Need Feedback about Section Drawings: Line Width Setting

Hi all,
I need your feedback about line width setting of sections’ drawing curves.

This example shows the current behavior: the Section-Style boundary is set to Color=Red and Scale=3 (you see in Display of clipped model). However, the extracted section drawings is set to be by output layer (curves in A_00Curve layer).

Early versions of ClippingDrawings used to set the Print-Width of section by source objects. This was unfavorable to some users because they had to set the Line-Width properties for all objects (or layers). The request was to make the section PrintWidth to be ByOutputLayer, so we did.

Recently, there was another request asking to set the width back to be “by source object”, and more specifically to recognize the section-style boundary setting (color and scale of linetype) (logged here…).

Before making any changes, and as we research this request further, I wanted to ask your feedback about the behavior you need in your workflow. Which of the 2 work best for you? Should there be an “Attributes” option to support both behaviors (which should be the default)? What about consistency between display and print? Other thoughts? Thanks in advance.

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What about consistency on FHD or 4K displays? Same or similar with Silhouette lines?

@Erazmataz you mean to match display to print? Can you share an example of what you are looking for?

Hi Rajaa and others,

After I posted the request, I have been doing some tests and reading the other feedback on the topic and I want to help by suggesting a possible solution.

First, I want to say that I already think the toolset is quite good and it already has great potential to save a lot of time by helping to extract 2d drawings from a 3d model.

I want to add that I am looking to use the ClippingPlane and ClippingDrawings tool for architectural drafting. So, this solution will be biased towards that goal and my workflow.

In my last posts I was thinking of using the Section Style and in particular the Boundary options to transfer linewidth from the 3d geometry to the 2d section drawing. After some thought I think maybe there is a different way to do it. The Boundary options in the Section Style menu mainly seem to affect the display and what is more important for my workflow is the PrintDisplay. For the Display of the working viewport, I do not mind if the lines all have the same width.

With that being said, what I would like to suggest is the ability to set “Color, Linetype, Printwidth, Print Color” for the original 3d geometry and have these settings automatically copied to the lines of the 2d drawing of the section.

Let me explain:

For architectural drafting often line colors correspond with a specific Print Width for different materials this is called a Color Table
Color to PrintWidth

I made a simple 3d detail. I assigned the different objects to the correct layer of the Color Table corresponding with the material type. Afterwards I used the ClippingPlane and ClippingDrawing to create a 2d section.

I made a layout and scaled the 2d section to 1:5 scale as is common for details. If you run the command PrintDisplay > State > On or Print the layout to PDF all the lines show up in color.

This is because by default the 2d section lines print “By Display”. If you select them all and set them to “By Layer” you get the settings chosen in the layer ClippingPlane_00Curve.

Printing gives this result:

All 2d section lines are in ClippingPlane_00Curve

Possible Solution:

When the command ClippingDrawing or UpdateClippingDrawings are run the layers of all the 3d geometry that are being cut by the ClippingPlane get separately added to the ClippingDrawing with the same settings as the original layer. And preferably with the print properties set to By Layer not By Display.

Printing would now give this result:

Comparison:

It might seem like a minor improvement, but it would be great if we do not need to do this manual every time we create a new ClippingDrawing or UpdateClippingDrawings.

Disclaimer:
Not sure how easy this would be to implement as in large models hundreds of layers could have to be added/substracted when making changes and updating the ClippingDrawing.

End note:
This is my attempt to suggest an improvement, if the same result can be achieved in a better way that would also be great.

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@Jordy1 Thank you for the detailed feedback. Can you post the model? I have some ideas that I’d like to test with your model and follow your process.

Ofcourse, here are the original and the one with manually adjusted layers:

Original Layers Clipping Drawing.3dm (347.5 KB)

Manually adjusted Layers ClipingDrawing.3dm (335.8 KB)

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Hi Rajaa
I have only access to Windows 10/11 computers running screenresolution of 1920x1080 and iMac’s running mac OS Catalina/Big Sur (Rhino 8 unsupported).

I often have participants in my Rhino 8 classes bringing their own equipment with monitors with 4K resolution and they often need to have very different settings than me to achieve the same (or more-or-less the same) visual result in Rhino 8. Maybe the Silhouette-lines could have a default setting similar to the annotation-dots where the size is a fraction of the screen-resolution&zoom?

Thankyou for this very well written and documented writeup. I agree on all of your points and the only think I miss is a discussion on the shape/style of EndCaps and the CornerMiter for lines thicker than 0.5mm. Inspiration could be taken from Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer or Inkscape. We need to be able to control how a corner look and the two EndConditions off open lines. Ideally being able to choose the Startpoint and the Endpoint individually.

Hi @rajaa

Any update on what @Jordy1 requested?

I think that would be very helpful for the architecture workflow since keeping the original layer thickness (and colour) is crucial to create consistent and readable plans

Thanks

Please test 8.6 release candidate. “ClippingDrawings” command added an option for the “PrintWidth” to be from ByInputObject (used to be by output layer). Color is always ByInputObject .
Does that help?

Thank you Rajaa,

I’ve tested it and it works,

Just some extra request, it would be perfect if there’s the same option for the background elements. For example if you have some trees or anything on the background that you want with its specific colour, would be great to keep its colour properties

Thanks

Added to the heap here…
Thanks.

Hey, i stumbeld over the same issue with Print color.
It would be good to choose Print color - ByLayer.

In combination with color - ByInputObject
And Print color - ByLayer

You than could toggle in pdf print between the sets of color with the output color.
Thanks

@rajaa . I have a suggestion here that, along with Print width option there should be a Hatch /pattern width option too as some times we require hatch pattern line width thinner than main object line. Kindly consider this. Here as you mentioned above, changing the setting to ByinputObject all the hatches and outer section border are getting to single similar print width.

Can you please share an example?

@rajaa In the 1st image below, If I use clipping drawing using print width byinputobject giving 1.5 mm width , here inside hatch and outer cutlines are printd out in same thickness as seen below

Now if use clipping drawing using bylayer and change the print width inside sections sublayers, now I am able to control width of hatch and outer line separately as seen below (the desired result)

So if this could be implemented along print width by input object and add a new command like print hatch width as either a no., or by layer or input object, it will greatly increase our efficiency of our workflow. kindly consider!

@rajaa any update?

I am not seeing the issue. Can you add a Rhino file please?

You should try this printing through Rhino layout. I am attaching a rhino file below.
Test.3dm (277.6 KB)

Still getting this error.

What service release are you using right now?