In order of merit:
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Support for all keyboard shortcut combinations with both modifiers, symbols and all other keys
(shift + arrow keys, alt + `, alt + shift f1-12, alt + , ctrl + numpad 5, shift s, to name a few non-useable combinations in its current state). This increases useability of shortcuts, which Rhino is in dire need of to be able to function well with Sub-D workflows established elsewhere. It is pure user convenience, priority uno. -
Modal transforms for subd and Nurbs CV manipulation:
I would follow Blender’s example where single hotkeys (without spacebar to confirm an action) do the trick for Sub-d. The advantage is in reducing input and thereby saving time. Moreover, you can intuitively affect geometry with shortcuts inside commands. In Blender, you can change a bevel width or the number of segments by typing “s” or “w”, whereas “w” can also be used to execute the move command outside of any local command environment (modal environment), such as the bevel command. -
This would also be beneficial to a dedicated Nurbs CV manipulation, Alias has a dedicated edit CV tool and Rhino should too (with handles and modal hotkeys).
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While I never used VSR, I did test Alias, their inspection tools are not even miles ahead, they are outside the solar system compared to Rhino. Please add Lighttunnel and isoangle diagnostic shading, dynamic surface to surface and curve to surface measurement analysis in addition to improving upon the continuity checks (that work in similar fashion to the aforementioned surface/ curve to surface analysis in terms of UI).
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There should be a cross-sections option for meshes, that helps in rebuilding scans by aligning surface hulls to the cross-sections. You should be able to specify the number of section lines to display. Yes, you can project curves to do the same thing, but that’s additional manual labour, it should be a display tool too.
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Zebra analysis on a per object base to build a surface on top of a mesh (scan). That way, surface flows of a mesh and of a surface can be compared. This also applies to building traditional surfacing based off a Sub-d conceot model to gain accuracy.
At the very least the devs should go over these Alias tutorials and copy whatever is not patented or otherwise prohibited from porting into Rhino. Have someone follow along these using Rhino, note the differences in workflow and especially note where things are lacking. If it cannot be achieved similarly, it’s just not good enough in Rhino. And no skipping over Alias tools that can be created using custom scripts or with a multiple step workaround either.
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Ease of history editing, there should be a single tool to edit and access every object’s history, regardless of which tool created the object (fillet/ blend surface or sweeps). There should be no need to use the same command and to type-in the history edit option to edit history. Not only does this require one to remember the tool that created the history, but it’s also a two-step process, which takes time.
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Parametric constraints to constrain geometry: being able to create relations between curves to be curvature continuous, perpendicular, parallel, coincident at a point, etc. like the major parametric softwares do allow for quick edits to geometry. Dimension the geometry, apply parameters on the fly, this kind of stuff.
Rhino is losing out in this regard due to reliance on manual edits rather than having the computer do the work for you by just changing a few parameters. Grasshopper is nice, but limited, complex surfacing requires many geometric relations that will break easily if the curves are flipped it’s much easier to directly pick the relationships than to script them in. Also, when done correctly, they won’t break. -
Dynamic blocks that can be constrained to other geometry (like point 8), Grasshopper + Dynamic blocks is the best of both worlds.
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A display distinction between U and V hulls on surfaces: whether it’s a change of colour between the two or a dotted line vs a solid line, this helps telling the direction you need to move CV’s in.
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Node material trees, mostly to enable a closer 3rd party renderer integration and procedural shader workflows. That way you can, in the ideal world, use the same shader setup in Vray for 3ds Max and for Rhino or for Cycles in Blender and Rhino. This also requires Material X integration, OSL and perhaps some USD (Universal Scene Description).
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The UI is very old fashioned, darkmode and cleaner icons would be nice like Autodesk or Siemens have, heck even Dassault is improving on the matter now.
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As for drawings, Rhino is years behind on the competition. Is it fair to assume most people export the files over to do documentation elsewhere? Anyways, documentation should be tackled in Revit’s system of live updating views by drawing where a sectional cut, elevation level or 3D view is, it’ll create the 2D views for you in a separate browser. But I wouldn’t want to see any documentation changes as those would redirect resources from Rhino’s core development. Unless there are low hanging fruits so to say.
Imho Rhino should focus on its surface modelling core, that’s what it is used for most (my impression). Both in architecture ans industrial design. Grasshopper is the second or main selling point as it is capable of leveraging the strong OpenNurbs foundation of Rhino. But compared to parametric modeling tools in MCAD Rhino is tediously slow with a lack of a full history compliancy and a lack of constraints. In the mantra time is money, that’s hard to justify. It would be a good user selling point to have automation (of modeling) as main target. The easier and quicker the software the more likely people will prefer using it over the competition.
At the same time, high-end surfacing (class A, to drop the buzzword) it lacks inspection, modeling and precise Nurbs editing as well as the sometimes higher CV count compared to competitors. Nevertheless, for high-end surfacing, it’s mostly a shortcoming of tools to automate workflows to be able to use more history capable tools, to crown surfaces, to inspect them more easily. So please address these weaknesses for Rhino to strengthen Rhino’s core or it’ll be the swiss army knife with blunt knives and tools (i.e. a jack of most trades and master of none).