We’ve improved the Rhino WIP by adding functionality to create parallel lines.
What are Parallel Lines?
The Polyline command has been improved to include an Offset option, which creates a parallel line as you add a polyline to the model.
Why Parallel Lines?
Parallel lines are an important drafting element. On 2D drawings, double lines may represent walls, pipes, streets, and more.
Prior to Rhino WIP, double lines were typically created by offsetting a single Line or Polyline, or by drawing additional lines alongside the original. Either approach required manual cleanup of corners and intersections.
Double lines were also available through add-ons or scripts. This was inconvenient when working on a different computer or teaching a class.
The Rhino WIP brings parallel lines creation to native Rhino with options in the Polyline command.
How It Works
The Polyline command has been improved with an offset direction setting. When that is set, the Offset Distance and a Corner Style clean up option become available.
- Start the Polyline by picking a start location.
- Then enable the Offset option by selecting one of the offset styles.
- Set your offset distance and corner clean up style.
- Pick additional points for your polyline.
As you pick points the second segment will be offset and cleaned up in real time.
Offset Options
These options in the Polyline command control the configuration and behavior of the double line offset.
- Offset: None, Left, Right, Both
- OffsetDistance: distance from input line
- CornerStyle: None, Sharp, Round, Smooth, Chamfer
Offset Style
The offset style controls the direction that the offset polyline is created from the original polyline input. The offset polyline can be created left of the initial segments, right of the initial segments, on both sides of the initial input with no geometry at the centerline, or no offset with none.
Offset Right | Offset Left
| 
Offset Both
Corner Style
The corner style controls the way the corners on the offset polyline are finalized. They can be sharp, round with a radius equal to the offset distance, chamfered at a distance equal to the offset distance, or blended with the smooth option.
Sharp | Round
| 
Smooth | Chamfer
| 
Download the Rhino WIP and Try It Out!
Try it:
- Download and open file.
Try It-Parallel Lines.3dm (216.0 KB) - Zoom to the Offset: Left frame
Start the Polyline command.
Set:- Offset to Left,
- Offset Distance to 1
- Corner style to Sharp
- Cap to Flat
Pick numbered points.
- Zoom to the Offset: Right frame
- Turn on the Layer Offset Right and make it current.
Start the Polyline command.
Set:- Offset to Right
- Corner style to Round
Pick numbered points as shown.
- Zoom to the Offset: Both frame.
Start the Polyline command.
Set:- Offset to Both
- Corner style to Chamfer
Pick numbered points as shown.
- Zoom to the Floor Plan frame.
Start the Polyline command. Set:- Offset to right
- Offset Distance to 1
- Corner style to Sharp
- Cap to Flat
Pick numbered points as shown.
- Start the Polyline command.
Set:- Offset to both
- Offset Distance to 1
- Corner style to Sharp
- Cap to Flat
Pick numbered points as shown.
- Turn off layers:
- image
- points
- layers.
- Do any additional clean up with trim or fillet.
