Rhino 3D Commands: Create vs Edit

A workflow-based command list for faster, clearer modeling

Over the last few weeks, one of our LinkedIn posts crossed 180,000+ impressions!

The post was simple:

“It’s often confusing for new (and even experienced) Rhino 3D users to organize commands based on whether they’re creating geometry or editing existing geometry.”

The response was overwhelming.
Many of you asked for the chart as a PDF, a poster, or even a desktop wallpaper.

So in this article, we’re sharing:

• Printable PDF posters
• Horizontal & vertical wallpapers
• A clear mental model for navigating Rhino commands
• A structured Create vs Edit breakdown for each geometry type

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Why Rhino feels overwhelming (even after years)

Most Rhino users learn commands in isolation:

• Someone shows you _Sweep2
• Another tutorial uses _MatchSrf
• A forum mentions _Rebuild

But rarely do we step back and ask a simpler question:

Am I creating geometry… or editing geometry?

Once you make that distinction, Rhino suddenly becomes much easier to navigate.

That’s the idea behind this command map.

The Core Mental Model

Every Rhino workflow can be reduced to two intentions:

Create

You are making new geometry from nothing (or from references).

Edit

You are modifying existing geometry to refine, fix, or optimize it.

We then apply this logic consistently across geometry types:

• Point
• Curve
• Surface
• Solid (Polysurface)
• Mesh
• SubD

A. POINTS

A.1 Points — Create

Used to define locations, construction references, and control logic.

• _Point → Create a single point
• _Points → Create multiple points
• _Divide → Create points by division along curves
• _PointGrid → Create structured point grids

A.2 Points — Edit / Extract

Used to reuse, analyze, or modify point data.

• _ExtractPt → Extract control or edit points
• _ClosestPt → Find closest point on geometry
• _EvaluatePt → Read point coordinates
• _Move / _SetPt → Modify point positions

B. CURVES

B.1 Curves — Create

Commands that generate new curve geometry.

• _Line, _Polyline
• _InterpCrv
• _ControlPointCurve
• _Circle, _Arc, _Ellipse
• _Helix, _Spiral

B.2 Curves — Edit

Commands that modify, refine, or analyze curves.

• _Rebuild
• _Match
• _BlendCrv
• _Fillet
• _Chamfer
• _Split, _Trim, _Extend
• _ChangeDegree
• _Fair

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C. SURFACES

C.1 Surfaces — Create

Primary surface construction tools.

• _EdgeSrf
• _Loft
• _Sweep1, _Sweep2
• _NetworkSrf
• _PlanarSrf
• _Patch

C.2 Surfaces — Edit

Surface quality, continuity, and cleanup tools.

• _MatchSrf
• _BlendSrf
• _ExtendSrf
• _ShrinkTrimmedSrf
• _Rebuild
• _Flip
• _ShowEdges

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D. SOLIDS (Polysurfaces)

D.1 Solids — Create

Closed, manufacturable geometry.

• _ExtrudeCrv
• _Revolve
• _Pipe
• _Box, _Cylinder, _Sphere
• _BooleanUnion

D.2 Solids — Edit

Topology modification and refinement.

• _BooleanDifference
• _BooleanIntersection
• _FilletEdge
• _ChamferEdge
• _Shell
• _OffsetSrf

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E. MESH

E.1 Mesh — Create

• _Mesh
• _QuadRemesh
• _MeshPatch
• _MeshFromPoints

E.2 Mesh — Edit

• _ReduceMesh
• _Weld / _Unweld
• _FillMeshHoles
• _CheckMesh
• _UnifyMeshNormals

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F. SubD

F.1 SubD — Create

• _SubDBox
• _SubDSphere
• _ExtrudeSubD
• _Bridge

F.2 SubD — Edit

• _InsertEdge
• _SlideEdge
• _Crease
• _Uncrease
• _ToNURBS

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Rhino has hundreds of commands.
This guide focuses on the workflow-defining ones.

For the complete official command list, refer to McNeel’s documentation:
https://docs.mcneel.com/rhino/8mac/help/en-us/commandlist/command_list.htm