What is Rhino 3D
What is Rhino 3D?
Rhinoceros 3D — universally known as Rhino — is a NURBS-based 3D modelling application developed by Robert McNeel & Associates. First released in 1998, it has grown into one of the most widely used design tools across architecture, industrial design, jewellery, marine, automotive, and engineering disciplines.
Unlike parametric modellers such as Revit or FreeCAD, Rhino is a direct modeller — you push, pull, and sculpt geometry freely without being constrained by a parametric history tree. This makes it exceptionally fast and flexible for freeform design. Parametric workflows are available through its built-in visual programming environment, Grasshopper.
Rhino uses a perpetual licence model. You buy it once, own it for life, and can continue using it indefinitely — there are no subscriptions or annual fees. Upgrades to future major versions are available at a discounted price.
What’s new in Rhino V8?
Rhino V8, released in late 2023, is the most significant update since V6 introduced Grasshopper as a core component. Key additions include:
ShrinkWrap
Creates watertight meshes from any geometry — ideal for 3D printing, rendering, and CFD. Works on open meshes, polysurfaces, and point clouds.
PushPull Modelling
Direct solid editing borrowed from the world of SketchUp and SolidWorks — extrude faces, edges, and vertices with a single draggable handle.
SubD Creases
Add sharp edges to smooth SubD objects without adding geometry — perfect for product design and industrial modelling.
Apple Metal (Mac)
Full Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) optimisation via the Metal GPU API. Significant viewport and render performance gains on Apple hardware.
Improved Clipping
Clipping planes now work across all display modes and can be animated. Essential for architectural section drawings.
Updated Cycles Renderer
The built-in render engine has been significantly updated with better materials, lighting, and denoising — suitable for presentation-quality output without plugins.
Grasshopper updates in V8
Grasshopper — Rhino’s visual programming environment — received substantial updates in V8, including a redesigned UI, faster solving, and new components for mesh manipulation and ShrinkWrap integration.
Key features
NURBS modelling
NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) geometry is mathematically precise — unlike mesh-based modellers, NURBS surfaces have no faceting. This means smooth curves at any zoom level and output that is directly usable for CNC, laser cutting, and engineering analysis. Rhino is the gold standard for NURBS modelling flexibility.
SubD (Subdivision Surface) modelling
Introduced in V7, SubD allows organic, clay-like sculpting with smooth, editable surfaces. V8 adds creases, allowing sharp edges within a SubD object. SubD objects can be converted to NURBS for manufacturing precision — the best of both worlds.
Rendering
Rhino ships with the Cycles render engine (the same engine in Blender) built in. For production rendering, it integrates natively with Bella Render and many others. All major rendering plugins treat Rhino as a first-class host.
Interoperability
Rhino can open and export over 30 file formats natively — DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, OBJ, FBX, STL, IFC, and many more. This makes it an effective hub in mixed-tool workflows and removes the painful translation steps that slow down collaboration.
Grasshopper — visual programming
Grasshopper is a visual programming editor bundled with Rhino (since V6) that allows parametric, data-driven design without writing code. Algorithms are built by connecting components on a canvas — inputs flow through logic to produce geometry, driven by sliders, panels, and data sources.
The Grasshopper ecosystem is enormous. Thousands of third-party plugins — including Karamba3D (structural analysis), Ladybug (environmental analysis), Kangaroo (physics simulation), and Pufferfish (advanced morphing) — extend its capabilities into engineering, environmental design, and computational form-finding.
Who uses Rhino 3D?
Architecture
Freeform massing, complex roofs and facades, parametric design, and coordination with BIM tools via IFC. Often used alongside VisualARQ.
Industrial Design
Product design, automotive surfacing, and prototyping. NURBS accuracy is essential for CNC and injection moulding output.
Jewellery
The most widely used tool in jewellery CAD. Precise NURBS surfaces, excellent STL export for casting, and Bella Render for photorealistic presentation.
Landscape Architecture
Used with LandsDesign for terrain modelling, planting plans, and irrigation design in landscape and urban design.
Marine & Naval
Hull design and naval architecture. Rhino’s NURBS precision and hydrostatics tools make it a standard in the marine industry.
Education
Taught in architecture and design schools worldwide. Academic licences and 30x class packs make it accessible for educational institutions.
File formats
Imports
3DM, DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, SAT, OBJ, FBX, SKP (SketchUp), STL, 3DS, LWO, COLLADA, SolidWorks (via translator), Revit (via IFC), and more.
Exports
3DM, DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, OBJ, FBX, STL, 3MF (3D printing), PDF, AI, SVG, IFC, and many others. Rhino is notable for the quality of its STEP and IGES output — clean and suitable for downstream CAM and FEA workflows.
System requirements
Windows
Mac
Licence options
Rhino 3D V8 is available in several licence types. All are perpetual — a one-time purchase with no recurring fee.
Commercial
For professional use by individuals, studios, and companies. Includes both Windows and Mac. No restrictions on commercial output.
Academic
For eligible students, educators, and institutions. Functionally identical to Commercial. Proof of academic status required.
Upgrade
For existing Rhino V1–V7 Commercial licence holders. Significantly discounted — your previous licence remains valid.
Academic Upgrade
For Rhino V1–V7 Academic licence holders upgrading to V8 at academic pricing.
Lab Licence
Multi-seat perpetual licence for educational institutions. Floating — managed via Zoo network licence manager.
30x Class Pack
30 individual perpetual Academic licences. Students own their licence outright and keep it after graduating.
Buying Rhino 3D in the UK
If you are ready to purchase, see our full Rhino 3D licence options or check the complete pricing table with VAT-inclusive totals. All licences include same-day email delivery, free training resources, and cross-platform activation for Windows and macOS.