@Gijs Please don’t do it: using the Zebra analysis while the Patch command is active is really useful.
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Sure, that has to stay, and that is no problem, these tools work already with other commands being run. I’m merely talking about trading creating new constraints for space/enter. Even after quite a bit of use, I’m still finding myself hitting Enter to complete.
In this example on the left side, I get the Untrimmed option.
On the right side, there are 4 edges as well, but the Untrimmed option isn’t available.
Why?
2025-07-31_PatchUntrimmed.3dm (1.3 MB)
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Those edges are tangent continuous, so get combined into one edge. This should be tuned up, I made a ticket for that. RH-88678
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degenerated corners / 180 degree corners are not considered as best practice in nurbs modelling. They will case problems for further modelling steps. (offsets, shelling, fillets…)
I think the current behaviour is correct and the best solution in most cases.
patch should address lazy users and exactly provide this kind of robust solutions.
@Charles
why do you need a untrimmed surface here ?
@menno
if you want to offer a nice feature, allow starting surfaces with the option to keep edges.
This would allow a solution for above, very special wish, but will be useful in other cases as well.
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Don’t need it, I explore the tool only.
I wanted to say that this new patch command is useful for reverse engineering too.
The option to pick edges from meshes as inputs is super powerful.
As an example, I wanted to find the part line of an stl made with zbrush, and I though that the new patch may work, and it did!
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To test the new Patch in my workflow I need the Start surface options fromt the old Patch. I believe they are on the list to be added, and hope they will be added in time for me to evaluate the new Patch before it’s design is frozen.
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Which option do you need specifically? “Delete input” can be added with minimal effort, and preserve edges is on the list. Surface pull, however, is not something that we intend to add to the new Patch.
@menno Preserve edges is essential for me.
Delete input is very desirable but not essential.
Surface pull is not needed.
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Got it. The existing ticket for preserve-edges is RH-87232.
I hope that by the release of the new version of Rhino (Rhino 9), developers will pay more attention to two fundamental commands for NURBS modeling (let’s leave fillets aside for a moment): “Blend Surface” and “Match Surface.”
These two commands have remained virtually unchanged for several versions of Rhino; little evolution. Even the respective parametric CAD commands do better!
Fill Surface (i.e., the new patch implemented in Rhino 9 Wip) is a welcome tool, but without the two commands mentioned above, it makes little sense for robust, 360-degree surface modeling.
User Bobi has provided excellent suggestions about these two tools over time. Are you developers listening to what he’s saying?
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As mentioned elsewhere, I’ve done the investigation for MatchSrf a while back, the list is long, see more info in this thread (WIP) matchSrf Wishes
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Or, you can assign a command to toggle the selection highlight when needed. This alone makes transformations of dense 3d scan data much, much easier.
Tooltip:
Toggle selection highlight
Command:
!_HighlightToggle T=Yes
Previous settings from previous use of Patch should be retained.
Patch should start with Preview off.
Generating a surface should not start automatically until the user has had an opportunity to turn off “Preview” if desired.
Currently everytime Patch is started it has the default settings including Preview on and Refine on. For complex input this can result in the user needed to wait 30 seconds or more for a refined, preview surface to be calculated before they the opportunity to turn off Preview and Refine, adjust tolerances, etc.
New Patch does not work with only points as input. Eventually it either fails with a message “No edges defined or edge count not equal to number of edge continuities or number of edge intervals”, or if a large number of points are selected as input it effectively locks up Rhino.
In contrast old version of Patch (PatchOld in V9 WIP) works well with points only input, including with over a half million points as input.
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To start, I’m loving this feature and command and consider it in my top 10 rhino tools.
One thing I would LOVE would be additional options/ constraints/ biases/ ect. that would help this command to create developable (or nearly developable) surfaces.
I feel like combining the projected and molded planes from this command, with attributes I’m used to using in commands like sweep2rails and devloft would be great!
This should be fixed in current WIP as well, settings are saved when the dialog is closed with OK
A while back, I posted my wish list here as a surface modeler on the forum, but unfortunately, it mostly drew some negative comments for some users…
I’m really excited about this feature for Rhino 9. it might be good enough to ask for a license at work to try it out. (Only few people in my organization (automotive) have Rhino access, and we only use it for Grasshopper) The patch tool looks easy to use and continuity looks okey, but were I work in transportation design. The clients we have need strict Class-A quality: single-span surfaces, max 5 CVs. For that reason I still rely on other sofware.
In my workflow I only have the need to patch up to 4 edges using single span and max 5 or 6 cvs and that is enough for building any product and complex surfacing and I find it easier to archive the quality I need. Rhino’s patch looks like creates larger surfaces with spans aligned to edges and then trimmed (correct me if I’m wrong), which might be okey in my specific industry for sketch modeling or concept but not for further product development. What I’d love is a square-style tool like in Alias, ICEM, NX, Plasticity, even there is a Blender plugging trying to create a set of tools for this kind of hard surfacing work surfacepsycho. What I really need is a tool that can create surfaces with natural edges where I can change the number of CVs, align edges with the continuity I want giving me the option to choose number of spans, cvs in a easy and efficient way… I know that the patch tool will patch the example of the gift without issues look visually very similar, or using the _FilletSrfCrv but what is needed on my industry is archiving the same workflow and surface topology in a simple way.. I know is niche specific but would be great and I’m sure appreciated by many users and other industries.
Maybe it’s possible already and I just don’t know, since I only use Rhino very casually. I added a GIF to show how it works on Alias. Having this in Rhino would be amazing.
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