WISH! Parallel guide lines in Rhino6

Hi! I’m a designer of wood furniture. In many CAD programs I use parallel guide tool. This allows me to quickly mark the holes. I’m glad that 6 version has a new guide tool! But can you realize parallel guide lines? Let I show you how this work) https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/d/e/dec3c261f3a6d985ab0d245f8a9b34af07f8f654.mp4

Thank you!

I agree - offsetting guide lines is good idea.

Hello - here’s a quick Python that may help for now - it let’s you pick a linear curve or edge or two points. Currently it does a few things badly

  1. It does not recognize a linear element in a polycurve or polyline - you’ll need to use the ‘TwoPoint’ option for these cases.
  2. In perspective views it does not always draw the preview line long enough, but it should still work.
  3. You need to click once to get the dynamic feedback line drawing. This is lame and I’ll see if I can sort out how to make that work right.

Also, I’m not sure selecting a line is really much more use than two point + an offset point. I’ll muck around some more.
To use the Python script use RunPythonScript, or a macro:

_-RunPythonScript "Full path to py file inside double-quotes"

AddParallelGuide.py (3.2 KB)

https://mcneel.myjetbrains.com/youtrack/issue/RH-50134

-Pascal

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Oh, Pascal! Thank you so much! It looks good. I create button and with SmartTrack On I can type distance. I record how it works.

Not very fast (many times need to click) but still the best solution! Thank’s

To enable the Two point line selection mode immediately add in macros this:

Now work faster!

To make this kind of an offset base for creation of circles or other objects I simply use the “Offset curve” tool. Works with 2 mouse clicks when the offset base must be created at equal distances for both direction, or 4 mouse clicks when then the distances are different.

Offset is very good tool, but for other purposes. Marking easier to do with help lines. For ex. PS and Corel use this tool effectively.

Hello - to make it work contiunuously, use a repeat character (*)in the macro:

*_-RunPythonScript "G:\My Drive\Scripting\AddParallelGuide.py"

*_-RunPythonScript "G:\My Drive\Scripting\AddParallelGuide.py" TwoPoints

You can also put these macros on aliases on Options> Aliases so that they can work almost like commands, and these aliases can then go on the buttons or be typed etc.

It is also not hard to make the script itself repeat - I don’t know if, for most users, that is the best thing but I can add that at some point as well.

At any rate, I’m glad it helps some.

-Pascal

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Wow! I didn’t know about repeat character (*). It really speeds up the process. Thank you for this New year gift for me!)) I dreamed about parallel guides!

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