T-Splines for SolidWorks

I was lucky enough to test this out last month and I agree that this has the potential to completely alter the way we model in SolidWorks. Of course there is a "but"!

The biggest but is that the first version TsElements is literally just a file importer and very basic editor - note edit, not create - of existing TSpline surfaces generated in TSplines for Rhino, or, for certain very specific types of OBJ files. So if you have Rhino and TSplines you can buy TsElements and have the ability to tweak the TSpline in Solidworks, or, if you concepetualise in , say, Modo (I've not been able to try Modo's OBJ format in testing though - so it may not be the "right type of obj" - you can import that into SolidWorks as a TSpline as well and tweak it in SolidWorks.

The very first version of Elements has a hidden feature - control drag a face in face edit mode and you do what is called a TsExtrude - you basically add a new bridging face set. But, this functionality will be turned off as they develop another tsplines product for Solidworks that will be more similar to the Rhino version.

Let me start by saying this stuff is truly amazing - when it works with Rhino. Look at the latest webinars on the TSplines site and see if you can find the golf club one. That was created from one Rhino curve and about 3 Tspline commands in next to no time. I wouldn't know where to start doing that in SolidWorks (OK I would but I wouldn't bother!)

As well as this tSplines have said they are developing their own modeller as a standalone app.

So, as it stands, TsElements is a bit useless if you only have access to SolidWorks. You need to wait for the more advanced (higher priced) package when that appears. All of which is a problem for TSplines I think.

I have no idea what the pricing structure will be, but if I was a betting man I'd suspect the next level up package will be significantly more that TsElements - which is already $499. If they price it at TSplines for Rhino level ($599) all well and good. But if they price it a lot higher (say above $1000) you have to start to ask yourself "would I be better off buying Rhino/TSplines and just importing to SolidWorks as an IGES file?" Personally, I'd rather not have to do that as I really don't like Rhino. But time will tell.

In any case, judging by the poor update list for 2012, and the comments from SolidWorks people about modelling, I'd say we need to start looking at add ons and alternatives to bring modelling in SolidWorks to the next level.