Section style additions

[stevebaer]

Moving to new topic since this will get lost in a 300+ long thread.

@archist97

Actually, I thought a Rhino 8 new feature, Section Style will be able to support different attribute for projection and section. However, it’s just hatch style. I don’t know why Mcneel call it ‘Section Style’.

What other attributes do you need? The section styles were designed to get the basics in for a start with the expectation that they would be extended in the future.

[Eugen]

@stevebaer

What other attributes do you need?

Section colors per section style, please, for a start (hatch foreground and background).
Decouple the display mode from this. It’s really too cryptic otherwise, UI-wise.
If there is an understandable logic behind the given design, I did not get it.

[stevebaer]

I can understand the request for a background fill color and I’ll investigate what it would take to add this. As far as the foreground color I’m trying to understand the case where this would need to be different than the source object’s color.

@Eugen

Decouple the display mode from this. It’s really too cryptic otherwise, UI-wise.
If there is an understandable logic behind the given design, I did not get it.

What display mode settings are interfering? I’m sure you’ve posted about this so my apologies in advance for not seeing this.

[Eugen]

(Will take a careful look when I’m back at the computer. Please don’t run away in the meantime…)

Let’s play the newbie role.
I create some object and a clipping plane through it, so that I get a hatch pattern at the section, for which I want to tune:
1 - background color
2 - foreground color (the hatch lines)
3 - line color and thickness for the section border

1:
Object’s section style is set to “by layer”. So I open the object layer’s section style, but only find settings for the hatch itself. No colors, no thicknesses.
So, is it maybe a property of the clipping plane? Let’s select it.
In the clipping plane’s properties, there’s a Section Style parameter, too. A litte bit confusing. Are these the settings for the objects this clipping plane clips? No, it’s for itself. A clipping plane can be clipped? Doesn’t make much sense.
(Also, clipping planes can have a material. Strange, too.)

Since I’m an advanced user, I know that the display mode plays a role in what is rendered in the viewport. Let’s say as a newbie, after a while, I figured that it might, and open the display mode “Shaded”.
Under Objects > Clipping Planes there’s a “Show Fills” checkbox. I turn it off, and the section hatch background disappears, but not the hatch lines. Strange again.

Aha, there are 3 options for that parameter:

but none of which caters to having a specific hatch background color per-object.

3:
Section border color. Same 3 parameters under “Show edges” in the display mode, same problem.
At least the option “Plane’s color” means, if the clipping plane sits on another layer, the section border gets that layer’s color. Testing, works. Still, this is not a per-object color.

Oh, there’s an edge thickness param, too, but in pixels. What if I want to set the border thickness in mm, for print? (Couldn’t figure. Any hints?)

1 again:
Testing the “Show fills” parameter “Plane’s material”… must be what the clipping plane’s material is for!
So, I’m tweaking it’s material, and nothing happens. Section hatch background color does not change.

2:
The object’s outlines and the section hatch line color seem to be coupled, and given by the layer color.
No setting for these in the display mode. Can’t seem to find it anywhere.
Giving up…

But in answer for your question

@stevebaer

What other attributes do you need?

these would be the complete set that make up the looks of a section, right?
Hatch foreground color, hatch background color, hatch line thickness, border color, border thickness, border linetype.
Next to what’s already there (hatch type, angle, scale).

Thanks!

[archist97]

I think attribute for hatch should be added as well. Display Color, Print Color, Lineweight for hatch should be also available through Section Style.
Thanks.

[Eugen]

@archist97

I think attribute for hatch should be added as well. Display Color, Print Color, Lineweight for hatch

Yes. That’s what I meant with hatch foreground color and background color. Agreed to Lineweight for hatch lines.

‘Normal’ hatches already have these params (except line weight):

Section hatches are hatches, too, right? → Same params.

[stevebaer]

@Eugen

Agreed to Lineweight for hatch lines.

You want to be able to have thicker lines in the hatch patterns? Currently they are drawn at 1 pixel thickness.

[Eugen]

Yes, why not.
How thick would a hatch line be in printing? Hairline? Why should it not be possible to adjust it, for whatever graphical reason?
But ok, if this is a problem, all the other params are more important.
Thanks!

[stevebaer]

Every attribute needs to carefully considered, this is why I ask. These affect the file format and user interface.

The only attributes that really aren’t available are background fill color and a toggle for boundary visibility when comparing sections to hatches.

[stevebaer]

@Eugen

Aha, there are 3 options for that parameter:

but none of which caters to having a specific hatch background color per-object.

Thanks, I’ll see what can be done to add new “By Object” display mode settings in this area that would be the new defaults.

[keithscadservices]

@stevebaer

I can understand the request for a background fill color and I’ll investigate what it would take to add this. As far as the foreground color I’m trying to understand the case where this would need to be different than the source object’s color.

In other programs (ACAD and Revit), I would make a concrete hatch. The foreground and background would both be shades of grey (but different shades). It ends up looking really good.

I used VARQ sections extensively. Played around with sections A LOT. They work good but the settings are scattered all over the place. They also don’t work with certain display modes. I had the time to play around (I was unemployed at the time hehe) but most users won’t. Even after figuring everything out it was next to impossible to remember what settings affected what. I have to second the opinion that having all the settings closer together would be much better.

It might have been mentioned above but being able to set the cut section’s material display to a different material for that object (or layer) would be a big plus. You can make a single object like this using the “planes material” setting, which produces cool results. But for multiple objects it gets tricky.

I understand the concerns with cluttering the interface with lots of different settings. My own personal preference would be to have the attributes in the layer properties, with the option to have the ability to override an individual object’s.

[Alessandro_Rietto]

Hello Everyone,
Will this property (section style) be added in the command prompt _-Properties _object _section style _…ByClippingPlane? or something similar. Meanwhile, can anyone think of a strategy to set this setting in a rhino macro?

[solarius (Colbert)]

Hi there,

A side note about blocks and section style : currently, the style applied is the one assigned to the blocks. There’s no way (or at least, I didn’t find the appropriate tweaks) to get the style based on each element of the block (which should be default imho).

Right is the same content as Left, in a block on another layer with another style.

[Screamer]

@stevebaer

What other attributes do you need?

I believe it’s already in the list, but just in case.
I would be happy to have independent settings (linetype, lineweight, color) for clipping curves.
With possibility to set “By layer”.
So different settings for hatch and clipping curves.
Thank you.