Plugin Compatibility Across All Rhino 8 Versions

Grasshopper Developer
1

Hi everyone,

My plugin is compiled against Rhino 8 version 8.18.25100.11001, it means that users running earlier versions of Rhino 8 are unable to load the plugin.

I’d like to ensure maximum compatibility across all Rhino 8 versions (from 8.0 onward). Could anyone advise on:

  • Best practices for targeting broader Rhino 8 compatibility?

  • Whether I should recompile against an earlier Rhino 8 SDK version?

  • Any specific version McNeel recommends for plugin developers to use as a base?

Appreciate any insights or tips from the McNeel team and fellow developers. Thank you in advance!

2

Why?

Newer service releases of Rhino contain critical fixes that users should have. You should encourage users to upgrade by targeting later Rhino SRs, in my opinion.

– Dale

3

Thank you, @dale — I completely agree with your point. Encouraging users to stay updated with the latest service releases definitely makes sense, especially with the stability and critical fixes they bring.

My intention with the question was just to explore whether there are any recommended approaches or workarounds for broader compatibility — in case some users are temporarily on older Rhino 8 builds.

4
  1. For only Rhino8, you can compile it against the 8.0.xxx nuget package. This will support all Rhino 8. This is enough for Rhino 8 across all platform if your plugin doesn’t contain c++ code.
  2. If you also need Rhino 7 support, then you should do multi-target .sln file, as Rhino7 use .NET Framework rather than .NET Core.