Manufacturing | Suspended Ceilings - Automating Suspended Ceiling Systems with Rhino.Inside
We engineered the industry's first enterprise implementation of Rhino.Inside AutoCAD to automate complex ceiling system design for a global manufacturer. By developing a custom geometry kernel with embedded system design rules, we transformed a manual 2D workflow into an intelligent 3D ceiling configurator tool integrated with the clients AutoCAD production workflows.
- Client
- Private Client
- Timeline
- 2023 - 2025
- Service
- Systems Integration→
The Engineering Challenge
The client, a global leader in suspended ceilings, relied on a manual 2D AutoCAD workflow that was struggling to keep pace with demand. Technicians had to manually interpret architectural plans, align grids with panel sizes and springs, manage openings, and coordinate perimeter trims - often rebuilding drawings from scratch when requirements changed.
The goal was to automate this process. However, standard AutoCAD APIs lacked the geometric computational power to handle complex surface intersections and real-time 3D visualization. The solution required a paradigm shift: an application that could "think" in 3D logic but deliver standard 2D AutoCAD drawings.
The Solution Architecture
We engineered the Ceiling System Solver, an enterprise-grade WPF application that pioneers the use of Rhino.Inside within AutoCAD. By embedding a headless Rhino 7 instance directly into the AutoCAD process, we combined the documentation standard of AutoCAD with the advanced geometry engine of Rhino.
From 2D Blocks to Domain Objects
The tool elevates raw AutoCAD geometry into intelligent domain objects. Users define ceiling extents via standard 2D blocks, which the system automatically converts into its "ceiling instance" objects.
- Smart Configuration: Through a structured UI, users assign specs (Material, Perforation, Finish) and define layouts (Rectangular, Triangular, or Plank) that propagate instantly to the model.
- Interactive Design: We implemented a "Minimize-to-Capture" UX pattern. Users can click a button to minimize the UI, snap to a grid origin point in AutoCAD, and watch the app instantly regenerate the ceiling grid to that intersection.
Live 3D Visualization
The tool features a chromeless WPF window with an embedded Rhino Viewport that updates in real-time.
- Event-Driven Feedback: Every user action - changing the pitch, rotating the grid, or swapping a trim profile - triggers an immediate regeneration of the 3D ceiling schematic in the viewport.
- Visual Correlation: We implemented an indexed ID system where "Breakpoints" (user-defined edge splits) in the 3D view correspond directly to rows in the DataGrid, allowing precise trim assignment for complex perimeters.
Algorithmic Solver Pipeline
The core engine uses a Strategy Pattern to dynamically select the correct generation logic based on the Client's product system.
- Design Rule Enforcement: The solver automatically validates inputs against manufacturing constraints—preventing invalid trim assignments on curved edges or enforcing mandatory tee offsets around diffusers.
- State Persistence: We utilized the Memento Pattern to capture the entire configuration state into JSON. This allows users to close the tool and resume their session exactly where they left off, without data loss.
Selective Regeneration
To prevent drawing corruption, we engineered an object tagging System. Every entity created by the solver is tagged with a persistent ID. When a user regenerates a ceiling, the solver queries these tags to erase only its own entities prior to outputting the new output, leaving user-created entities untouched.
The Result
The tool transformed a laborious, complex design and drafting task into a rapid configuration workflow, outputting fully designed and detailed suspended ceiling drawings via an intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI).
- Instant 3D: Users can visualize the ceiling grid, pitch, rotation, and trim assignments in real-time via the integrated Rhino Viewport.
- Automated Accuracy: The solver enforces design rules for panel sizing, tee arrangement, and spring alignment automatically.
- Inventory Control: The system sequentially numbers panels and tees and generates a precise Bill of Materials (BoM), synchronized with the client's internal inventory codes.
- 37,500+
- Source Lines of Code (Enterprise-Grade)
- <3.6%
- Technical Debt Ratio (SQALE)
- <60s
- Solver Execution Time
- 1,100+
- Abstract Interfaces