version of RhinoArtisan I’m using?

Sometimes, our technical support team needs to know exactly which version you have installed on your computer. The main reason is that, in many cases, when a user reports a question or problem, it has already been fixed in later versions.

Command Prompt

When Rhino or RhinoArtisan opens, it displays the exact version at the command prompt.

Rhino User Interface

In the RhinoArtisan toolbar, you can find the About icon on the right hand side.

You can also check your current version by executing the command ArtisanAbout, which will open a window similar to this one:

RhinoArtisan User Interface

In the RhinoArtisan user interface, you will find the same icon, in this case in the top right corner:

What are the minimum recommended graphics card requirements?

We recommend a dedicated graphics card with at least 4 GB of VRAM for smoother performance — especially with complex models, advanced visualization or scenes with many gemstones.

For the full hardware and software requirements, see the system requirements page.

System Requirements

Rhino doesn’t load RhinoArtisan. What can I do?

There are three reasons why Rhino does not load RhinoArtisan:

1. Rhino is not updated:

Let’s check what Rhino version we are using. To do this, we will open Rhino, in the menu Help > Check for Updates…

2. Diagnotics & Repair

Some updates or plugins may leave residual entries in Rhino’s registry, which can lead to conflicts and unexpected behavior. Over time, these leftover settings might interfere with new versions of the software or cause instability when loading third-party extensions.

How to execture Diagnostics & Repair:

Here are the steps:

1. Double-click the RhinoArtisan icon on your desktop.

2. In the RhinoArtisan start menu, click Diagnostics & Repair, located on the lower left side.

3. When asked “Do you want to clean Windows registry of Rhino and Artisan?”, answer Yes.
4. When asked “Do you want to delete the Artisan user folder?”, answer Yes.
5. When asked “Do you want to check your connection to the Artisan license server?”, answer Yes. (This step is to check if a firewall is blocking the license verification).

Once this process is complete, restart Rhino. It will launch as if it were a fresh installation, clearing any registry issues that might have prevented the RhinoArtisan plugin from loading properly.

3. Send Us Your System Information

If the problem persists after following the steps above, please try typing SetDotNetRuntime in Rhino’s command line and select NetCore.

If the issue continues, run the same command again and change the NetCoreVersion from v7 to v8, then restart Rhino.

If the problem still persists after following the steps above, we recommend sending us your Rhino system information so we can analyze your configuration and identify the possible cause of the issue.

To extract this information, follow these steps:

1. Open Rhino and type SystemInfo in the command line.
2. Press Enter, and Rhino will generate a detailed report about your system configuration, including information about your graphics card, OpenGL settings, and other system parameters.
3. Copy or save this information and send it to us via email at support@rhinoartisan.com.

Our team will review your system details and help you find a solution to the issue.

4. Rhino Installation Problem

In some cases, there may be problems installing Rhino, so at this point, we recommend uninstalling and reinstalling it. We will have a clean installation, which will make Rhino run much faster and be able to load plugins.

To uninstall Rhino, please check Rhinoceros documentation. https://wiki.mcneel.com/rhino/uninstalling

How can I remove the RhinoArtisan license from Rhino Options > Licenses?

Yes. You can manually remove the RhinoArtisan license files from your computer.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Windows File Explorer.
2. Browse to the following folder:

%appdata%\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager\Licenses

3. You will probably find several license files in this folder.
   Delete all the files inside.
4. Then browse to:

%programdata%\McNeel\Rhinoceros\6.0\License Manager\Licenses

5. You will probably find one license file in this folder.
   Delete all the files inside.

After removing these files, restart Rhino. The RhinoArtisan license should no longer appear under Options > Licenses.

How to display the toolbar?

To display the RhinoArtisan toolbar, go to the Window menu and, within the menu, select Toolbars…

In the “Toolbars and toolbar groups” section, select Artisan. This will display all the toolbars, then select the one called Artisan.

Done! This toolbar works like any other Rhino toolbar; locate it wherever you prefer.

What should I do if RhinoArtisan does not load after installation?

First, make sure you’re using a compatible version of Rhino — preferably Rhino 8. If the problem persists, run the SystemInfo command in Rhino and send the output to our support team so we can review your system configuration.

Contact support

Why does everything on my screen look white?

An advanced display mode such as Raytraced may have been accidentally activated. Switch the view back to a standard mode like Shaded to return to a lighter and more stable display.

My objects appear in silver or gold instead of layer colors. How can I change this?

This is usually caused by the display mode or the Outliner panel settings. Review the active display mode and switch the display settings if you want to see layer colors rather than a rendered metal appearance.

I can’t log in to RhinoArtisan.com or reset my password. What can I do?

After a recent website migration, some previous passwords were not transferred for security reasons. Use the password reset option to set a new one.

If the reset link doesn’t work, try opening it in an incognito window or another browser to rule out cache or cookie issues.

What should I do if my license is stuck on a previous computer?

If you can’t deactivate the license because the computer is no longer available — it’s been formatted, replaced or simply isn’t accessible — contact the support team. They’ll review the case and manually release the license if applicable.

Contact support

Is the AI Assistant available in RhinoArtisan 6.8?

Yes. Assistant is available in RhinoArtisan 6.8.0.3 and later for customers with a commercial license. Run the ArtisanAbout command in Rhino to check which version you have.

Setup needs a short guided installation — Assistant runs entirely on your own computer, so the local AI engine and model have to be downloaded once. Our team walks you through it after your license is activated.

It is not available during the 15-day trial for that same reason. If you’d like to see Assistant before deciding, get in touch and we’ll show it to you live.

Assistant is currently in beta and under active development. See the Assistant documentation for what it does and what beta means.

How to restore the user interface layout?

RhinoArtisan’s user interface is fully configurable, allowing you to adapt it to your taste. If, for some reason, you want to return to the original installation state, you must follow the steps below:

1. Type in the command line: WindowLayout, and press enter.

The Window Layout window will appear. Then, double-click in Artisan, restoring us to its original layout.

How to import textures on RhinoArtisan

To use custom textures on the Texture 3D command on RhinoArtisan, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Open the User folder

In Rhino, you will find the icon User Folder on the RhinoArtisan toolbar

2. Find and open the Texture3D folder:

3. Drag and drop your texture on this folder

Congratulations, the next time you run the Texture 3D command, you will be able to use your new texture!

How can I learn to use RhinoArtisan?

Everything lives at rhinoartisan.com/learn: complete online courses, videos, tutorials, documentation and practice exercises — from first steps to advanced tools and workflows.

The material is self-paced. We’ve been training jewelers and jewelry designers for many years, and roughly 99% of the questions that come up during learning are already answered in a course, a video, a tutorial or the documentation — so you can move at your own speed and jump straight to the resource that solves your doubt.

And when you get stuck, ask our AI assistant or reach out to our technical support team.

How to disable the tripod?

To disable the tripod, go to Options > Artisan, and under Tripod, select None.

How to modify a translation in RhinoArtisan?

To change any text in RhinoArtisan, we can do it from a single file. In the installation folder, we will find a folder called Languages, which is usually located at C:\Program Files\RhinoArtisan 6\languages. Inside this folder, you will find a list of files named after each language; for example, in Italian it is “it,” in French it is “fr,” etc.

These files are in .json format and can be opened with any text editor. However, I would like to recommend that you try Visual Studio Code. This agile and completely free editor from Microsoft will allow you to view the content with colors that help you easily identify each word.

As you can see, there is blue text that serves as the identifier, and we should not change this. What we need to modify is the text that follows, which is in salmon color.

It is important to note that Windows does not allow you to modify files within the Program Files folder. Therefore, I recommend copying the file to your desktop or Documents so that you can edit it without any issues. Afterwards, you simply need to copy it back into the Languages folder.

If you have any questions, please contact us to support@rhinoartisan.com

How can I reduce the size of a large 3D file?

To shrink a heavy 3D file, use the Reduce Mesh command found in the Manufacturing tab. It simplifies dense mesh geometry while keeping the overall shape intact.

For SubD objects, the Remesh option works especially well — it rebuilds the topology with fewer faces, which usually cuts the file size by a significant margin.

Is RhinoArtisan’s real-time pricing reliable and adaptable?

Yes. The data follows official sources updated twice daily, and you can also replace it with your own suppliers’ data to match how you price internally.

Can I calculate prices inside RhinoArtisan?

Yes. RhinoArtisan includes real-time pricing tools that calculate costs based on jewelry components, materials, processes and either supplier price lists or live online sources.

Does RhinoArtisan help prevent costly production errors?

Yes. RhinoArtisan ensures viable manufacturing outputs through STL tools, offers 3D-printing compatibility, and provides jewelry reports and live pricing — so no detail is overlooked before production.

Can RhinoArtisan be used for manufacturing?

Yes. RhinoArtisan supports manufacturing workflows with production-ready files, STL repair tools, technical reports, jewel reports, material information and exportable data for manufacturing or ERP workflows.

RhinoArtisan for manufacturers

Can retailers use RhinoArtisan in-store with customers?

Yes. RhinoArtisan is built for in-store co-design: salespeople and customers can customize jewelry together in real time, visualize the changes and see updated pricing during the configuration process.

RhinoArtisan for retailers

Can I create realistic images or videos with RhinoArtisan?

Yes. RhinoArtisan includes tools to produce high-quality renders and visual content for presentations, marketing, online stores or in-store sales.

Can RhinoArtisan help me modify existing designs?

Yes. RhinoArtisan allows flexible customization of jewelry designs — changing shape, color, gemstone type, size and other product attributes, depending on the design and workflow.

Can RhinoArtisan be used without an internet connection?

Yes — once the software is installed and your license is activated, the core design and modeling tools work without an internet connection.

That includes creating, modifying and saving designs, and working with gems, settings, rings, wedding bands, pavé and the rest of the jewelry tools.

You don’t need a permanent connection for day-to-day design work, but you may need to connect periodically to validate your license, receive updates, or use online features such as the AI services and cloud-hosted content.

Can I use Assistant AI in the RhinoArtisan 6.8 trial?

Unfortunately, no — Assistant AI is not available in the 15-day trial.

The reason is technical. Assistant AI runs entirely on your local computer, and its setup requires a guided installation step that we haven’t been able to fully automate yet. We perform that step together with you after a commercial license is activated, so it isn’t part of the trial flow today.

We’re working to streamline the installation so Assistant AI can ship inside the trial in a future release. In the meantime, you can explore everything else in RhinoArtisan during the trial, and if you’d like a walkthrough of Assistant AI before deciding, get in touch and our team will show it to you live.

Does RhinoArtisan run online or on my computer?

RhinoArtisan is a desktop application that runs as a plugin inside Rhino. It doesn’t run in a browser, and it doesn’t depend on the cloud to design.

An internet connection is used mainly for:

• Activating and validating your license.
• Downloading updates.
• Accessing online training.
• Certain connected or AI-powered services.

Your day-to-day modeling happens entirely on your computer.

Where are my designs stored — locally or in the cloud?

Designs are saved as standard Rhino files (normally .3dm), and you decide where they live: on your computer, an internal server, a shared drive, or a cloud storage service such as Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox.

RhinoArtisan never forces you to store your designs in a proprietary cloud. Your files are yours, in an open format, wherever you keep them.

We can also offer complementary solutions for viewing or sharing selected models online — contact us if that’s something your team needs.

How do I share designs with clients and manufacturers?

Share the original Rhino file, or export to another format depending on who receives it and what it’s for:

• Manufacturing / 3D printing — export production-ready files (e.g. STL).
• Client visualization and approval — share renders, images or viewer files.
• Internal teamwork — use a shared folder or your cloud storage system.

Because designs are standard Rhino files, they travel well between studios, workshops and production partners.

What types of jewelry can I create with RhinoArtisan?

Practically any piece you can imagine, including:

• Engagement rings
• Wedding bands and matching bands
• Pavé and micro-setting rings
• Solitaires, halos and multi-stone designs
• Prong, bezel, basket and other setting styles
• Earrings
• Pendants
• Bracelets and bangles
• Fully custom pieces built from scratch
• Variations of existing designs
• Models prepared for rendering, 3D printing or manufacturing

On top of RhinoArtisan’s parametric tools and jewelry libraries, you have every general modeling tool in Rhino at your disposal.

The real limit usually isn’t the software — it’s manufacturing. A piece can be perfectly possible as a digital design and still need checking that it can be cast, printed, set, polished and produced correctly.

Are there design limitations I should know about before buying?

There’s no fixed list of pieces that can’t be designed — Rhino is an extremely flexible modeling platform, and organic, sculptural or artistic designs are all possible (some may call for more advanced Rhino or SubD techniques).

The two things worth knowing before you buy:

1. It’s a professional CAD tool. RhinoArtisan simplifies and automates a great deal of jewelry work, but you still need to learn to design properly and understand basic manufacturing requirements — minimum thicknesses, tolerances, casting, setting, polishing and how metals behave.
2. Performance depends on your computer, especially with very complex designs, rendering, or AI features. Check the system requirements before purchasing.

Does RhinoArtisan integrate with our existing production systems?

Yes. RhinoArtisan is designed to slot into existing production workflows. You can export to Excel or JSON to feed your ERP, MRP or any in-house system, so the data from your designs (gems, materials, weights, costs, parts) flows straight into the tools your team already uses.

How can I integrate RhinoArtisan into my printer’s 3D printing software?

With RhinoArtisan, you can print on any printer on the market thanks to its repair and STL exporter.

Next, we will see how to automate even more with the RhinoArtisan 3D printing command.

Let’s see what is the result of what we are going to do:

By default, we must select to indicate which application we want to use to print. In this case, we will use Chitubox, but the process is exactly the same for any printer.

We must discover where it is installed on our computer, so we will go to the application icon or a shortcut and right-click on Properties.

In the properties window, copy the Target content by right-clicking on the text.

Now we will go to the RhinoArtisan options. In RhinoArtisan mode, click on Settings in the File tab.

In the case of Rhino, click on Rhino Options.

Select Artisan from the options on the left, and paste the path of the file we copied earlier. Click OK, and everything is ready!

Can I use RhinoArtisan with KeyShot for rendering?

Yes — we have direct integration with KeyShot. In the Rendering tab you’ll find a KeyShot button that automatically sends your geometry to KeyShot, so you can move from modeling to a professional render in one click.

How do I know if RhinoArtisan works with my 3D printer?

This is a very standard area. RhinoArtisan lets you export to STL — and even repair the STL if it has errors — so the file works with virtually any 3D printer on the market.

On top of that, RhinoArtisan ships with direct connectors to the most popular jewelry slicer apps. One click and your design opens in the slicer ready to print:

• Asiga Composer
• Formlabs Preform
• 3D Systems Geomagic
• Anycubic Workshop
• B9 Captivate
• Elegoo Chitubox — also a great option if you use a printer from another brand

See all 3D printing connectors

What formats can I export my 3D model to from RhinoArtisan?

Great question — and the answer is reassuring. RhinoArtisan is a plugin for Rhino, so it doesn’t handle saving and exporting itself: Rhino does. That has a big upside: your work is 100% compatible with native Rhino and with any other Rhino plugin, including Matrix, RhinoGold and MatrixGold.

In practice that means you can save and export to every format Rhino supports — .3dm, .stl, .obj, .iges, .step, .fbx, .dwg, .dxf and many more — using Rhino’s standard Save As / Export commands.

Will someone help us get started and learn?

Yes — our team accompanies you through installation, activation, initial setup and the learning process, and answers any question that comes up in daily use. It’s one of the services we’re most proud of.

Support is personal: each license purchased includes one designated support contact. For example, a company with two licenses can name two people who contact our support team directly.

For customers with no previous experience, we recommend combining support with the training materials: support solves specific problems and doubts, while the courses, videos and tutorials teach you the complete design workflow.

How does technical support work?

Contact our team describing your question and include, where possible, screenshots, files or details of the process you’re trying to complete.

We analyse whether the issue relates to RhinoArtisan itself, the installation, the license, the file, or your computer’s configuration — and guide you from there.

We often reply with personalised videos: it’s the clearest and fastest way to show how to use a command or resolve a specific doubt.

What happens if RhinoArtisan has a problem?

Our team reviews the case and tries to reproduce it.

If it’s a configuration or installation issue, we help you fix it. If it turns out to be a software bug, we document it and pass it to the development team for resolution — and keep you posted.

Who helps me if my question is about Rhino rather than RhinoArtisan?

Most support requests aren’t really software problems — they’re questions about how to apply a command, or the best procedure to achieve a certain result.

If you purchased Rhino together with RhinoArtisan through us, our team provides full support for both.

Either way, we never leave a customer without an answer: even if you didn’t buy Rhino through us, we’ll always try to point you in the right direction.

How do I contact support, and how fast do you reply?

Start with Ask, our AI assistant — it answers many questions about RhinoArtisan, its commands and its workflows instantly, any time of day.

When you need a human, contact our official support service through the contact form.

The official response window is 3 to 72 hours, depending on the urgency and complexity of the request — though in practice our response times are usually much closer to 3 hours than to 72.