Is there any Rhino development of advanced surface editing and analysing tools happening like those offered by the outgoing VSR plugin?
If VSR becomes extinct, what do we do to get this functionality?
Thanks!
Sach
1 Like
we will nag the mcneel development team until they implement more new nurbs related surface editing, construction and evaluation tools. 
nag, nagâŚ
c.
1 Like
I make that noise too, on this subject, from time to time!
-Pascal
2 Likes
Good 
I really think these are very important features for V6âŚ
Philip
Hi Sach.
Good question.
We spent a lot of time with VSR during the early development of VSR Shape - particularly with the advanced blending and four sided matched surface tool. It was a great start but unfortunately I wouldnât think that the development of this plug-in will be given any priority now that it is owned by Autodesk.
I think the difficulty is that the majority of Rhino users either do not understand, or do not need to use, the single span (Bezier) workflow that VSR tools promotes. So there will never be enough users doing the ânaggingâ.
So, assuming the absence if VSR Shape, the short and unsavoury answer is Alias.
Phil Cook
www.simplyrhino.co.uk
We are currently seriously contemplating the purchase of VSR Shape and can foresee using it quite a bit. The implimentation of VSR into Rhino would be a boon for us. I donât want to get caught up in any more Autodesk software than I have to.
Joe
1 Like
What if Rhino did offer these advanced surface tools as part of the standard tool-set.
I think that more people would use/stay with Rhino because of it.
I really want to have this as part of Rhino as itâll enhance the industrial design surface creation workflow.
Thanks
Sach
5 Likes
Well, again, I donât really want to be the pessimist (letâs say Iâm a realist), but donât get your hopes up hereâŚ
The guys from VSR are former ICEM Surf people, they are experts in this form of high-quality surfacing tools, and they have been working on this stuff for years. So to imagine that these tools are just going to get added to native Rhino in a short period of time if at all is dreaming. Why do you think Autodesk bought VSR instead of developing something similar themselves? And McNeel has a lot more stuff going on for the next release besides just these tools.
Now, maybe a few of them can be added⌠I donât know whatâs easy to implement and whatâs notâŚ
âMitch
With the state of the art I think that many people would pay more for a special rhino version that integrates more advanced tools than the once we have now, just to keep the original focus of being one of the best programs for modeling.
Nag nag
It has to be said that VSR in addition to their own Rhino based plug-ins where already developing for Alias before being bought by Autodesk.
And for what itâs worth, VSR told me they are planning to keep their 1 year update cycle.
Letâs see how this is going to unfold in the coming years.
Norbert
Hi
What functionality does VSR have that Alias doesnât already offer?
Sach
The price tag? 
That it runs in Rhino?
nag nag
Doesnât Alias already have the same kind of tools? Doesnât acquiring Shape give them access to resources that they already have?
Sach
As I understand it VSR are using different algorythms for their tools, so the real benefit for Autodesk might be âunder the hoodâ.
And I might be wrong, but I donât think that Alias has anything comparable to VSRs multi-blend function.
Norbert
Basically you can divide (desperatly needed) Rhino Class A - Tools into
a) Surface Analysis and
b) Surface Creation.
a) The native analysis tools are quite weak compared to VSR and/or Icemsurf.
One example: You are not able to do the zebra with a fixed light direction (or can me explain somebody how to?). How can you really rate the quality of a shape if the stripes are changing if you change your viewpoint. I guess for a good rhino programmer this are just some clicks.
b) Surface Creation: Class-A Surfacing is in later stages more about controlling 0.01 mm than creating very fast a whole design of a product. Thats the reason because the automotive industry still sticks to Icemsurf and single span modelling. They give you lots of control and are simple to adjust.
Basically (unweighted ?) Nurbs contain Single spans. So again, it should be quite simple using the Rhino potentials to add lots of tools.
Another example: Single span (Bezier) curves and surfaces can be mathematically extrapolated without any change of the old surface area. I never found a tool in rhino to do it. Rhino messes a surface up if you try to extend it, even a straight line. Recently I did a little programming in python for exactly this. What can a specialist do, if I am able to to do this as absolute python newbie whithin a couple of hours?
How about nudge keys as seperate flyout if you try to move control points and you want to change the step on the fly. Rhino does this via the system settings LOL.
Lots of this is adressed by the VSR Guys. Thank you yery much! Now rhino can be used for Class A Surfacing. Actually I completly agree that they might be forced to lose their focus on Rhino. Thats a pitty.
Where is the group to get into that?
Also a Norbert (fishermans).
2 Likes
**nudge