Rhino3d and DELFTShip

[Ian Scales]

I have not had time to explore the limits of IGES export to Rhino3D in view of what Marven has said about IGES requirement of 4-sided control nets. I would point out though that even the default hull surface in DS, that is generated for a ‘New’ project, will be found to have split into two surfaces when imported to Rhino via IGES. Since that is about the simplest hull surface you could get in DS, that doesn’t bode well for IGES as a satisfactory file export medium. And as noted earlier, the other DS export options either produce a hard mesh that can’t be easily edited, or 2D curves that when lofted result in a much different surface from that originally made in DS.

Export as 3DM (Rhino format) would probably solve these problems. Until – if ever – DS has this option, none of the advantages of Rhino can be used. These include Rhino’s relatively low cost, strong forum support, wide capability, large range of aftermarket products including CAM and high-end rendering, all of which result in Rhino’s huge popularity. That DS is locked out of this wider world by lack of inclusion of 3DM is a great pity, since DS has very powerful features – indeed it seems to be even better than Orca3D in many respects.

So how about it Marven – the need for 3DM export has come up time and again over recent years in various forums. Nothing has happened. Does this mean that DS development is unlikely to ever include Rhino support? If so, then I would like to know; because then I should drop DelftShip, buy Orca3D and move on. If models made in DS can’t be migrated, its really not worthwhile persisting with it. As I say, that would be a pity but unfortunately that’s the reality.

What I don’t understand though, is why this relatively simple enhancement – 3DM export – can’t be incorporated, no doubt to the profit of the DS developers: DS sales would surely increase quite dramatically. So what’s the problem? Is it technical? Animosity-related? No time? Or what?