User interface: extremely fast 3-D graphics, unlimited viewports,
shaded, working views, perspective working views, coordinate read-out,
named views, floating/dockable command area,
pop-up recently-used commands, clickable
command options, auto-complete
command line, customizable pop-up commands,
pop-up layer manager,
synchronize views, camera-based view manipulation, perspective match
image, configurable middle mouse button, customizable icons and user
workspace, customizable pop-up toolbar,
transparent toolbars, context sensitive right-click menu,
dockable dialogs,
multiple monitor support, Alt key
copy and OpenGL hardware support with
anti-aliasing.
User support and documentation:
localized interface (user selectable) and documentation (English,
Spanish, French German, Italian, Czech, and Japanese with Chinese, and
Korean available later in 2003), extensive Explorer-like
online help, a 500-page manual, electronic updates,
automatic service release availability notification,
newsgroup support (24x7), telephone support, and e-mail support.
Construction aids: unlimited undo and redo, undo and redo
multiple, exact numeric input, units including feet and inches and
fractions, .x, .y, .z point filters, object snaps with identifying tag,
grid snaps, ortho, planar, named construction planes, next and previous
construction planes, orient construction plane on curve, layers, layer
filtering, groups, background bitmaps, object hide/show, show selected
objects, select by layer, select front most,
color, object type, last object, and previous selection set, swap hidden
objects, object lock/unlock, unlock selected objects, control and edit
points on/off, and points off for selected objects.
Create curves: point, line, polyline, polyline on mesh,
free-form curve, circle, arc, ellipse, rectangle, polygon, helix, spiral,
conic, TrueType text, point interpolation, control points (vertices),
sketch.
Create curves from other objects:
through points, through
polyline, extend, fillet, chamfer, offset, blend, from 2
views, cross section profiles, intersection, contour on NURBS surface or
mesh, section on NURBS surface or mesh, border, silhouette, extract
isoparm, projection, pullback, sketch, wireframe, detach trim, 2-D
drawings with dimensions and text, flatten developable surfaces, extract
points.
Edit curves: control points, edit points, handlebars, smooth,
fair, change degree, add/remove knots, add kinks, rebuild, refit, match,
simplify, change weight, make periodic, adjust end bulge, adjust seam,
orient to edge, convert to arcs, a ployline,
or line segments.
Create surfaces: from 3 or 4 points, from 3 or 4 curves, from
planar curves, from network of curves, rectangle, deformable plane,
extrude, ribbon, rule, loft with tangency matching, developable, sweep
along a path with edge matching, sweep along two rail curves with edge
continuity, revolve, rail revolve, blend, patch, drape, point grid,
heightfield, fillet, chamfer, offset, plane through points, TrueType and
Unicode (double-byte) text.
Edit surfaces: control points, handlebars, change degree,
add/remove knots, match, extend, merge, join, untrim, split surface by
isoparms, rebuild, shrink, make periodic, Boolean (union, difference,
intersection), unroll developable surfaces, array along curve on surface.
Create solids: box, sphere, cylinder, tube, pipe, cone,
truncated cone, ellipsoid, torus, extrude planar curve, extrude surface,
cap planar holes, join surfaces, TrueType text.
Edit solids: fillet edges, extract surface, Booleans (union,
difference, intersection).
Create meshes: from NURBS surfaces, from closed polyline, mesh
face, plane, box, cylinder, cone, and sphere.
Edit meshes: explode, join, weld, unify normals, apply to
surface, reduce polygons.
Edit tools: cut, copy, paste, delete, delete duplicates, move,
rotate, mirror, scale, stretch, align, array, join, trim, split, explode,
extend, fillet, chamfer, offset, twist, bend, taper, shear, orient, orient
planar object on curve, flow along curve, smooth, project, object
properties.
Annotation: arrows, dots, dimensions (horizontal, vertical,
aligned, rotated, radial, diameter, angle), text blocks, leaders, hidden
line removal, Unicode (double-byte) support for text, dimensions, and
notes. Dimensions in perspective views are
supported.
Analysis: point, length, distance, angle, radius, bounding box,
normal direction, area, area centroid, area moments, volume, volume
centroid, volume moments, , hydrostatics, surface curvature, geometric
continuity, deviation, nearest point, curvature graph on curves and
surfaces, naked edges, working surface
analysis viewport modes (draft angle, zebra stripe,
environment map with surface color blend, show
edges, show naked edges, Gaussian curvature, mean curvature,
and minimum or maximum radius of curvature).
Rendering: shade, shade (OpenGL), shade selected objects,
raytrace render (with textures,
bumps, highlights, transparency, spotlights with hotspot, angle and
direction control, point lights, directional lights,
rectangular lights, linear lights,
and shadows, and customizable resolution), render preview (OpenGL), render
preview selected objects, turntable, RIB export, POV export, rendering
plug-in support, settings saved in file.
File formats supported: DWG/DXF(AutoCAD 200x, 14, 13, and 12 ),
SAT (ACIS), X_T (Parasolid), 3DS, LWO, STL, OBJ, AI, RIB, POV, UDO, VRML,
BMP, TGA, JPG, CSV (export properties and hydrostatics), uncompressed
TIFF, STEP, VDA, GHS, SLC, Deep Paint 3D.
IGES (Alias, Ashlar Vellum, AutoFORM, AutoShip, Breault, CADCEUS,
CAMSoft, CATIA, Cosmos, Delcam, EdgeCAM, FastSurf, FastSHIP, Integrity
Ware, IronCAD, LUSAS, Maya, MAX 3.0, MasterCAM, ME30, Mechanical
Desktop, Microstation, NuGraf, OptiCAD, Pro/E, SDRC I-DEAS, Softimage,
Solid Edge, SolidWorks, SUM3D, SURFCAM, TeKSoft, Unigraphics), NASA
GridTool, Yamaha ESPRi, Tebis.
File management: Notes, templates, merge files, export selected
objects, save small, incremental save, bitmap file preview, Rhino file
preview, export with origin point,
worksessions, blocks,
file compression for meshes and preview image,
send file via e-mail.
Workgroup License Manager
Plug-ins: The Rhino SDK
exposes most of the internal
workings of Rhino, making it possible for third-party developers to create
powerful plug-ins and add-ons, programmer's I/O tool kit with
source code is available on openNURBS web site.
Scripting: VBScript support
exposes most of the internal workings of
Rhino, making it possible to develop powerful scripts.
The RhinoScript ActiveX object can be
accessed by many different programming languages including Visual Basic,
Microsoft Word VBA, and Excel VBA.
Rhino can be run in the background by an
application via the RhinoScript ActiveX object.
3-D digitizing support:
MicroScribe, FaroArm, and Romer/Cimcore
Input devices: Support for SpaceBall and SpaceMouse.