Hi David, from your description, I'd say that the Swiss method presented is not mill rule, the regulating scheme, to me, is mapping the joints or numerical scribe. To me, mill rule is another step towards industrial practice by the introduction of standardized material, accomplished through four sided planers. The carpentry practice is simplified even dumbed-down by reliance on regulated timber. The joinery is measured off the face you are working on not from reference sides or edges. It's necessary the the tolerance for milling must be tight, an order of magnitude closer than the cited Swiss example. The cutting relies on trusting the material and setting the depths on the tools, working from the surface. Joinery choice is up to the carpenter, free to use housings, tapers and embellishment.
The step beyond mill rule is CNC.
