Beyond Rhino 5 - Special benefits of ownership
Overview
We provide everyone as much information as possible during every development phase. We try not to keep any secrets. Our development process is open to the owner of a current version of Rhino.
We rely on user input to help us set priorities, refine features, and solve problems unique to their systems, processes, and related software. We invite all owners of the current version to get involved by downloading and using the pre-release versions.
As a Rhino 5 user, you are invited to be a key contributor to the next releases, including service releases (bug fixes), labs projects (early prototype projects), the OS X version for Mac users, and Rhino 6. Getting involved is the best way to get what you want from the next Rhino version. Details below...
Service releases
Rhino 5 automatically downloads service releases to your computer and notifies you when they are ready to install. You can control when updates are downloaded in Rhino Options > Updates and Statistics. You can also download them from here.
For pre-release builds, under Rhino Options > Updates and Statistics select:
- Weekly to automatically download pre-release builds of Rhino that contain the most recent fixes and enhancements. These builds are tested by McNeel testing staff for stability and reliability, but may contain bugs that we haven't discovered yet.
- Service Release Candidates to automatically download pre-release builds that the development team believes are stable, reliable, and are ready for broader testing.
Wishlist management and discussion
A new Wishlist forum has been added on the Rhino 5 community site to help manage the ongoing wishlist discussions.
Labs Projects
Labs projects are plug-ins for the current version. They are early prototypes of features that may or may not be in the next major version. Please download them, use them, and provide feedback. The current labs projects are here...
Rhino for Mac
A real OS X version Rhino 5 is in the works. It is an ongoing process and is being released in phases. During the pre-release phase everyone is invited to give it a try. At first release, Rhino 5 for Mac will not be on par with Rhino 5 for Windows, during the first release phase, there will be many enhanced and bug fixes. Pre-release builds will still be available to licensed users and all of the Rhino 5 for Mac will be free.
We need feedback from both expert and novice Rhino users. We are willing to spend whatever time and effort it takes to get it right, but we need you to tell us what is wrong. During development, pre-release Rhino for Mac is free to anyone willing to provide feedback. Details...
Rhino 6 Development
After Rhino 5 ships, Rhino 6 pre-release builds will be available to Rhino 5 users in phases:
- Work-in-Progress (WIP)
builds include prototyped new ideas
and technologies. WIP builds (often
called Alpha releases) are not
production ready, and some ideas and
technologies may never be released.
Rhino 5 users
will be invited to get involved. Your
feedback at the WIP stage has the most
impact on the design of the features and enhancements.
- Beta: Once most of the
core changes are finished and
tested, beta builds are released.
The beta builds should be
production stable but may not have
all the features or user
interface finished.
- Final: We release a new version only when the beta users tell us it is ready. Beta users are informed when we have stopped development and have released Rhino 6 to production.
Notes
- All Rhino 5 users will be invited to participate in the Rhino 6 development process. There is no charge.
- Each phase normally takes more than 6 months.
- Each WIP and beta builds expires every few months. A newer build is always available before expiration. This ensures that bugs are reported for the latest build, and that we don't receive reports for bugs that are already fixed.
- The final beta release will not
expire for at least two months after
the new version starts shipping.