Frequently Asked Questions

FlexIT

How do I access files on my computer when using rhino via FlexIT?

Check out the FlexIT tutorial via this link:
https://www.drh.nz/2021/03/15/flexit/

How do I access the Creative Cloud apps on FlexIT?

Usually, Creative Cloud applications are installed straight on your computer, without using FlexIT. Your university license can be used while we are in the remote teaching mode.

If you are not able to install the software on your computer, you can use the studio computers. 

Adobe

Will we be told what adobe apps to get?
Is the Adobe creative suite license that has been provided for us to download on our own computer only valid during online learning?

Licenses will work only while we are in an online teaching and learning mode. Once back on campus, the Adobe suite is available on studio computers.

How do I download Adobe Suite for free during online learning?
Log  into Adobe Creative Cloud via your university email.
Note: Adobe might automatically log you into a previous email you have signed in with.
 
 
Alternative way: Log into Adobe using your UoA Google account. It might ask you to link your Google account to an existing Adobe account, and after logging in you should go ‘view account’ and select the enterprise (University of Auckland) with the 40+ apps.

Rhino

What kind of laptop do we need to run rhino?
Can we continue to access rhino on our own computer when remote learning finishes? Or only limited to uni computers?
Yes, Rhino will remain on FlexIT but to note, you can’t install rhino directly on your machine
it’ll only work via FlexIT.
 
 
How do I get Rhino on my own device?
Rhino is not free for students, only a free 90 days trial. We have licenses for studio
computers, and Flexit Rhino is for off campus access.
 
Is this Rhino 7?
No, only Rhino 6

BYOD

What type of laptop would be suitable to run the programme FlexIT?
Pretty much any computer can run FlexIT (VMmare Horizon client).
We tried to run Rhino flexit on Ipad Pro, it works quite well.
Are Macbooks suitable for urban planning or would you recommend sticking with Windows?
The new Mac lineup is really attractive especially power to price point. People are reporting very good performance from these machines even running software that isn’t designed for them (i.e. the new apple M1 CPU’s). You should know that these machines are very new and compatibility with some software packages isn’t there yet, i.e. bleeding edge technology but this will come with time. Obviously you won’t be able to run PC software on these either (incl. bootcamp). This includes ArcGIS, however I don’t believe you can get a free education version of this and you could just access it (for free) via FlexIT anyway. If you’re used to using a Mac I’d say go for it, else the PC options available are very good too.
 
Is the graphics card (GPU) more important than the CPU?
It really depends on the software and how/if it utilises the GPU. A good CPU
will speed up traditional renderers (not incl. Real time renderers like enscape), development
s/w (eg Compiling a Unity App, textures, etc), converting movie files (sometimes the GPU is
used for this too), data crunching (eg processing GIS data), etc. and just general processing
in all apps. The GPU will speed up modern renderers, some data processing, and any real
time graphics (eg games engines, 3D views in s/w) and is vital for VR headsets (eg Vive).
The big difference is that a GPU has a lot of very simple processing units (typically well over
1000!) which work well at processing a lot of things at the same time (good for calculating
the values of pixels in an image), a CPU has a small number processors (typically 4 – 8) that
can work on much more complex tasks (eg turning a script into an application). Really you
need a balance of both as one wont make up the short comings of the other.