From first request
to finished work.

Raven is an AI assistant inside Rhino. Describe what you want, let Raven work on your model or Grasshopper definition, then review the result.

What you can do

Use Raven to inspect and edit geometry, build Grasshopper definitions, create adjustable Live Scripts, and work with reference files. Projects keep the brief and decisions available across chats.

A simple way to work

1. Give Raven a clear target and outcome.
2. Let it make a small, reviewable change.
3. Inspect the result and accept or reject it.
4. Save your Rhino and Grasshopper files separately.

This guide follows that sequence: get set up, learn the everyday controls, then explore the workflows you need. You can return to any chapter when a specific question comes up.

Check important dimensions, units, and outputs before using a result.

You need Rhino 8 on Windows or macOS, a Raven account, and an internet connection for sign-in and AI responses.

Install

1. In Rhino’s command line, type PackageManager and press Enter.
2. Open the Online tab, type Raven in the search box, and select Raven in the results.
3. Choose the latest stable release in the Version list on the right, then click Install. You do not need Include pre-releases for the normal release.
4. Click Apply if shown, then restart Rhino to load Raven.
5. Run Raven, or click the round Raven button on the Grasshopper canvas.
6. Sign in with your Raven email and password. Choose an account if prompted.

Rhino Package Manager on macOS. Your version number may differ; pre-releases are not required.

If a welcome or restored panel shows Load Raven, select it to start. The first launch may take a minute. You can dock, float, and resize Raven like other Rhino panels.

Try your first request

Open a Rhino model, select a few objects, and type in the message box at the bottom of Raven:

Inspect the selection. Tell me the object types, dimensions, and layers. Do not change anything yet.

Press Enter to send. Shift+Enter adds a new line. Then try a small edit:

Copy the selected objects 2 metres along the X axis. Put the copies on a new layer named Study.

Inspect the result, choose Accept or Reject in Review changes, and save your Rhino file.

Update Raven

1. Save your work. Run PackageManager in Rhino.
2. Open Online, search for Raven, and select it.
3. Compare Installed with the latest stable version in the Version list on the right. If a newer version is available, select it and click Install.
4. Click Apply if shown, close Rhino, and open it again. The new version loads after restart.

For automatic updates, enable Automatically update packages when Rhino starts at the bottom of Package Manager. Rhino’s Package Manager reference explains the available controls.

Change accounts

Click the gear at the top-right of the Raven panel, then choose Sign out in its menu. Sign in again with the account you want to use.

If a Python setup banner appears, you can dismiss it or select Set up Python when you need Python-based tools. See Troubleshooting.

The conversation fills the middle of the Raven panel. The message box and its tools sit at the bottom; the sidebar on the left holds your saved chats and projects.

Raven UI rendered with an example conversation.

Write a message

Click the message box at the bottom, describe what you want, then press Enter or click Send. Use Shift+Enter for a new line.

Be specific about the object, file, or part of the definition you want Raven to work on. You can select geometry in Rhino before asking Raven to inspect or change it.

Add context to your message

The small buttons below the message box let you show Raven what you mean. Hover over a button to see its tooltip.

Button	How to use it
	Click to choose a file. You can also drag files into Raven or paste an image. Add a message explaining what to use.
	Click and choose an entire folder, then send your request. Raven can read its contents as reference in this chat; it cannot change files in the linked folder.
	Set the view in Rhino, then click to attach a snapshot of the current viewport. Add a question or instructions and send.
	Hold to record, then release to put the transcription in the message box. Review it before sending.

To discuss a shape, capture the viewport and describe the change you want. Click the attached image to draw on it before sending.

Files, folders, and image markup →

Choose a model

Click below the message box to choose a model. New chats default to GPT-6 Sol. The choice is saved per chat; available models depend on your account.

Keep the same model throughout a chat. Switching can be expensive because the new model processes the conversation history again. To try another model, start a new chat when practical. Wait for a response to finish before switching.

Follow Raven’s work

Raven’s reply appears above the message box. Here’s what to look for:

• Work details. Click the row beside the wrench to see Raven’s steps and results. Click again to close it.
• Permission requests. Read what Raven wants to do, then allow or decline the action.
• Review changes. Inspect the CAD edits, then keep or undo them. How review works →

Interrupt or add a follow-up

Click Stop to interrupt. CAD actions already completed stay in the document.

To queue a follow-up, type it and press Enter or click . The trash button clears the queue. Stop also clears unhandled messages.

Select objects from a reply

Click a blue object-reference chip to select its Rhino objects and zoom to them. Hold Shift to add to your selection. References may stop working after objects are deleted or replaced.

Return to a chat or start a new one

A chat keeps one conversation and its files. Stay in it for follow-up requests about the same task.

1. Click at the top-left of Raven to reveal the sidebar if it is hidden.
2. Select the Chats tab, then click a conversation to reopen it.
3. For a separate task, click New chat at the top of the sidebar. When the sidebar is hidden, the same icon is beside the sidebar button.

If a response is running, Raven asks you to Stop and switch first.

Projects share a brief and notes across several chats. You can add one when you need it. Organize chats and projects →

Set up dictation

The first time you hold the microphone, choose a language, then hold again to record. Allow microphone access if your operating system asks.

Right-click the microphone to change language or download its model. Raven uses its companion app for local transcription; the first use may require a download. Releasing the button transcribes your voice into a draft—it does not send the message.

Give Raven a target, an outcome, constraints, and a check.

Use the selected facade surfaces. Create fins on a new Facade::Fins layer, spaced at 900 mm with a 250 mm depth. Keep the source surfaces. Check the result in Perspective and report the fin count.

Give it the right context

• Select Rhino objects before referring to “the selection.” Leave them selected until Raven identifies them.
• Name the file when several Rhino or Grasshopper documents are open.
• State units, dimensions, and anything that must remain unchanged.
• Attach a reference image or link a folder when the task depends on external material.

For unfamiliar models, start with inspection:

Inspect this model's units, layers, and open surfaces. Explain what needs attention before making changes.

Work in small steps

For a large task, ask Raven to propose an approach, build one part, verify it, then continue. Each turn is easier to review and undo.

You can ask Raven to create or edit geometry, organize layers and blocks, inspect dimensions, diagnose problems, and create supporting scripts or reports.

For specialized work, see Grasshopper and Live Scripts.

Model from a reference image

Provide a clear image and at least one known dimension:

Build an editable blockout of this chair. The seat is 450 mm high. Approximate hidden details and keep the frame and seat separate.

Images provide visual evidence, not reliable hidden dimensions. State where approximation is acceptable.

Check before keeping

Ask Raven to report the checks that matter: units, dimensions, object counts, closed geometry, or Grasshopper errors and outputs. Inspect the viewport or canvas yourself, then accept or reject the changes.

Save the affected CAD files after review.

Start with a chat for each task. Add a project when several chats need the same brief or notes. Your Rhino model and Grasshopper definition remain separate files that you save in their own applications.

Keep related work in one chat

A chat keeps its conversation history, model choice, uploads, and generated files. Follow up in the same chat while working on the same task. Use New chat in the sidebar when you want a fresh conversation and working folder.

To rename a chat, hover over its row in the sidebar and click the pencil, enter a new name, and confirm. Choose a name that describes the task, such as “Facade options”.

Find chats for your Rhino file

Without an active project, the Chats tab groups conversations by their linked Rhino file. Saving or using Save As in the same open Rhino session keeps that link up to date.

Expand All Other Chats below the current group to find conversations from other files or without a file link. To reuse one in the current context, hover over its row and click Copy. This copies the conversation, not CAD geometry or working files. Reattach needed references and ask Raven to inspect the current model before making changes.

Create a project

Use a project when several chats need the same brief, requirements, or decisions.

1. Click at the top-left to open the sidebar, then select Projects → New project.
2. Enter a Title, Description, and Project notes.
3. Select Create project, then Activate.
4. Return to Chats and start or continue a conversation.

Raven UI rendered with an example project.

Raven uses the active project's details as context. Edit them here and select Save changes when the brief changes. Selecting a project only opens its overview; Activate makes it the working context.

Activating resumes that project's latest chat or creates one if needed. New chats join the active project. Deactivate returns to the current Rhino-file chat group. Wait for Raven to finish before changing the active project.

Which CAD document changes?

The Raven panel works with its connected Rhino document. Activating a project or switching chats does not open a different .3dm or Grasshopper definition.

If several documents are open, name the target:

In facade-options.gh, change the panel count to 12. Leave the other definitions unchanged.

Raven may retain a chosen Grasshopper target between requests. Explicitly name the new definition when switching tasks.

Save the result

Accepting a review card does not save a CAD file. Save Rhino and Grasshopper separately.

Attach a file

Select the paperclip below the message box, drag files onto the panel, or paste an image into the composer. Add a message explaining what to use, then send. Select × on an attachment to remove it from the draft.

You can attach images, PDFs, and other files. For a large document, identify the relevant pages or sections. For a drawing, provide a known dimension and close-ups of small labels. What Raven can extract depends on the file and available tools.

Link a reference folder

Select the folder button below the message box and choose a folder. Send it with a request such as:

Read the facade brief in this folder. Summarize the constraints before modeling.

The folder is linked to that chat with read-only access; its contents are not copied into the chat. Ask Raven to save new work in the chat's working folder. To use the reference in another chat, link it there too.

Capture and mark up a view

1. Set the Rhino view you want to discuss.
2. Select the camera below the message box to attach a viewport snapshot.
3. Click a PNG or JPEG thumbnail to open Draw on image.
4. Mark the image with the pen, then select Done.
5. Add your instructions and send.

Use Undo/Redo to revise strokes. Cancel or Escape leaves the attachment unchanged. Drawing changes the image, not the CAD geometry. A capture is a snapshot; later model changes do not update it.

The drawing editor supports PNG/JPEG files up to 25 MB and 32 megapixels. For layout work, switch to a model viewport before capturing.

Research and downloads

Ask Raven to research a topic and cite its sources. Ordinary web links open in your default browser.

If Raven requests a download, check the source and filename before selecting Allow download. Downloaded and generated files go into the current chat's workspace.

Find generated files

Ask Raven to link the output or give you its exact path. Each chat has its own folder, normally under:

Documents/Raven/user1/chats/<chat-id>/

Uploads are under files/uploads/; Raven also keeps internal working data in .raven/. Do not move or rename an active chat's folder.

If Documents is on a network or cloud-managed location, Raven may use local storage and put a Raven or Raven Workspace link in Documents. Follow that link to find the working files.

Permission cards approve access before an action. Review cards let you keep or undo CAD edits after a turn.

Review a result

1. Read Raven's reply and any warnings.
2. Inspect the Rhino viewport and Grasshopper canvas.
3. Check important dimensions and outputs.
4. Choose Accept or Reject for each application.
5. Save the files you want to keep.

Raven UI rendered with example changes.

Rhino and Grasshopper have separate decisions. You can keep a definition while rejecting its baked Rhino geometry.

Review before continuing: sending another prompt, starting or switching chats, or changing the active project accepts pending changes automatically.

Know the limits of undo

Rhino review follows Rhino's document history. Returning to an older checkpoint can also undo newer edits. Grasshopper review restores the whole definition snapshot, which can remove later changes to that definition.

Save a backup before restoring an older result you may need alongside the current one. Closed documents or changed history can make a checkpoint unavailable.

Stop is not Undo. Completed CAD actions remain after an interrupted or failed response. Inspect the document and any review card before retrying.

Approve access

Raven may ask for access outside its normal working locations, a web download, or a protected command. Check the displayed path or command and the reason.

• Deny blocks that action.
• Allow download permits that download.
• Allow for this session grants the displayed access for matching requests in the current chat session.

Stopping cancels unanswered requests. Denying access does not undo earlier CAD edits.

Raven edits live Grasshopper definitions using the components installed in your Rhino environment. It can build graphs, adjust inputs, connect wires, edit scripts, organize groups, and diagnose solve errors.

Build or change a definition

Name the target and the adjustable inputs:

Create and save louver-study.gh. Add sliders for count, depth, rotation, and spacing. Use native components where practical. Group the inputs and outputs, solve, and report any warnings.

For an existing definition:

In roof.gh, replace the fixed bay count with a slider from 4 to 24. Preserve downstream connections and verify the output.

Raven can edit modern Python 3 and C# script components. The source stays embedded in the saved definition; you do not need Raven's temporary editing files to share it.

Protect part of the canvas

Lock finished work so Raven can change another part of the definition without disturbing it. Locked components keep computing; their values, code, wiring, and positions are protected from Raven.

Lock selected components or a group

1. Select the components or group you want to protect.
2. Right-click the round Raven button on the Grasshopper canvas.
3. Choose Lock selection from Raven.

Use Remove own Raven locks in the same menu to remove direct locks from the selection. A surrounding locked group or area still protects its contents. Allow Raven to reference outputs controls whether Raven may make new references to locked outputs; existing connections keep working.

Draw an editable workspace or a locked area

1. Right-click the round Raven button and enable Utilities if its canvas controls are hidden.
2. Click the small padlock button near the upper-left edge of the canvas. A blue frame around the canvas shows that the zone editor is on.
3. Drag on empty canvas to draw a rectangle. It starts as an editable workspace. Double-click it, enter a clear name such as “Work Here”, then click Apply. Drag its corner handles to resize it.
4. To protect an area instead, click its open padlock. The closed padlock marks it as locked. Click again to make it editable.
5. Click the zone-editor button again to return to normal canvas editing.

“Keep Unchanged” is locked at the top. Below it, the blue border and corner handles mark the selected workspace. Its naming dialog is open: click Apply to save “Work Here”. The purple fill belongs to Grasshopper groups; use the area’s padlock to check its lock state.

When workspaces exist, they define where Raven may work. A locked area protects the content inside it. For example, keep a workspace around the branch you want to revise and lock the finished branch beside it.

To remove locks inside a workspace, turn on the zone editor, right-click that workspace’s padlock, and choose Unlock all in this workspace. This preserves the workspace boundary and locks extending outside it. Grasshopper Undo can restore removed locks.

Find your way around

Right-click the Raven button to toggle Tags (object labels), Group Cards (group summaries at overview zoom), and Utilities for the current definition.

Enable Raven Search under Display → Canvas Widgets to find groups and doors (named connections between parts of a definition). Search results can focus the relevant canvas content; back and forward buttons revisit previous results.

Verify and save

Ask Raven to solve the definition and report remaining errors, warnings, and missing plugins. A placeholder for a missing component does not mean that component can compute; install the required plugin to use it.

Review Grasshopper changes separately from Rhino changes, then save the definition. Review and undo →

Live Scripts keep geometry adjustable inside a Rhino file, without a Grasshopper definition. Raven can create Python or C# scripts, parameters, sliders, and custom interfaces.

Create a Live Script canopy with adjustable width, depth, and rib count. Add sliders and check that changing each one updates the geometry.

Save the .3dm to retain the scripts and controls. With Raven installed, existing Live Scripts can run without opening a chat.

Adjust geometry

Run LiveScript to open the controls. Selecting live output geometry or its attached source also shows relevant controls over the viewport. The eye button hides overlays for the current document without stopping computation.

• Pause stops automatic updates.
• Run/Rerun evaluates the current inputs, even while paused.
• Entries shows scripts, parameters, and interface source.

Check the warning log after an error: the last successful geometry may still be visible. Ask Raven to open a custom interface when you want to use one.

Apply modifiers

A modifier takes source geometry and passes its result to the next modifier:

Add offset, then twist modifiers to the selection. Keep the sources and add adjustable controls. Verify the modifier order and result.

Only the last modifier publishes geometry. Disabling one bypasses it; an error blocks later steps. A script's parameters are shared by all objects using it. If a copy needs independent controls, ask Raven to create separate scripts and parameters.

Bake to ordinary Rhino geometry

Baking freezes the existing result without rerunning scripts. Run successfully first if you need an updated result.

Read the confirmation before baking. Removing a connected graph can affect more than the selected objects. Rhino Undo can restore live operation; save the .3dm when satisfied.

Reuse a workflow

A skill gives Raven repeatable instructions for a task. Ask it to create one when a workflow is useful across projects:

Create a skill for our model audit: check units, naked edges, duplicate objects, and layer naming. Produce a short report without changing geometry.

Ask Raven to show you the saved skill so you can check it. Start a new chat or switch chats to load new or changed skills.

To refine it later:

Update the model audit skill: report intentional open surfaces on Reference layers as warnings.

Skills are shared across chats for the local Raven account. They normally live in Documents/Raven/user1/skills/.

Remember a preference

Use preferences for general habits:

Remember that I prefer millimetres and descriptive layer names.

You can change or remove them:

Forget my preference for blue construction layers.

Keep a client's brief, a building's dimensions, and other project-specific facts in Project notes. Those should not become defaults for unrelated work.

In Rhino

Read Live Scripts before baking.

In chat

Send /compact to summarize older context in a long conversation. Add instructions to preserve important details:

/compact Keep the agreed dimensions, materials, and remaining tasks.

Raven also compacts automatically when needed. The visible conversation remains, but Raven works from a summary and recent messages. Restate critical constraints if they appear to have been lost.

Raven will not open or connect

Run Raven in Rhino, or select Load Raven if shown. Give the first launch a minute. If a connection or model-loading notice offers Retry, try it after checking your internet connection.

If the problem continues, save your work, restart Rhino, and update Raven in PackageManager. Follow any specific recovery instruction in the banner.

A Python setup banner appears

Python is optional. Select Set up Python to reuse a compatible installation or download a private copy, or Choose existing… to select one yourself. Dismiss the banner if you do not need it. Dismissing does not install Python.

Sign-in fails

Check your credentials and internet connection. Use Sign in as someone else to restart account selection if offered. Report the exact error to support; never send your password.

Dictation does not work

Allow microphone access for the Raven companion app in your operating system's privacy settings. Right-click the microphone to select a language and download its local model. Hold to record, release to transcribe, then review and send the draft.

If Raven reports a missing companion or model, follow the error's instruction; update Raven and restart Rhino if needed.

The wrong file or chat is active

Open Raven from the intended Rhino document. A project or chat switch does not switch CAD files. Name the Grasshopper definition explicitly; clicking another canvas alone may not change Raven's target.

A dimmed chat under All Other Chats can be copied into the current context. For a project chat, activate its project first.

Raven cannot edit a Grasshopper component

Check for component, group, or area locks. Removing a component's own lock does not remove inherited protection. See Grasshopper locks.

If the component requires a missing plugin, install that plugin. Ask Raven to solve again and report remaining errors.

A file or image is not understood

Try the upload again after the current submission finishes. For visual work, choose a model that supports images. Use close-ups for small text and identify the relevant PDF pages. If a linked folder belongs to another chat, link it again in this chat.

A turn failed, stopped, or waits for permission

Read any permission request and choose Allow or Deny. If an operation fails, inspect the live CAD document and review card: earlier steps may have completed. Ask Raven to inspect the current state and retry only what is missing.

Some CAD operations occupy Rhino until they finish. Avoid submitting the same request repeatedly; stopping cannot always interrupt an operation already running inside Rhino.

A review checkpoint is unavailable

Keep the affected document open. Newer edits or changes to undo history can make old checkpoints unreachable. Save a backup before attempting to restore an older result. See Review changes.

Token limit reached

Read whether the limit applies to the account or a model and when it resets. A model-specific limit may allow another model; a new chat does not bypass an account limit.

Contact support

Include the Raven version from Package Manager, Rhino version, operating system, exact error or screenshot, and the shortest steps that reproduce the problem.

1. Save open Rhino and Grasshopper files.
2. Run RavenUninstall in Rhino.
3. Type UNINSTALL when prompted.
4. Wait for cleanup to finish, then restart Rhino.

If automatic package removal fails, remove Raven through PackageManager and restart Rhino.

Uninstalling preserves Raven workspaces, including chats, skills, and generated files. These normally live under Documents/Raven/. If that location is a Raven Workspace link, follow it to the actual storage.

Back up anything you need before manually deleting preserved data. Deleting it removes the saved work permanently.