Hello,

Is there a way to keep the different layers generated by the vector export command in MoI using the Make2D command?

Hi OSTexo, that's how it should be working by default already.

For example if you draw 3 spheres, one each on Style = Red, Style = Green, and Style = Blue, when you run Make2D on it the 2D vectors generated in MoI should be on each of those styles as well. Like the silhouette of the red sphere will be a red curve, etc...

If that's not what you mean could you maybe describe it in some more detail?

- Michael

Hello Michael,

I apologize for the vagueness. I was thinking more along the lines of running the Make2D command and having the option to generate outlines and silhouettes and have those show up as styles in a similar way you are able to check the generate hidden box in the existing Make2D command. This would be helpful for me since I'd be able to stay in MoI to do preliminary cleanup and modification prior to vector export.

Thinking out loud it would also be great to have the option for the corresponding raster image (alpha masked?) to be generated on an underlying layer style to act as a reference for any vector layer modifications prior to export. Once the modifications are complete on the vector layers the selections can be made of the raster and vectors and those can be saved off to AI or PDF with layers. I realize that's running way outside of the scope of the original request, but it might make more sense when dimensioning is added to have that flexibility to stay in MoI to do the majority of work. The more work I can do in MoI the better, I'll admit I've been spoiled by the MoI toolset. Thanks.

Hi OSTexo, so right now there isn't any way in MoI to have some curves displayed thicker than others. In the regular PDF/AI export the outlines and silhouette types of output have greater thickness assigned to them to get their appropriate visual effect but directly inside MoI right now that wouldn't be able to happen and they'd just be stacked up right on top of regular visual lines. So that's why the Make2D command that generates the hidden line drawing and keeps it inside MoI does not have any option for generating those right now. That could change in the future at some point when MoI is able to have display thickness for different curves though.

- Michael

Hello Michael,

Understood. I was thinking more along the lines of being able to have the outline, silhouette, hidden and internal lines organized into their own styles. There wouldn't be stacking of lines one on top of another in that case, the outline would just be the outline of the object and the internal lines would just be the internal lines minus the outline. Does that make sense?

Hi OSTexo, maybe we're talking about different thing for what "outline" means? In MoI's PDF and AI export there is an option to generate outlines, which is an additional curve that's generated where visible lines are adjacent to the background.

So with this:



The "visible lines" are like this:



And the "outline" is like this:



So as you can see there are areas where there's both a visible line and and outline over the same area.

Right now there isn't any concept of separating out "internal visible line" that tries to exclude areas that are on the outline. Doing that would be a new feature in the hidden line engine itself, not just something involving layer assignments to the existing drawing. Then I worry about the UI to control that, it can get hard to describe these things in a clear way.

- Michael