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).