Rhino WIP Feature: Inset Group Mode

Serengeti (Rhino WIP)
1

Hi all,

In the Rhino WIP, we’ve added a Group Mode option to the Inset command when selecting polysurfaces.

What is the Inset Group mode?

After selecting a polysurface, the faces which share an edge are grouped together. The outside boundary of the group is then offset along the surface and used the split the polysurface.

This is different than in Rhino 8, were each face could only get its own closed boundary, unaware of the neighbouring face’s boundary (Single Mode). Rhino WIP offers both options: Mode=Single | Mode=Group

inset-group-single
inset-group-single1920×1080 272 KB

Why is this useful?

This is great for adding details onto products / projects where indents and protrusions span across faces.

It pairs well with the PushPull Multiface Support.

It saves time as you would otherwise have to manually create a common boundary for multiple surfaces.

Try it!

inset-pushpull-multiface

  1. Download inset-multiface.3dm (2.3 MB).
  2. Open it in Rhino WIP.
  3. Run the Inset command.
  4. Set the distance to 5.
  5. Select the Mode option so it reads: Mode=Group.
  6. Press Enter to end the command. The faces are inseted as a single boundary!
  7. Run the PushPull command.
  8. Select the inset faces.
  9. Extrude inward to a desired distance.

Let us know what you think!

Download Rhino WIP…

26 Likes
Rhino WIP Features
2

Inset Group Mode is an excellent feature. Could the API for this command in RhinoCommon also be updated to include abool (Group) option?(in Rhino Wip)


public Brep InsetFaces(
    IEnumerable<int> faceIndices,
    double distance,
    bool loose,
    bool ignoreSeams,
    bool creaseCorners,
    double tolerance,
    double angleTolerance
)

Reference:
https://developer.rhino3d.com/api/rhinocommon/rhino.geometry.brep/insetfaces

1 Like
3

Great enhancement!

I wonder why the large arc surface at the back didn’t resulted into a similarly clean output offset surface. It looks like the output consists multiple unwanted spans across the entire length, even though an offset surface of this kind should retain the original simple structure (degree 2).

Also, any option for a bevel to be combined with the offset? About two decades ago 3ds Max 4 had a very useful tool for adding both, an inset and bevel simultaneously. The default setting was 45 degrees. That combination is quite popular in the classic architecture, kitchen furniture, product design, mechanical components etc.

Perhaps it could be combined with that new fillet type implemented in Rhino 8, but making it an optional type inside the “Inset group” tool. I forgot the name of the command, but it used a surface edge as a rail for the fillet.

Inset-Bevel.3dm (783.2 KB)

Inset-Bevel 1
Inset-Bevel 11920×1080 68.2 KB

2 Likes
4

I wish the inner vertical semicircle had the same amount of isocurves as the outer one.

btw: great addition

1 Like
5

Yep, I opened RH-90608.

6

I will look into this and see what’s going on. The way these offset curves are generated isn’t as straightforward like a normal offset in a plane.

7

Most likely the new technique uses curve offset on surface instead of proper surface offset?

Just wondering how the new Inset group will look on this model then…
Inset-Bevel.3dm (1.2 MB)

8

What is a proper surface offset to you and what do you think OffsetCrvOnSrf does that is incorrect?

9

What amazing example!

:rofl:

Jokes a part, I’m really happy to see this happening.

Thanks!

1 Like
10

Ideally, the inset of that large arc surface edge at the back side should result into a proper offset arc curve with degree 2. Just like the input geometry. Once that is achieved, the subsequent extrusion of the inset surfaces (PushPull) should consist only arc extrusions in this particular example (your 3d model).

My last model is made to push your new Inset tool a bit harder, thus help you make it more consistent in the future.

11

Hi @Joshua_Kennedy,

I have trouble with the option _ThroughPoint, when selecting more faces. Only one face shows the interactive cursor movement. This is hard to find, and understand.

Can you make all faces _ThroughPoint interactive?

Thanks

Michael

12

MULTIGUMBALL, is it in the near future?

13

Yes. This is the ongoing problem with all direct editing tools in Rhino, including push-pull.

Elegant user interaction, fast and unequivocal in intent and input are awesome, unfortunately it almost always generates not-usable geometry on degree 2 surfaces. Even some planar degree 1 edits also get surfaces completely trashed.

For now all these workflows show a beautiful feature that’s a present-time impossibility given how unreliable and low quality the output topology is.

I hope this is taken more seriously. We have provided many examples of direct editing tools failures and they have not been addressed yet AFAIK.

G

2 Likes
14

Sorry about that. I totally forgot the ThroughPoint mode when doing the group option. I opened RH-90755 to get it fixed.

2 Likes
15

I’m doing something wrong when fitting the offset curves. I’ll get that tuned up. Gijs was nice enough to open RH-91165.

2 Likes