Elk is a plugin for Grasshopper running in Rhino. Elk works with .osm files exported from openstreetmap.org to extract 3D modeling data from public map data.

To begin using Elk:

1. Download Elk from food4rhino (you will need an account).

2. Follow Elk’s installation instructions.

3. Restart Rhino and Grasshopper. Verify that Elk has installed properly.

4. Use openstreetmap.org to identify and Export your site as an .osm file. Save the .osm file in a known location.

5. In Grasshopper, from the Params > Primitive panel, insert the File Path component, and from the Extra > Elk2 panel, insert the Location and OSM Data components. Right-click on the OSM Data component to select the Create 3D Buildings option. Connect the components as shown below:

6. In Rhino, zoom extents to see the results: