Rhino Make 2D: diagramming in Rhino & Illustrator

Illustrator is an excellent program for creating simple, clean line diagrams to show the progression and development of a project. However, if you want to use specific 3D forms to customize the diagram to your project, it may mean using a combination of a digital design software with Illustrator. This is where Rhino comes in.

This tutorial shows how Rhino's Make 2D command can be used to draw 3D forms that can be made 2D and turned into a line diagram in Illustrator. The best part is that it is quick and easy!

Before you start drawing, know what the goal of the diagram is and how best to simplify it so that you can quickly represent it in Rhino. For the example used in this tutorial (diagram above), I wanted to illustrate how I arrived at the 'final' form of my design. I boiled the process down to these steps: I started with a simple box, split it into smaller parts, moved those parts, reconnected the parts, and then reoriented them to get to the end product. Now I will use Rhino to illustrate this, and bring the Rhino drawings into Illustrator to make my process diagram.

1. Draw the base shape in Rhino. To make the process easier, give it its own layer and re-name the layer.

Notice I also created my own view so that all of my diagram pieces will export at the same perspectival angle.

To Set the View:

Set the view you want using orbit and zoom

Save the view

To save the view:

Right click the View box > >Set View > Named Views > Save > proceed to name the view > OK > Close

This view should show up under your set views now.

2. Each step that you want to show in the diagram to be drawn on its own layer in Rhino, but with the same base point.

My diagram has five steps, so there are at least five layers in my drawing. Other layers that I have created are used for the elements (planes or objects) that affect the formal alterations of the box that I also want to show in my Illustrator diagram. It is easiest if everything that you want to represent in your Illustrator diagram is drawn in Rhino.

3. After all of the steps of the process are created in Rhino, the model is ready to Make 2D and then export into Illustrator.

• • You must Make 2D and export each step individually, so bring up your first step and make sure it is being seen on your screen under the view you created earlier.

  • At this part, I also like to have the Top View up next to my custom view.

• • Select your model in your custom view space, and type the command Make2D in the Rhino command line. Press Enter.

  • The Make2D options toolbar will come up. You may choose whether or not you can see the hidden lines, and what layers the visible and hidden lines will appear. I recommend having checked "Show Hidden Lines" and "Maintain Source Layers". Choose your settings and press OK

• • The 2D representation of your model will show up at the origin (0,0). This is best seen from the top view.

  • It will automatically be highlighted after it is created, so before you unhighlight it move it out from underneath the model.

• • Repeat this for each of your diagram steps.

  • Once you have all the 2D line drawings of your diagram steps you can bring them into Illustrator.

  • Highlight the 2D lines you want to bring into Illustrator. In the File menu, choose Export Selected. Choose the file type Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and save the selected linework in your designated folder.

• • It will ask if you want a Snapshot of Current View or Preserve Model Scale. Since I didn't draw my box at specific dimensions, I will choose Snapshot of Current View.

NOTE: The above is an example of making the linework of a Perspective drawing 2d. You may also export linework from an Axonometric view or making Plans/Section from your 3D model. Click on the respective links for those instructions.

Importing 2D Linework into Illustrator

1. Open your file in Illustrator. Illustrator can be used to do any simple editing like color filling or line alterations. For example:

• • My hidden lines came in as white, so I changed the line color for lines on that layer to grey so I could see them if I need to edit them at any point. I will later turn that layer off for now.

  • For simple line modification instructions such as line weight, line color, and transparency, click here.

• • I want to differentiate the planes intersecting the box from the box itself. I realize that these lines didn't show up in my Make 2D in Rhino. Because they are not complex, I can 'freehand' them in Illustrator with decent accuracy. If this were a final diagram, I would want to go back to my Rhino model and add them in there for accuracy.

• • To add color, highlight all the lines and make the object a Live Paint object. You can do this by using the shortcut, Alt-Ctrl-X, or go to the dropdown menu Object > Live Paint > Make

• • Use the Paint Bucket tool and color palette to fill your diagram parts with the desired colors.

5. Do this with the rest of your diagram steps in Illustrator, and add any arrows or annotations necessary for clarity. You may also want to put some parts of the diagram on different layers for ease of editing.

***Notice in the Rhino and Illustrator files attached that I have a site element on its own layer, as well as another set layers that create 'axis ribs' from my objects. To create these I used the Project command in Rhino. To make them into their own set of diagrams, however, I followed the same steps described above. ***