Hi,
I’m working on patent drawings and like the speed of the patent drawing mode. Some questions:
Is it possible to export the shown lines as vector paths?
Is it possible to set all lines to dash line mode?
General I’m looking for a way to export my whole model curves as dashed lines? Could it be done on the print export?
Ciao,
Micha
No, but it is a filed request to be able to do so. I believe the whole mode would need to be rewritten to make that work though.
I don’t think so no.
Okay, now the possible good news. I think you can do what you need with Make2D>Set the linetype to ‘dashed’ for the resulting curves>adjust the dashed scale in Options>Annotation>Linetypes and finally Print.
Make2D is not my preferred way, since it is so slow. My situation is, I have a train model and like to show different designs of color design. For a patent drawing is needed the train in dash line style at the background and the solid design lines at the foreground. So my client like to get two sets of lines. First I could shot the train without design lines and than I would create a second shot with the design lines. But the make2D is so slow that I would prefer to avoid it. I need four views, each with two shot - 8 shots. If one shot need 30min, than I need 4 hours for 4 shots.
The artistic display are great, all 32 cores are used for the calculation and I could create all shots based on one calculation. If the dashes are show at the screen, than I don’t need the vector output, a screenshot would be good.
The artistic display modes allow to get dashes and solid lines in the technical mode. The hidden line algorithm is available too. What I need is that the visible lines can be set to dashed and only selected objects/curves are shown solid. The “artistic” display pipeline needs the little enhancement that the object properties line style is used for displaying. I know it’s a big wish - but could it be added and if yes, soon as possible, since the projects runs.
Do you have an example image that shows what you want the display mode to look like? I might be able to cook up one to do it. I have a few ideas based on your description but I’m not sure yet where the dash to solid transition occurs.
These are open feature requests for Technical modes to have more adjustability
http://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-23180
http://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-23195
The Neon mode can be tweaked to do the following along with various object properties… if it’s what you’re after I can explain more.
Look like dash lines per Neon are my only way to get dash lines without make2d. I installed Neon, but can’t found the line options. Is Brazil needed?
Nope… you can do it all with Neon and Rhino Render. I used DupEdge then grouped the curves. These can get a linetype setting. The curves option in the Neon display mode then needs to be turned on and the edges and isocurves turned off. I also assigned a Rhino material (green and transparent). The Neon mode setting in Options for “shade objects” can then be toggled to allow you to see through the model to the curves or not as in the solid line version. The last tweak was to disable cast and received shadows in Object Props for the model… but that’s a matter of taste.
All and all it’s very fast with settings like this and no skylighting. Have fun and post some of your train shots if you can… I’d love to see them.
I setup Neon and the result are very good, the curve quality is very good. For the material setup - I don’t need to see through the objects, but I need white constant shaded surfaces. I set the ambient light to white, also the diffuse/emissive color, but no effect. Do you have an idea how I can get white objects?
If I would like to get a bigger resolution than screen size, is there a way to get it?
But finally I can’t use the Neon, because I don’t get silhouette lines of round objects and dupedge cause a very strong RAM usage, it’s to much.
Looks like I need a new way. Could be SketchUp the right tool?
I guess that would make this method not viable for you. I suppose you could use the Silhouette command and save the view so you keep it all aligned. I haven’t seen an image of what you’re looking for exactly so it’s hard to say if that would work.
Use “-ViewCaptureToFile”
Turning off cast and received shadows for the objects through Object Properties should do that for you.
Did you got my PM with an example image?
You wrote: " I have a few ideas based on your description but I’m not sure yet where the dash to solid transition occurs. " So, what I’m looking for is to create a drawing where all visible object lines are dashed. This image can be used to combine with solid line images in postwork. The postwork could be avoided, if I could render my whole train in dashed lines and selected curves on the surface are shown solid. But maybe this is not so easy to implement, it would mean to support the line type settings.
Yes I see it now, thanks. I didn’t get an email telling me about the PM.
Based on your image I made a couple more changes that might work for you. I used The Silhouette command to create the curves rather than DupEdge. This will get the curved surface lines but I’d recommend saving the view too to make it easiest. In the Rhino material just uncheck “enable diffuse lighting” in the advanced settings to get a solid white shading.
You can then make some of the Silhouette curves continuous linetype for the foreground.
The aliasing in this sample is due to the compression and forum upload… Neon will give you crisp anti-aliased lines when saved to a lossless format.
Use “-ViewCaptureToFile”
It saves only the viewport resolution, no bigger one. Is there a catch?
there’s a dash in front…
use the dashed version of the command:
-ViewCaptureToFile
not :
ViewCaptureToFile
Got it. Thanks Jeff.