Importing pictures and exporting viewport as a picture

Rhino Rhino for Mac
1

Is it possible to import a file like a .jpg, .raw or .tiff as a background layer in Rhino? And how do I export a viewport as a .jpg file? Right now I give my mac the command to print and instead of printing export the file as a PDF. The next step is to export the PDF as a .jpg. But the image quality is poor.

2

I don’t remember if MacRhino has the BackgroundBitmap command, that’s one way to put an image into the background of the viewport. However…

I would use the command PictureFrame instead, this allows you to import an image into Rhino that is tied to a surface, so it is a real Rhino object. This way you can put it on a layer, rotate, scale and move it in the same way you can with other Rhino objects. Much more practical in general than a background bitmap.

As far as “exporting” a viewport as an image, try ViewportCaptureToFile (hopefully exists in MacRhino). The -dash version of the command -ViewportCaptureToFile will give you options as to output size and what you want to show.

HTH, --Mitch

1 Like
3

Hello Mitch,

BackgroundBitmap and PictureFrame are present in the Mac version and work fine. The command ViewportCaptureToFile is not present. Instead you can give the command ViewCaptureToFile which allows you to export a viewport in .png, .jpg etc. but I seem not to be able to adjust the quality of the picture which remains poor. Thanks for the quick response!

Regards, Jaap

4

OK, sorry, the command is ViewCaptureToFile, my mistake. In Windows Rhino there is a “dash” version of the command: type -ViewCaptureToFile with the dash in front. This gives you command line options as to output resolution in pixels. According to this post, the dash version should have been implemented in MacRhino sometime in March of this year.

–Mitch

5

The ViewCaptureToFile works fine here. I use it so much I added it’s icon to my tools.

I also couldn’t work with out PictureFrame & pencil and paper.

Randy

6

What’s that? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

7

@Helvetosaur the paper is something to start a fire with, AKA cooking and staying warm. The pencil goes behind the ear to make it look like we ‘men’ are as important as the woman-folk.

8

Thanks guys. And I use paper to blow my nose.