I am interested in developing a solution for single span modelling. With my background as freelancer in automotive industry, I am an expert user of Autodesk Alias Surface, which is CAD modelling with bezier surfaces.
I want to make this kind of high quality surface modelling possible for a broad field of designer and 3D-modellers. There is no effortable solution on the market for small and midsize design agencies.
Is blender interested in developping a solution for this purpose? I could support you with valuable insights and UI solutions.
NURBS/Bezier modelling for CAD is not currently a priority for Blender developers. If I understand correctly, you’re not proposing to develop the feature yourself but rather provide the design for it? Then it’s unlikely such a project will get started.
I’m sorry to say this, but you shouldn’t buy into Autodesk’s propaganda. Almost every small to midsize design firm use https://www.rhino3d.com/ already…
Also, I think this guy, or others in his timeline, is actually doing some work with Nurbs in Blender:
Hi, many thanks for your hint what portnov is doing, that goes in the right direction! I’ ll dig deeper in that.
And yes Rhino is nurbs modelling, I worked a lot with that. But unfortunately it’s not useful for “single span” The programm just fills in a surface but doesn’t give enough possibility to modify the surface in degree and topology.
So there is just Alias and there was ICEM Surf, no updates any more.
If you find those tools lacking, you’re very welcome to post in their discourse (I linked a thread which even has some production cars made in Rhino). We need more industrial design voices for sure!
Also, if you find Rhino lacking, which is a professionally made software with 20 years of work put behind it, I don’t see how you would ever find free community efforts for Blender sufficient in any reasonable amount of time, especially if you can’t put in the work yourself (believe me I speak from the experience of being completely ignored).
hi, yes you’re right, I am not a developer to program a high-class surfacing tool. I am an experienced freelancer in car industry and product design.
I have insight in design departmens and there is blender used more and more for poly concept modelling and visualization, kicking out other software.
The whole field of highclass surface modelling, check #Class-a#STRAK is meanwhile completely dominated by Autodesk Alias Surface. No Rhino or other software can deliver this. And they take the advantage by rising the licence fees to max, prescription model…
So I hope there will be something from blender one day​:wink: I am sure it will be as amazing as what blender has brought to animation industry
Though I have not extensive experience in nurbs modeling, I have used Rhino only once and perhaps 3Dsmax a couple of times. Mostly I am more into spline-patch modeling, and after trying for many weeks to come up with a similar workflow in Blender I ended up using a hodgepoge of Addons such as FlexiBezier/LoopTools/MiraTools, taking 1 feature from here and there but going all over the place. Not to mention that there is such a commercial addon available but here I am interested only about going with this based on what is available.
Spline patch modeling features can be easily added to Blender because is a matter of workflow not technology. All foundation is there but is a matter of placing them in order and wrapping them up in a nice bag.
Autodesk Alias doesn’t really use Nurbs, they use BSplines(weights = 1 Nurbs) mostly for class A modeling, also lower level too. So if Spline patch modeling features are easily added, why isn’t it added already? I read somewhere some time ago that someone was working on bsplines for Blender, but lost the page.
These types of workflows are not very popular among many Blender users (as of talking about games or movies where poly-subdiv is the default).
However as of the 2.8 series Blender development has started flourishing in terms of popularity and funds, and there is no other time other than now some features like these to be organized and prioritized.
Not to mention that it can attract more CAD users into the ecosystem.
