Geometry Parameters

Geometry Parameters measure magnitudes in the Rhino environment. Metrics currently allows you to measure Lengths and Areas. Lengths should be assigned to curves, polylines, whether closed or open; and Areas to surfaces, polysurfaces, extrusions and also planar closed curves.

To create any new parameter go to the Create Parameter panel and then click on New. The new window will ask first for a name for a parameter, in this case "Area". Then you need to choose the type, Geometry, and also in the Geometry Type window you will need to select Area. Once you are done click on Save. If you click on Close your Category parameter will not be created.

To assign now the parameter to an object you have to go to the Parameters panel and after selecting the objects to which you want to assign the parameter click on Assign and select the parameter (Area in this case). Once you have selected the parameter, click on Save. If you click on Close instead, the whole operation will be cancelled. After this, whenever the object is selected, the value of the parameter will be shown in the Parameters panel.

In the case of a Length parameter the process will be the same, but instead of selecting Area in the Create Parameter panel you will need to select Length, like in the example below.

Bear in mind that the Area and Length parameters will be shown in the same units that the Rhino file is using. If by mistake you assign a Length parameter to a surface, nothing will happen and the parameter will not be assigned to the surface, like in the example below where a Length parameter is assigned to a surface that already had an Area parameter and after assigning a Length parameter, the object only contains the Area parameter.

If you select several objects that have assigned the same Geometry parameter, the value will be the sum total of the value of those parameters. This is the only parameter, together with Formula Parameters, that works in this way in Metrics.