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Rhino

Score9 out of 10

50 Reviews and Ratings

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What is Rhino?

Robert McNeel and Associates headquartered in Seattle offers Rhinoceros 3D (or Rhino 3D), a 3D modeling and design application. Rhino can create, edit, analyze, document, render, animate, and translate NURBS curves, surfaces and solids, subdivision geometry (SubD), point clouds, and polygon meshes.

Categories & Use Cases

Key Features

Learn about the best (and worst!) features Rhino has to offer, as determined by TrustRadius' reviewers.
Based on 50 ratings of Rhino's features
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Top Performing Features

  • 3D Modeling

    Allows users to create and manipulate 3D objects with precise measurements and control.

    Category average: 8.1

  • Assembly Design

    Enables users to create and manage assemblies of multiple components, including the ability to define relationships and constraints between parts.

    Category average: 7.2

  • Compatibility with other software and formats

    Allows users to import and export designs in various file formats, ensuring compatibility with other software and stakeholder requirements.

    Category average: 7.4

Areas for Improvement

  • Collaboration and Sharing

    Provides tools for sharing and collaborating on designs with others in real-time, including the ability to track changes and manage design revisions.

    Category average: 6.4

  • Simulation and Analysis

    Provides tools for simulating physical properties and behaviors of designs, allowing users to test and optimize their designs before production.

    Category average: 5.9

  • Documentation and Annotation

    Allows users to create detailed technical drawings, including the ability to add dimensions, annotations, and symbols.

    Category average: 6.8

Reviews

What users are saying about Rhino.
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Great for designers

Incentivized
Verified User
Engineer in Research & Development (201-500 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Rhino 3D is used in my team as a way to produce first visualizations of design models. I allows to have a firt preview of the shape of the design, as well as the proportions and the fit of the different elements. It can also be used as a way to quickly model an object with a 3d printer.

Pros

  • shapes
  • tools to design
  • export

Cons

  • quick rendering
  • creating smooth surfaces
  • handle of common errors

Return on Investment

  • communication of shapes
  • realistic analysis

Other Software Used

Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe InDesign, KeyShot

Flexible 3D modeller for a variety of use cases

Incentivized
Stefan BoeykensView profile
Guest Professor in Professional Services at KU Leuven (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Rhino or Rhinoceros 3D is a general-purpose CAD system, which is targeted mainly at freeform 3D modelling. It is specialised in NURBS modelling, but it also has toolsets for Mesh Modelling and (recently) Subdivision Modelling. It is not aimed at one particular domain but is widely used for architectural design, industrial design and specialised domains, such as shipbuilding and jewellery design.

Pros

  • Freeform modeling.
  • Parametric design.
  • Import and export to other 3D software.

Cons

  • For pure 2D CAD drafting, other software may be more optimised.
  • DWG support is decent, but drawings don't always display like they do in AutoCAD.
  • Very extensive parametric models really slow down the software.

Most Important Features

  • Grasshopper (visual programming).
  • Efficient and flexible CAD software that runs on macOS (as well as Windows).
  • Educational license never expires and allows commercial usage.

Return on Investment

  • I have been quite successful in developing two video courses on Udemy for Rhino and Grasshopper.
  • I frequently use it instead of AutoCAD or SketchUp.

Alternatives Considered

AutoCAD, SketchUp, ARCHICAD, Revit and Cinema 4D

Other Software Used

ARCHICAD, Revit, SketchUp

Rhinoceros 3D - An AEC software in a league of its own

Incentivized
Antoine Carpentier, E.I.TView profile
Structural Engineer in Engineering at Forefront Structural Engineers (11-50 employees employees)

Pros

  • Parametric modeling
  • Fully programmable
  • Lightweight models
  • Integration with other AEC software

Cons

  • Sharp learning curve
  • Not meant to create construction documents - need for another software

Most Important Features

  • grasshopper
  • Rhino.Inside.Revit
  • Parametric
  • Customisable/Programmable

Return on Investment

  • 2 hours saved per week and per model when comparing our structural Revit models to the weekly architectural Revit models we receive
  • Reduce by 90% the time needed to import elements from other AEC software
  • A LOT of sanity preserved, which is invaluable

Alternatives Considered

Revit

Other Software Used

Revit, Unreal Engine

Start your own Zoo!

Incentivized
Andrew Huss
Junior Architect in Professional Services at Hollis + Miller Architects (51-200 employees employees)

Pros

  • Parametric Modeling - Grasshopper allows for easy/rapid iterative process
  • White box renders display - looks great as a quick diagram export with no post-production required.
  • robust command prompts - rhino was originally made for industrial design and it flexes a lot of unique modeling commands that put it up there with SolidWorks

Cons

  • Sometimes large files become slow to save
  • while it can beat the crap out of Revit in modeling, for documentation it is not as streamlined.

Most Important Features

  • Grasshopper / Parametric Modeling
  • Rapid Iteration
  • Design Thinking vs. Documentation

Return on Investment

  • Personally a lot of really cool designs have made it into the real world thanks to my good friend Rhino. Being in the architecture, the ROI is elevated design through giving talented designers the right tool to pull it off.

Alternatives Considered

Revit, SketchUp, AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator CC

Other Software Used

Revit, Adobe PhotoShop, Bluebeam Revu, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Adobe Illustrator CC, Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint

Rhino3D, the best value in surface modeling

Incentivized
Bob HouseholderView profile
Director of Engineering in Engineering at Zemax, LLC (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

  • Rhino3D is a great translator. I use it to take in customer models and then add optical components to it in a detailed and precise way.
  • Rhino3D has excellent workflow from curves to surfaces making the translation from optical to mechanical seamless.
  • Rhino3D can be paired with Grasshopper to create interesting and unusual geometry for aesthetic or functional purposes.

Cons

  • Although Rhino3D is a great modeler, it is not natively 3D parametric. I would like to to see this added without a plug-in.
  • Rhino3D 6 has better native rendering but that could always use improvement.
  • I would like to see a built-in interface for my Ultimaker 3D printer.

Return on Investment

  • Right away Rhino3D is useful for simple and accurate 3D model import, repair and export all in a variety of formats.
  • Rhino3D is easy to use and learn. The time to productivity is very short with this modeling tool.
  • The price is low for the value received, a great investment.

Alternatives Considered

Onshape, SOLIDWORKS and PTC Creo

Other Software Used

Onshape