This is the only place in the world to discuss this.

Ok, so I have been told by someone who should know (wholesale lab rep) that digital surfacing is better than traditional surfacing.

I saw some pictures of the process, and it looks like "a needle" cuts a rotating lens.

Why is digital surfacing better? Because complicated surfaces can be cut that minimize abberation (I believe). The back surface of a digitally surfaced spherocyl may not be the "inside of a teaspoon" shape, but something that resembles a landscape with rolling hills (very, very, rough, there).

Why is digital surfacing better? This may be something I imagine I heard, but, similar to how progressives are designed with ray-tracing to correct the off-axis powers at different angles of gaze, this technology can be applied to the design of higher power SV lenses, as well. Does anyone know if I'm even close on that one?

Why is digital surfacing better? Whether digitally surfacing a mold for the front surface of a progressive, or surfacing an actual lens, the process itself is "cleaner and more precise".

The question is: how much better, and who will perceive it? We may be in a transitional state where we need to identify who will benefit from these incremental improvements, until it becomes commonplace.