Rhino WIP Feature: Shapes in linetypes

[stevebaer]

Linetype scale works on the dash patterns in these linetypes, but does not currently have any effect on the shapes. Is that what you expect?

[ivan.galik]

i understand current limitation but it should be thought that way that linetype scale has effect. scaling effect on the symbol as well as distance of symbols.

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Ivan -

@ivan.galik

scaling effect on the symbol as well as distance of symbols.

I’ve put that on the list as RH-89221 Linetype: ModelScale: Scale Shapes
-wim

[brian (Brian Gillespie)]

RH-88905 is fixed in Rhino WIP

[NickB]

Just skimmed the rest of the post. Are the shapes only 2D or can 3D shapes also be used?

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

@NickB

Are the shapes only 2D or can 3D shapes also be used?

Only curves and text can be used, but the curves can be 3D.
-wim

[Pipouille]

Thanks for the nice development! This will help a lot.

As mentioned, solid hatches would be very useful. With color support. For example, for the dual-color lines used in waterproofing details in architecture, as seen here.

The fact that this might not be supported in AutoCAD is maybe not such a problem, right? Rhino should follow its own path of development and aim to become even better. If linetypes with hatches cannot be exported to AutoCAD, that’s fine — AutoCAD users won’t ask for it if their software doesn’t handle it anyway, isn’t it? As long as the export preserves the linetypes that AutoCAD does support.

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Pip -

@Pipouille

As mentioned, solid hatches would be very useful. With color support. For example, for the dual-color lines used in waterproofing details in architecture, as seen here.

There’s a lot in RH-29232 so I’ve made that into a separate ticket: RH-89732 Linetype: Allow Hatches for Shapes

@Pipouille

The fact that this might not be supported in AutoCAD is maybe not such a problem, right?

Perhaps one should be able to explode complex shape linetypes into the individual elements?
→ RH-89733 Linetype: Explode into Shapes

-wim

[Pipouille]

Hi Wim,

Thanks!

@wim

Perhaps one should be able to explode complex shape linetypes into the individual elements?

That’s a simple great idea indeed!
Best,

Pip

[Joe4 (Joe Babb)]

This will be a great feature. I’m hoping you will make a short tutorial on using it.

[Joe4 (Joe Babb)]

Have you recorded a demo yet? I tried using the command and could not figure out how.

thanks,

Joe

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Joe -

@Joe4

I tried using the command and could not figure out how.

I’d be interesting to know where you get stuck with this one.
This is still a test command and it’s likely the workflow can change, so feedback would be good.

In the attached, I have already run the TestLinetypeWithShapes command once and had then selected the circle. The curve at the top is set to use the linetype.
I then select both the circle and the line and simply rerun the command without changing any of the settings. I then do the same selecting the circle, the line, and the text. Then finally, only the text and rerun the command to update the linetype.
Does that help?

-wim

[Joe4 (Joe Babb)]

I’m working in Windows 11. When I try it, the lines only show up properly in the perspective view. In Front or Top views they show up only as lines without the extras. I don’t understand what the Gap means if it is BBox (Bounding Box?). If the design and set up could be in the Linetypes dialog box I think it might be clearer. I understand you are in early days.

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Joe -

@Joe4

When I try it, the lines only show up properly in the perspective view. In Front or Top views they show up only as lines without the extras.

Please post that .3dm file and the output from the Rhino SystemInfo command.
-wim

[Joe4 (Joe Babb)]

Here’s the file.

playWithLinetypes-252910.3dm (40.6 KB)

and system info

Rhino 9 SR0 2025-10-21 (Rhino WIP, 9.0.25294.06305, Git hash:master @ e30e21fc82b0d0316b6de38e64dcbefeed40a88e)
License type: Commercial, build 2025-10-21
License details: Cloud Zoo
Expires on: 2025-12-05

Windows 11 (10.0.26100 SR0.0) or greater (Physical RAM: 31GB)
.NET 9.0.10

Computer platform: DESKTOP

Standard graphics configuration using DirectX
Primary display: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (NVidia) Memory: 12GB, Driver date: 9-5-2024 (M-D-Y). DirectX(11)

Accelerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)

• Windows Main Display attached to adapter port #0

Secondary graphics devices.
AMD Radeon™ Graphics (AMD) Memory: 1GB, Driver date: 1-11-2024 (M-D-Y).

Accelerated graphics device with 5 adapter port(s)

• There are no monitors attached to this device!

DirectX Settings
Safe mode: Off

OpenBLAS: OpenBLAS 0.3.29 DYNAMIC_ARCH NO_AFFINITY Cooperlake MAX_THREADS=64.

Rhino plugins that do not ship with Rhino

Rhino plugins that ship with Rhino
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\Commands.rhp “Commands” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\rdk.rhp “Renderer Development Kit”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\UpdatesAndStatistics\UpdatesAndStatistics.rhp “UpdatesAndStatistics” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\RhinoRenderCycles.rhp “Rhino Render” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\rdk_etoui.rhp “RDK_EtoUI” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\NamedSnapshots.rhp “Snapshots”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\MeshCommands.rhp “MeshCommands” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\RhinoCycles.rhp “RhinoCycles” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\Toolbars\Toolbars.rhp “Toolbars” 9.0.25294.6305
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\3dxrhino.rhp “3Dconnexion 3D Mouse”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\Displacement.rhp “Displacement”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 9 WIP\Plug-ins\SectionTools.rhp “SectionTools”

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Joe -

@Joe4

When I try it, the lines only show up properly in the perspective view. In Front or Top views they show up only as lines without the extras.

That is weird…
→ RH-90225 Linetype: Shape Linetype Display Issue Sample

@Joe4

I don’t understand what the Gap means if it is BBox (Bounding Box?).

In this example, the shape is the black diamond. Spacing is set to “20” and is the distance between two such shapes. The Gap is set to BBox - this will cut the base curve to the width of the shape. If that is set to less than the width of the shape, the base curve will be drawn inside the shape; if it is set to something larger than that width, there will be a gap between the base curve and the shape.
-wim

[Joe4 (Joe Babb)]

Thanks for the clarification.
I got an update to R9wip just now and tried the TestLinetypeWithShapes again.

PlayingWithLinetypes-253010.3dm (43.1 KB)

This one does display the shapes in Front and Top and Perspective, but to me it’s a bit confusing that the shape shows itself the same in Front and Top and Right. Is that intentional?

One other curiosity is that when I drew a polygon in that layer which is set to Shape, it drew the shape on one leg of that polygon. I could see that as desireable but shouldn’t it show the shape on each leg, or is it treating the lines of the polygon as one line?

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Joe -

@Joe4

[…] but to me it’s a bit confusing that the shape shows itself the same in Front and Top and Right. Is that intentional?

For now, it is.
I had that as a comment in a previous ticket but I’ve now put that in a new one:
→ RH-90226 Linetype: Draw Shapes in Single CPlane

@Joe4

One other curiosity is that when I drew a polygon in that layer which is set to Shape, it drew the shape on one leg of that polygon.

It should be drawn on all legs, but perhaps the polygon is too small to fit them?
-wim

[Sebastian_Blum]

Dear Steve,

for us architects a hatch line would be essential, since we need to draw all the water proving and vapor barriers like this. We switched from a typical architectural software to Rhino and these lines cost us a huge amount of time, since we need to do this manually all the time.

Thank you very much for taking on this challenge. It would help us a lot.

Sebastian

[wim (Wim Dekeyser)]

Hi Sebastian -

@Sebastian_Blum

for us architects a hatch line would be essential

I’ve added your post to RH-89732 Linetype: Allow Hatches for Shapes
-wim