Rhino 8 Vector Printing Broken?

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Since about a month ago, I’m not able to print Vector properly anymore. I was hoping it would get fixed in an update over Christmas break, but the issue persists:

As you can see above, a view type like Pen, Hidden or any of the custom ones I’ve made display properly when I set the view to “Print Preview”, but going to the print window, it comes out Wireframe and the resulting PDF is wireframe too.

This doesn’t happen when printing a view directly - only in the sheet layout space. We are getting ready to switch from Rhino 7 with VisualARQ to Rhino 8 and I was very excited to see vector printing properly supported for so many view types. Such an unfortunate roadblock 99% of the way in before we commit.

We can’t keep going back and forth between 7 and 8 for printing and would like to take full advantage of Rhino 8’s new features including baked-in section tools. Any fixes? We’ve tried a slew of trouble-shooting to see if it was our end, but can’t seem to get it to work the way it when I tested it on version 8.0.23304.09001 (that’s the version on the installer I used). I doubt it makes a difference, but here is the test file from the screenshots:

broken vector print - new test, straight from the template.3dm (48.6 KB)

Current system info if it helps:

Rhino 8 SR2 2023-12-12 (Rhino 8, 8.2.23346.13001, Git hash:master @ dbefe46c12cda06610a9ab683a211aa3d16f0030)
License type: Evaluation, build 2023-12-12
License details: Cloud Zoo
Expires on: 2024-02-13

Windows 11 (10.0.22621 SR0.0) or greater (Physical RAM: 39Gb)
.NET 7.0.7

Computer platform: LAPTOP - Plugged in [76% battery remaining]

Non-hybrid graphics configuration.
Primary display and OpenGL: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design (NVidia) Memory: 6GB, Driver date: 5-5-2022 (M-D-Y). OpenGL Ver: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 512.78
> Integrated accelerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
- Windows Main Display is laptop’s integrated screen or built-in port
Primary OpenGL: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design (NVidia) Memory: 6GB, Driver date: 5-5-2022 (M-D-Y). OpenGL Ver: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 512.78
> Integrated accelerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
- Windows Main Display is laptop’s integrated screen or built-in port

Secondary graphics devices.
AMD Radeon™ Graphics (AMD) Memory: 1GB, Driver date: 6-17-2021 (M-D-Y).
> Integrated accelerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
- Secondary monitor is laptop’s integrated screen or built-in port
- Secondary monitor attached to adapter port 1

OpenGL Settings
Safe mode: Off
Use accelerated hardware modes: On
Redraw scene when viewports are exposed: On
Graphics level being used: OpenGL 4.6 (primary GPU’s maximum)

Anti-alias mode: 4x
Mip Map Filtering: Linear
Anisotropic Filtering Mode: High

Vendor Name: NVIDIA Corporation
Render version: 4.6
Shading Language: 4.60 NVIDIA
Driver Date: 5-5-2022
Driver Version: 30.0.15.1278
Maximum Texture size: 32768 x 32768
Z-Buffer depth: 24 bits
Maximum Viewport size: 32768 x 32768
Total Video Memory: 6 GB

Rhino plugins that do not ship with Rhino
C:\Program Files\Common Files\McNeel\Rhinoceros\7.0\Plug-ins\ClippingBox (4dfff1df-5f09-43ae-a044-77b115244b02)\1.0.0.0\Rhino 6\ClippingBox.rhp “ClippingBox” 1.0.0.0
C:\Users\Wortley_Design\AppData\Roaming\McNeel\Rhinoceros\BlockEditNew\BlockEditNew.rhp “BlockEdit” 1.0.0.0
C:\Program Files\SimLab\Plugins\SimLab PDF From Rhino\SimLabPDFExporter.rhp “SimLab PDF Exporter”

Rhino plugins that ship with Rhino
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Commands.rhp “Commands” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\rdk.rhp “Renderer Development Kit”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoRenderCycles.rhp “Rhino Render” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\rdk_etoui.rhp “RDK_EtoUI” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\NamedSnapshots.rhp “Snapshots”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\MeshCommands.rhp “MeshCommands” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoCycles.rhp “RhinoCycles” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\SectionTools.rhp “SectionTools”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoCode\RhinoCodePlugin.rhp “RhinoCodePlugin” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Toolbars\Toolbars.rhp “Toolbars” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\3dxrhino.rhp “3Dconnexion 3D Mouse”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Displacement.rhp “Displacement”

[Raphael4 (Raphael)]

I have the same problem as you. The Vector Output is always just showing the wireframe. Even the display colors are fully ignored.

And when I use the Raster Output I get a really bad PDF as a result. Eventhough in the print preview is shown correctly.

Print preview:

PDF Result:

When I print a view directly as Vector Output it crashes the whole PDF. Raster Output is working though.

I tried everthing in Rhino 7. And it worked there without any problems.

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

@wortley.jb in the sample file you have sent, all views here open in wireframe, so I suspect you are using custom displays?

I am seeing some unexpected results on my end as well though, mainly Pen looks to be broken, printing as wireframe.

Can you print the attached with default display modes? (if you modified them, use OptionsExport to store the changes (this will take a while), then restore defaults for each display modes. Later you can restore the changes you made to display modes with OptionsImport, checking ‘Advanced Display’)
vector_test.3dm (440.1 KB)

@Raphael4 can you run _systeminfo in Rhino and post back the results?

[Raphael4 (Raphael)]

Rhino 8 SR2 2023-12-12 (Rhino 8, 8.2.23346.13001, Git hash:master @ dbefe46c12cda06610a9ab683a211aa3d16f0030)
License type: Studentenlizenz, build 2023-12-12
License details: Cloud Zoo

Windows 11 (10.0.22631 SR0.0) or greater (Physical RAM: 16Gb)
.NET 7.0.0

Computer platform: LAPTOP - Plugged in [80% battery remaining]

Hybrid graphics configuration.
Primary display: Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics (Intel) Memory: 1GB, Driver date: 12-12-2022 (M-D-Y).
> Integrated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
- Windows Main Display is laptop’s integrated screen or built-in port
Primary OpenGL: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (NVidia) Memory: 6GB, Driver date: 12-6-2023 (M-D-Y). OpenGL Ver: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 546.33
> Integrated accelerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
- Video pass-through to primary display device

Secondary graphics devices.
Citrix Indirect Display Adapter (Citrix Systems Inc.) Memory: 0MB, Driver date: 1-23-2019 (M-D-Y).
> External USB display device with 8 adapter port(s)
- There are no monitors attached to this device. Laptop lid is probably closed

OpenGL Settings
Safe mode: Off
Use accelerated hardware modes: On
Redraw scene when viewports are exposed: On
Graphics level being used: OpenGL 4.6 (primary GPU’s maximum)

Anti-alias mode: 4x
Mip Map Filtering: Linear
Anisotropic Filtering Mode: High

Vendor Name: NVIDIA Corporation
Render version: 4.6
Shading Language: 4.60 NVIDIA
Driver Date: 12-6-2023
Driver Version: 31.0.15.4633
Maximum Texture size: 32768 x 32768
Z-Buffer depth: 24 bits
Maximum Viewport size: 32768 x 32768
Total Video Memory: 6 GB

Rhino plugins that do not ship with Rhino

Rhino plugins that ship with Rhino
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Commands.rhp “Commands” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\rdk.rhp “Renderer Development Kit”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoRenderCycles.rhp “Rhino Render” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoRender.rhp “Legacy Rhino Render”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\rdk_etoui.rhp “RDK_EtoUI” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\NamedSnapshots.rhp “Snapshots”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\MeshCommands.rhp “MeshCommands” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\IronPython\RhinoDLR_Python.rhp “IronPython” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoCycles.rhp “RhinoCycles” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoCode\RhinoCodePlugin.rhp “RhinoCodePlugin” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Toolbars\Toolbars.rhp “Toolbars” 8.2.23346.13001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\3dxrhino.rhp “3Dconnexion 3D Mouse”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Displacement.rhp “Displacement”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\SectionTools.rhp “SectionTools”

I will try to reset the display modes like you said later today and try it again.

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

@Raphael4 thanks,

I’m testing here in a daily build, and raster seems to work as expected. I will install and test the latest public build to compare

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

I’m posting my results of the file I just posted. In latest 8.2 public build I see that all technical display modes are broken (Pen, Technical, Monochrome, Artistic)
If you download and install the latest Rhino 8.3 RC, it should work better
raster_test_public8.3_RC.pdf (499.1 KB)
vector_test_public8.3_RC.pdf (391.4 KB)
vector_test_public8.2.pdf (382.4 KB)
raster_test_public8.2.pdf (500.5 KB)

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Hi @Gijs,

I’m using a modified copy of Wireframe where the point sizes are 1 instead of 3. The drafting view is a duplicate of technical, but with hidden objects turned off and point sizes adjusted from 3 to size 1 as well. My built-in views are unmodified, but I’ve reset them again anyway and done these prints of Pen and Technical display modes:

broken vector print test - pen and technical (from sheet layout space).pdf (601.8 KB)
broken vector print test - technical (from model space).pdf (10.2 KB)
broken vector print test - pen (from model space).pdf (1.8 KB)

Both printed in sheet view and model view:

Model:
broken vector print - new test, straight from the template 2.3dm (392.4 KB)

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

@wortley.jb can you update to the latest 8.3 RC and see if that works better for you?

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi -
As Gijs says, the SR 3 candidate will work better than the SR 2 versions that you are running.

In addition to that, several issues with vector printing are fixed in the in-house SR 4 version, and more are on the list to be fixed.

I agree that, at this point, this isn’t completely reliable.

@Raphael4

Citrix Indirect Display Adapter (Citrix Systems Inc.) Memory: 0MB, Driver date: 1-23-2019 (M-D-Y).

In our experience, the presence of Citrix on a system is likely to cause crashes. I’d try to uninstall anything related to that.
-wim

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Thanks @Gijs,

This update helps a lot and it is 90% there, but getting some strange things happen on cylindrical and complex models:

For reference, here it is working on Rhino 7 with VisualARQ:

And how it should look according to the Rhino 8 Print Preview on the layout:

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi -

@wortley.jb

but getting some strange things happen on cylindrical and complex models:

Can you post or upload that model?
Thanks,
-wim

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Hi @Wim,
It’s client work, so I can’t post it just as is and I have made an isolated portion of the exploded component blocks and exported that. This at first seemed to have mitigated most of the display issues…

…except for some, and made me come to the conclusion the issue is maybe to do with blocks (which is no good to me since I need these as blocks), and exploding them does kinda seem to have an affect, but when I created new Detail Views, the display errors looked better, but not fixed, so that’s also a dead end:

No idea what to make of this. I’ve made this test file if it helps:
print issues export 3.3dm (6.6 MB)

If you do need the full file, let me know what email to address it to in the upload tool and I’ll send it directly.

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

hi @wortley.jb thanks for the file, I can repeat the issues with the block instances

fwiw: there is only one view with exploded blocks on that layout, the others are all copies of the view with blocks.

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Hi @Gijs,

Yes, sorry - my notes weren’t super clear. Only one view was of the exploded blocks. I didn’t make duplicates of that view. I tried to keep everything there just one step removed from the original view of the blocks. Let me know if you manage to make heads or tails on a solution and I’ll download update as soon as I can.

[Gijs (Gijs de Zwart)]

RH-79540 Block instances don’t print well in Vector mode

RH-79541 imprecise vector result in print

[mi.land]

Thanks for this kind of testing , could you do the same file test with a clipping plane.
Some objects included some excluded i am sure there will be more bugs to discover.
Like i tried to describe:

Collection of Layout, Print, PDF & Displaymode Bugs & Wishes

Hello @wim @brian @stevebaer and the rest of the layoutteam, I had servals posts and wanted to structure my findings and problems. I reseted my rhino and tried the problems with the newest build: System Info.txt (2.8 KB) Bug list: 1 Lines of the excluded object are suddenly disappearing after selecting cliping plane or moving an object. Happens in all “technical” displaymodes. Happens unpredictable. Problems can occure when there is a clippingplane with 1 object excluded and 1 included an…

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Hi @stevebaer,

In regards to RH-79541, the issue Gijs was reporting is that the views, Make2D etc all show the proper geometry, but that printing results in inaccurate vector lines. Some lines and some planes missing and one line gets drawn through a face in front of it. I’ve marked the ones I could pick out here:

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Hi @Gijs & @wim,

Any luck or news on the vector printing front? I haven’t seen much on the issue trackers in the last week apart from Wim getting a related issue working on 8.5 (which doesn’t seem a ready candidate for download yet to test the rest).

I’ve got 4 guys who are able to work on Rhino 7 with VisualARQ for now, but I need to get one more licence this month and another a month or so from now and we need to be able to make accurate vector PDF prints to perform our work. We’re quite deep into our transition to Rhino 8 and would really appreciate a solution soon if possible.

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi -

@wortley.jb

Any luck or news on the vector printing front?

Only that it is getting better every day. I filed a few issues with clipping planes that were resolved so quickly that I haven’t had a chance to test it yet.
The blocks issue is still open, though.
A de-blocked version of your file looks like this:

→ 2024-01-17.pdf (16.5 KB)

@wortley.jb

[…] 8.5 (which doesn’t seem a ready candidate for download yet to test the rest)

Here’s a link to an inhouse 8.5. Note that these are pretty much not tested at all, but, if you want, they can give you an idea of where we are at the moment.
-wim

[wortley.jb (Johandré Wortley)]

Thanks Wim,

Glad that that we’ve gotten naked geometry working! This at least gives me an avenue for a workaround on smaller jobs by saving exploded copies for now. I will give that in-house test version a shot in the morning.

If you guys get close on the blocks front and want somebody who can stress-test it on complex nested block models, please shoot me a message.

Thanks for keeping up the good work!