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IndustryArena Forum > CAD Software > Rhino 3D > Rhino 5 and meshes
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    600

    Rhino 5 and meshes

    Hi everyone,
    Here's a dumb question about meshes from someone who should know the answer but doesn't.

    I learnt Rhino 5 a couple of years ago as my first venture into 3D cad (previously used AutoCAD for 2.5D work) and since then I have mastered it quite well if I may say so including some very complex drawings. Everything I have ever done is in nurbs and have never done a thing using meshes because all my work will all have an engineering output of some kind (laser, router, mill, etc.).

    My understanding of meshes is that they are for situations where you require 3D graphic creations (eg: movie making & online gaming software creation) or just high quality renders. Meshes are created in a mesh based program (3ds Max, etc.) and some people may even decide they then want to manufacture it so they export it to say Rhino and convert to NURBs although I don't quite know why you wouldn't draw it directly in Rhino using NURBs in the first place as meshes are never accurate and are just approximations in 3D space. I'm not in the least bit interested in using meshes myself for the reasons explained above but I am curious why people use them in a program like Rhino as it seems many Rhino users do (half maybe?). And what situations would require one to purposely draw something in a mesh and then convert it to NURBs?
    I'm not knocking anyone that does this as it is probably just something that I don't understand.
    Thanks for your help.
    EDIT: whoops, I should have searched here first before posting as I just saw a Rhino post entitled "Why use meshes?" Anyway, I'd still like opinions from others.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    600

    Re: Rhino 5 and meshes

    Years ago,people doing 3D scans had to transfer their point cloud files to a mesh and then transfer that to NURBs but that is no longer the case as point cloud files can now bypass the mesh stage and be output as CAD files (eg: although expensive, Design-X does this) even though it is not an automatic process, it is very precise.

    As mentioned elsewhere, very organic shapes can be done with T-splines.

    I only mention the above as they are two situations where some might say that meshes must be used.

    About the only situation I can think of where someone would use a mesh program to manufacture something is for someone who wants to make something like a relatively detailed, free form sculpture or carving then machine it out of wood. It's art work so precision isn't important and looks are, and maybe it's faster to draw it in a mesh program than in NURBs. Don't know, just asking the question.

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