# Lineweights, linetypes, PrintDisplay, Layouts

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389>\
**Category:** Rhino\
**Tags:** windows, mac\
**Created:** [February 11, 2024, 10:23am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389 "2024-02-11T10:23:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Helvetosaur](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/helvetosaur/32/635974_2.png) [@Helvetosaur](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Helvetosaur)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2024, 10:23am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389/1 "2024-02-11T10:23:51Z")

</div>

Still testing with my simple Make2D and then to Layout which is a prototype for a larger project. I’m still very fuzzy on how V8 linetypes and lineweights are supposed to interact and under what conditions, and how PrintDisplay is supposed to show me this stuff. My brain seems to have shrunk to the point where I can no longer follow the complexity… 😖

In the Make2d, I have two linetypes, Continuous and Hidden. In addition to the normal Make2D output, I used “SceneSilhouette” in order have the outlines of the objects. To make things simple, I set all of the print widths by object, the Continuous lines to be 0.18, Hidden lines to be 0.13 and the scene silhouette outlines to be 0.35. I assume those values are in mm…?

In the Linetypes section, I haven’t changed anything (yet). There is the section on Width and Width Units:  
 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/a/3/4/a34b9402f3e4ffbda8ba044b8d1835cc6ff6e839.png)

For Continuous these settings (1.00, Pixels) appear to be locked/non-modifiable. I’m not sure why this is the case, all the others do appear to be modifiable:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/1/4/8/1488abd04c023f876cedeb44457b24d5975ed29c.png)

I’m not sure what settings I should be using here, pixels, document units… I guess that attributing a specific print width in Properties to an object overrides these settings anyway…?

Anyway, if I do a RhinoPDF print of the scene, it looks correct and prints correctly on paper.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/8/d/a/8da86fe1003c62cb614ef7958db30de9b647b9fe.png)

Activating PrintDisplay in model space looks OK:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/4/c/3/4c35a0bdb9bf1a89b1dffde9d08b292ecb7c658c.png)

With PrintDisplay active in the Layout, it looks OK too:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/6/1/1/611a276613f037a37a08275311ba1e040d01ac8a.png)

However, if I double click to activate the detail (like going back into model space) I see this:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/7/0/4/704b1c356cbdb37b7d00c50a7546b7ca56bd59e7.png)

What’s up with that? Why is everything now super thick?

As an experiment, I activated the detail, selected everything and set the print width to “Default”. Then I double clicked again to deactivate it. Now Layout shows me this with PrintDisplay on:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/a/7/9/a79b2f0f69e0690f39373ceae07fc4d8265e2bde.png)

What’s up with that? Why is “Default” so thick?

Just trying to understand here.

**Addendum:**

I also don’t understand the behavior when zooming in and out of layouts… Depending on how you zoom, the curve print width can display thicker or thinner at the same zoom level. OK, I understand that the display width is in pixels, but still, it’s inconsistent.

![LayoutZoom](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/a/3/7/a374bf040a930e1cb440f81c637ad898d4db1783.gif)

And sometimes it will just do this:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/a/c/f/acfc78d2f078cc59b6b4cb78d4612cf78380a3a8.png)

and if I pan the screen slightly it will go back to this:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/6/5/2/652fd90ebfc9bfd4b5bfd7cab44453231e8fafb4.png)

Something fairly wrong there in the display department.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/wim/32/747482_2.png) [@wim](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/wim)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2024, 1:11pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389/2 "2024-02-11T13:11:53Z")

</div>

Hi Mitch -

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> I’m still very fuzzy on how V8 linetypes and lineweights are supposed to interact and under what conditions, and how PrintDisplay is supposed to show me this stuff.

It certainly has gotten more complex with the added linetype features. Additionally, there’s an important bug that’s currently unresolved - [RH-80026](https://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-80026) PrintWidth by Linetype (Default)  
… though, that one might not be biting you here.

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> I assume those values are in mm…?

As long as print widths have been in Rhino, those have been in mm, yes.

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> I’m not sure what settings I should be using here, pixels, document units… I guess that attributing a specific print width in Properties to an object overrides these settings anyway…?

It’s not that simple, no. When the linetype definition sets the width in pixels, the object’s print width is used when printing. So, it overrides in this case. When the bug mentioned above is fixed, when that print width is set to `Default`, it loops back and uses the pixel value that is set in the linetype definition.

When the linetype definition is set to other units than pixels, this value will be used when printing:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/9/6/8/968a64bafac2f061bda9def402af3ae576674f11.png)

You set the object’s property of hidden lines to 0.13, but in this case, I’ve set the linetype `Hidden` to be 4 mm wide.

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> However, if I double click to activate the detail (like going back into model space) I see this:

![2024-02-11 - PrintDisplay](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/e/2/3/e23c8c08a0afceb1899c435f6361d6a19be6d33a.gif)

I’m not seeing that here on 8.5. Maybe I wasn’t able to recreate your file from you description? A file would have been very nice…

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> I also don’t understand the behavior when zooming in and out of layouts… Depending on how you zoom, the curve print width can display thicker or thinner at the same zoom level

I take it this is with PrintDisplay on?

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> OK, I understand that the display width is in pixels

In Rhino 8, not on the layout, no. (and not in model space when linetype units are not pixels).  
At any rate, I can’t seem to reproduce that here.  
-wim

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Helvetosaur](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/helvetosaur/32/635974_2.png) [@Helvetosaur](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Helvetosaur)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389/3 "2024-02-11T14:23:00Z")

</div>

> [@wim](#):
>
> A file would have been very nice…

Here you go…  
[BlockForTest.3dm](https://discourse.mcneel.com/uploads/short-url/aByPLu57deTVUArVazqBM65ps4V.3dm) (2.9 MB)

> [@wim](#):
>
> I take it this is with PrintDisplay on?

Yes.  
`Print Display (Layout Viewports) ( State=On Color=Display Viewport=Layout Scope=Document DetailBorder=UsePrintWidth )`

Double click on the detail to activate and see if it does the same thing for you as it does for me here. Also zoom in and out with the detail deactivated. If not, I will test on my other computers and maybe get a daily 8.5 to test as well.

> [@Helvetosaur](#):
>
> OK, I understand that the display width is in pixels

> [@wim](#):
>
> In Rhino 8, not on the layout, no

Well the screen display IS in pixels - it has to be. So if the print width is in actual measurement units, how is this translated into screen pixels? The problem here is the on-screen display, printing does not seem to have the problem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Helvetosaur](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/helvetosaur/32/635974_2.png) [@Helvetosaur](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Helvetosaur)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2024, 8:16am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389/4 "2024-02-12T08:16:05Z")

</div>

I am also seeing stuff like this when applying dimensions in layout space:  
 ![DimPlacement](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/7/3/0/730ad635c6dc7f038d6603f7704527b2fa7d0d57.gif)

It’s not really a problem, but the highlight seems very thick…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Helvetosaur](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/helvetosaur/32/635974_2.png) [@Helvetosaur](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Helvetosaur)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2024, 12:00pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/lineweights-linetypes-printdisplay-layouts/175389/5 "2024-02-12T12:00:39Z")

</div>

Here we go again… This time it will not auto-correct, it is currently stuck that way. Will try closing the file and re-opening to see if that fixes it.

![MorePDBugs](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/d/3/b/d3b2fe24481c5c2de2e3ba5b874d027e199a0afe.gif)

Nope, this one is now stuck ‘permanently’. @wim - will PM the file.