PDF export Straight Line Artifacts

Hi,

I’m exporting Rhino PDF files from the Perspective window. I get strange straight lines appearing, which do not appear in the viewport. Also, these lines do not appear if exporting a png.

This seems to happen more when the camera lens length is very short (10-20mm)
Any thoughts? Thanks!
Mark Lloyd.

Hello - Can you post an example Rhino file, or send to tech@mcneel.com, with a link back to this topic in your comments?
(Pretty cool-looking though)
-Pascal

Thanks Pascal, I’ve just sent a mail to Mcneel, with the file.

I agree - lines look cool, so I suggested a “BUG ON/BUG OFF” toggle!
Thanks,
Mark @skopelab

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK1jPBus2hH/?igshid=b0ffx9bn7thd

Hi Mark - so far I am not getting that here… in fact when I try to export to pdf, the view zooms out. Print works as expected though - are you using Print or Export?
junk.pdf (2.1 MB)
-Pascal

Hi Pascal,

I’m using Print.
You really need to set focal length short .

I’m including two files for you to compare (focal length was set at 5mm for these)

1/ Printed as a png directly from Rhino
2/ Printed as a pdf from Rhino, then imported to Photoshop, and then exported as a png.

Crazy no?
Not only is the pdf export covered in straight lines, but there is a whole other form (on left of screen) that appears!
WOW! I think we’ve travelled into a higher dimension.

Mark

Hi Mark - the lens length is 5 in the pdf I made - can you run SystemInfo in Rhino and copy/paste the results? This printing stuff is closely tied to openGL and the video card, and that may have an influence. I’m told.

-Pascal

Here you go Pascal.

Rhino 7 SR2 2021-1-21 (Rhino 7, 7.2.21021.07001, Git hash:master @ 96ff97351fbdf5d2acdeaf781aea1577f2ff60f7)
License type: Commercial, build 2021-01-21
License details: Cloud Zoo

Windows 10.0.19041 SR0.0 or greater (Physical RAM: 16Gb)

Computer platform: LAPTOP - Plugged in [95% battery remaining]

Non-hybrid graphics configuration.
Primary display and OpenGL: NVIDIA Quadro P2000 (NVidia) Memory: 4GB, Driver date: 10-22-2020 (M-D-Y). OpenGL Ver: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 452.57

Integrated acclerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)

  • Windows Main Display is laptop’s integrated screen or built-in port

Secondary graphics devices.
Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 (Intel) Memory: 1GB, Driver date: 7-8-2020 (M-D-Y).

Integrated graphics device with 3 adapter port(s)

  • Secondary monitor is laptop’s integrated screen or built-in port

OpenGL Settings
Safe mode: Off
Use accelerated hardware modes: On
Redraw scene when viewports are exposed: On

Anti-alias mode: 8x
Mip Map Filtering: Linear
Anisotropic Filtering Mode: High

Vendor Name: NVIDIA Corporation
Render version: 4.6
Shading Language: 4.60 NVIDIA
Driver Date: 10-22-2020
Driver Version: 27.21.14.5257
Maximum Texture size: 32768 x 32768
Z-Buffer depth: 24 bits
Maximum Viewport size: 32768 x 32768
Total Video Memory: 4 GB

Rhino plugins that do not ship with Rhino
C:\Users\mlloy\AppData\Roaming\McNeel\Rhinoceros\7.0\Plug-ins\Fologram for Rhino (468a328b-20d9-494b-b9e1-cbe9f827d3a2)\2020.2.1.2\6\Fologram.IO.Rhino3d.Win.rhp “Fologram for Rhino” 2020.2.1.2
C:\Users\mlloy\AppData\Local\Programs\Enscape\Bin64\Enscape.Rhino7.Plugin.dll “Enscape.Rhino7.Plugin” 0.0.20335.757
C:\Program Files\SimLab\Plugins\SimLab 3D PDF From Rhino 6\plugins\SimLabPDFExporter.rhp “SimLab PDF Exporter”
C:\ProgramData\McNeel\Rhinoceros\7.0\Plug-ins\Twinmotion Direct Link 2020.2 (e24ee14a-9514-47da-8fe6-f6e61b20160e)\Twinmotion Direct Link 2020.rhp “Twinmotion Direct Link 2020” 1.0.6.0
C:\Program Files\Chaos Group\V-Ray\V-Ray for Rhinoceros 6\VRayForRhino.rhp “V-Ray for Rhino”

Rhino plugins that ship with Rhino
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\Commands.rhp “Commands” 7.2.21021.7001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\rdk.rhp “Renderer Development Kit”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\AnimationTools.rhp “AnimationTools”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\RhinoRenderCycles.rhp “Rhino Render” 7.2.21021.7001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\rdk_etoui.rhp “RDK_EtoUI” 7.2.21021.7001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\rdk_ui.rhp “Renderer Development Kit UI”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\NamedSnapshots.rhp “Snapshots”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\RhinoCycles.rhp “RhinoCycles” 7.2.21021.7001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\export_PDF.rhp “PDF Export” 7.2.21021.7001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\Toolbars\Toolbars.rhp “Toolbars” 7.2.21021.7001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\3dxrhino.rhp “3Dconnexion 3D Mouse”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 7\Plug-ins\Displacement.rhp “Displacement”

Just an additional screenshot - interesting!

Hi Mark - Can you please see if disabling the plug-ins listed here

in Options > Plug-ins page, and then closing and re-opening Rhino (important), makes any difference? If so, re-enable one at a time and see if you can figure out the culprit. If not… I’ll need to ask a bigger brain.

-Pascal

Hi Pascal,

I’ve just tested your suggestion, and no change I’m afraid. I went through shutting everything down and rebooting also.

I’ve retested some exports to see (with a different file) - increasing the focal length sometimes removes these straight lines in the print setup window, but when opened in illustrator, they are still there.

Any help most appreciated!
Mark

Hi Mark - something to try - in Options > View >OpenGL switch of GPU Tessellation and see if that does anything. BTW, do you have more than one monitor on this machine, an external one?

-Pascal

Ive just tried turning off GPU tessalation - no change.
Yes, I,m using an external monitor 4K monitor.

I’ve just switched to my laptop dispay, disabled the external, but same result.

Mark

Hi Mark - I’ve been chatting with a developer… can you try a couple more things:

  1. Run ViewCaptureToFile at that high resolution 5100 by 6600 - does the same thing happen?
  2. In Print, bring that number down to say half in each direction. Does that make any difference?

-Pascal

Do those lines go away in raster output? If so, I suspect those are the result of a specific camera set up that we’ll need to be able to repeat the issue.

Hi Steve - I do not see the lines so far here in Mark’s file. But it is an extreme camera setup - 5 mm lens.
I do get a better reproduction of the viewport with raster output - with vector there is some stuff missing but no extra stuff.

-Pascal

Yep, that’s most likely the case where the math behind the transformation from 3d → 2d is causing stray lines to be introduced into the output.

Hi Pascal, Steve,

I’ll do the tests, and I’ve already set up a named view, which I’ll include with the rhino file which I’ll resend. Will send all ASAP.

Thanks for you attention,
Mark

1 Like

Steve, Raster has always worked fine, but this of course locks down the line width and definition of the file. I import the vector file into illustrator, then am free to do what I like at a later date.

For info, I’ve only come across this starting at around 20mm focal length and below.

Mark