Editing complex models is faster and easier with hundreds of new and enhanced commands including:

• Direct sub‑object manipulation
• Thin‑wall shelling
• History support for more commands
• Dozens of new and enhanced commands

Direct selection of sub‑objects for editing is one of the most important new Rhino 5 features. Polysurface faces and edges and surface edges can now be selected directly when using the transform, copy, and extrusion commands or the new Gumball manipulator widget.

It is now much easier to create thin‑wall models for molded and cast objects.

• Shell - Creates a hollowed-out shell from a solid. It only operates on solid, manifold polysurfaces. Selected polysurface faces are removed, the remaining faces are offset inward, and the inner and outer parts are joined.
• OffsetSrf - works on polysurfaces and solids. Options for round or sharp corners.

History was added to these commands.

• Curve commands: ArcBlend, Crv2View, CSec, CurveThroughPolyline, CurveThroughPt, Helix (ArroundCurve option), Offset, ProjectToCPlane, Pull, Spiral (AroundCurve option), TweenCurves
• Surface commands: OffsetSrf, Patch, Pipe, PlanarSrf, Ribbon, Slab, Sweep1, Sweep2, TweenSurfaces
• Transform commands: ArrayCrv, ArrayCrvOnSrf, ArrayLinear, ArraySrf
• Transform commands (Copy=Yes): Bend, Oreint, OreintCrvToEdge, OrientOnSrf, RemapCPlane, SetPt. Stretch, Taper, Twist
• Annotation commands: Dim, DimAligned, DimAngle, DimArea, DimCurveLength, DimDiameter, DimOrdinate, DimRadius, DimRotated, Hatch

New prefixes for turning history on and off.

• Type # (hash/pound) before a command name to enable history recording.
• Type % (percent) to turn it off.

New

• ArrayLinear - Arrays, or uniformly copies, objects in a single direction.
• BoxEdit - Controls in a tabbed dialog size, scale, position, and rotate objects based on their bounding boxes.
• Gumball - An interface widget allows interactive object editing including moving, rotating, scaling, and extruding objects or sub-objects.
• MirrorHole - Mirrors holes on a single face.
• ScaleByPlane - A non-uniform two-directional scaling operation. Options: Copy (similar to the other Scale commands), and construction plane selection.
• Smash - Flattens a surface without restriction to single-directional curvature.
  • Makes an approximate 2‑D development of surfaces that have compound curvature.
  • This command can be used to deal with fabrics that have a certain amount of flexibility and stretch.
  • The Smash command is a modified version of the UnrollSrf command. With UnrollSrf, the surface has to be linear in one direction to unroll, and with the Smash command it does not.
  • Since it is not possible to flatten a double-curved object (like a half a coconut shell) to get a paper pattern, the answer is always inaccurate to some degree. This command is useful if the object you are flattening is not extremely curved and you want to make the pattern out of a stretchy material like rubber.
• Squish - Flattens a non-developable (curved in two directions) 3‑D mesh or NURBS surface into a flat 2‑D pattern.
  • The Squish command displays statistics about the amount of compression or stretch.
  • Squish can also mark areas of compression or stretching. Text dots mark the locations with the most dramatic deformation with the percentage of change.
• SquishBack - Returns curves and surfaces to the original squished 3-D shape.
• SquishInfo - Provides information about the settings used to squish the object.

Enhancements

• Align
  • A new VertCenter option aligns objects vertically by the center of their bounding boxes.
  • A new Concentric option aligns both horizontal and vertical centers.
  • A new AutoAlign option uses the overall bounding box of all selected objects.
• Array - A new Preview option.
• ArrayPolar
  • A new Preview option.
  • A new Rotate option specifies whether or not the object is rotated as it is arrayed.
  • A new ZOffset command-line option controls the amount of z-axis offset each transformation is given.
• Block - All deformation commands (Flow, FlowAlongSrf, Bend, Taper, Twist, Stretch, OrientOnSrf) now support block instances.
• Drag + Alt key
  • If not already dragging an object and object snaps are not active, press Alt to force a window selection.
  • If object snaps are active before or while dragging, press Alt to disable object snaps.
  • While dragging an object, tap Alt to toggle Copy mode.
• Mirror - New XAxis and YAxis options mirror around construction plane axes.
• MoveUVN - New Along (control polygon) extensions mode. Control points will move along the imaginary extensions of the control polygon.
• Nudge - Now works with mesh and polysurface sub-objects.
• OrientCrvToEdge - New FlipSurface and ReverseCurve options change the direction of the curve being oriented. The two options provide four combinations.
• OrientOnSrf - New IgnoreTrims option.
• Project and Pull
  • A new Loose option projects a curve's edit points and builds the projected curve with the same edit point structure as the original.
  • New OutputLayer option.
• Shear - Now works with mesh and polysurface subobjects.
• SoftEditCrv - Work flow enhanced.
• SoftMove - New MoveNormal option moves the grip points normal to the surface. The interface for control points has been improved.
• Stretch - New Length option allows input of a single number.

• ConvertExtrusion - Converts extrusion objects into polysurfaces and surfaces.
• MakeUniformUV - Allows choosing the surface direction to make uniform.
• MatchCrvDir - Matches the direction of selected curves to a specified curve.
• MatchProperties - Match the object, material, and texture properties of one or more objects to a source object.
• MergeAllEdges - Merges all qualified edges of a surface or polysurface.
• ModifyRadius - Changes the radius of existing arcs and circles.
• NonmanifoldMerge - Creates a non-manifold polysurface from intersecting surfaces and polysurfaces.
• RebuildUV - Rebuilds a surface in one direction with a Toggle option, and Type=Normal/Loose/Tight/Straight/Uniform option similar to Loft.
• SolidPtOn - Turns on editing grips at the ends of surfaces and joined polysurface edges, including closed solids.
• SetSurfaceTangent - Sets an untrimmed and unjoined surface tangent direction to a specified direction.
• UnjoinEdge - Unjoins selected polysurface edges.
• UntrimAll - Untrims all trimming curves on an object in one operation, including both edges and holes.
• UntrimBorder - Untrims the exterior border leaving holes trimmed.
• UntrimHoles - Untrims interior holes leaving exterior borders trimmed.

• BlendEdge
  • New Chain edge selection option.
  • The method used to calculate the DistFromEdge option has been improved.
  • New PreviousEdgeSelection option restarts with previous edges selected.
  • New SelectEdges option allows more edges to be selected at the Select blend handle to edit prompt. Blend radius values are also remembered.
  • New ShowRadius option turns the radius display on and off during edge picking.
• BooleanSplit - New DeleteInput option.
• ChamferEdge
  • New Chain option allows chain selecting edges.
  • The method used to calculate the DistFromEdge option has been improved.
  • New PreviousEdgeSelection option restarts with previous edges selected.
  • New SelectEdges option allows more edges to be selected at the Select chamfer handle to edit prompt. Chamfer radius values are also remembered.
  • New ShowChamferDistance option turns the radius display on and off during edge picking.
• ChangeDegree - New u- and v‑direction indicators.
• Convert - New MinLength and MaxLength options control segment lengths when Output=Lines.
• Delete - Edit Points can now be deleted.
• Divide - New Split option.
• DivideAlongCreases - New SplitAtTangents option.
• Extend
  • Typing a negative number now shortens the curve.
  • The boundary object can now be pre-selected.
• ExtendCrvOnSrf - Now supports selecting multiple curves.
• ExtendSrf - Now works on trimmed surfaces.
• ExtractSubCrv - New Copy and Join (for the output) options.
• Fillet - if the input is joined, then the output is joined
• FilletEdge
  • New PreviousEdgeSelection option.
  • The new TrimAndJoin option makes trimming and joining the fillet to the original object optional.
  • The Preview option is now Preview=Yes/No toggle.
  • New Chain option allows chain selecting edges.
  • New ShowRadius option turns the radius display on and off during edge picking.
  • New SelectEdges option allows more edges to be selected at the Select fillet handle to edit prompt. Fillet radius values are also remembered.
• FitSrf - New u- and v-direction indicators.
• HBar - New FixedHandleLength option.
• InsertKink - Now works on surfaces.
• Match - A new Perpendicular to edge option that maintains the original curve end direction if possible.
• MatchSrf
  • New Preserve other end option allows Position, Tangency, and Curvature maintenance for the other end of the surface. This prevents adding unnecessary complexity to the matched surfaces.
  • New Refine Match Distance, Tangency, and Curvature parameters have been added.
• Rebuild - New u- and v-direction indicators.
• RemoveKnot - New Undo option.
• RemoveMultiKnot - Now works on surfaces.
• RoundHole - New SrfNormal, CPlaneNormal, and Pick direction options.
• Smooth - A new FixBoundaries option keeps edges and endpoints from being included.
• SoftEditSrf - New DirConstraint option.
• Split - New Shrink option shrinks the split surfaces.
• SubCrv - New Copy option.
• VariableBlendSrf
  • New FromCurve and FromTwoPoints options are available when editing handle radius.
  • The status bar shows the edge radius, also when editing the handle radius.
  • The handle shows the radius preview.
• VariableChamferSrf
  • New FromCurve and FromTwoPoints options are available when editing handle radius.
  • The status bar shows the edge radius, also when editing the handle radius.
  • The handle shows the radius preview.
• WireCut - New BothSides, DeleteInput, Line, and Invert options.