Graphic Rule - VHL Dialog Box - Intergraph Smart 3D - Reference Data

Intergraph Smart 3D Drawings and Reports Reference Data

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Reference Data
Smart 3D Version
11 (2016)

Sets options for a specific Visible/Hidden Lines (VHL) graphic rule. The VHL graphic rules create a wireframe representation of objects, where just the outline of the object is drawn. You can open this dialog box in the Select Graphic Rule dialog box by selecting Visible/Hidden Lines (VHL) in the Graphic Rule Type box and clicking Properties.

Rule Name

Specifies the name of the graphic rule. The rule name can be up to 128 characters long.

Description

Describes the rule.

Aspect

Provides a list of available aspects that can be resymbolized independently. For example, you might have pipes that use an insulation aspect, and you want both the pipe and its insulation symbolized uniquely on the drawing. You can use this property on the VHL graphics to resymbolize both the pipe and its insulation. For more information, see Apply Symbology to Graphic Object Aspects.

Show aspect

Specifies that you want to show the selectee aspect symbology for the selected objects within the drawing. This option can be specified independently for each aspect.

Graphic Module

Specifies a module that allows you to customize the graphics included in your graphic rule. See Custom Graphic Modules.

For orthographic drawings, this module affects only those items that meet the criteria of the filter on the selected row of the table in the View Style Properties Dialog. To apply a module to all items in the view style, choose a Graphic Preparation Rule on the View Style Properties Dialog.

Visible Line Style

Specifies the line style for visible edges of objects and for centerlines in the Centerline aspect.

Hidden Line Style

Specifies the line style for edges of an object hidden by the surface of other objects and for centerlines in the Centerline aspect. The line style is shown as dashed red in the example below.

Hidden By Self Line Style

Specifies the line style for edges of an object that are hidden by the surface of the same object and for centerlines in the Centerline aspect. The line style is shown as dashed red in the example below.

Occluded Line Style

Specifies a line style when the line is aligned with and completely hidden by edges of another object. For example, you may use this style when you have two objects that are aligned but at different elevations. The line style is shown as dashed red behind the solid black visible line in the example below.

Occluded lines are drawn but are frequently not visible because the visible line style dominates.

Clipped Line Style

Specifies a line style for an object that is clipped by the drawing view. You can use this style to distinguish between different clipped objects. For example, the following image shows a clipped object with a Zig-Zag line style:

Clipped Line Style

Layer

Specifies the drawing layer (or level, if saving to a MicroStation file) on which the graphic is placed. For example, type LinesAndSymbols in the value field to place your VHL graphics on the LinesAndSymbols layer of your drawing. If the layer does not already exist in the template you are using to create drawings, the software creates the layer automatically.

For graphic rules used in the conversion to MicroStation files, the software only recognizes whole numbers between 1 and 63, inclusive, in the Layer field. Other values are ignored, and the object is placed on level 1 in the DGN file.

Visible Fill Style

Specifies the fill style for visible surfaces of objects within the clipped area of the view. Every face of every instance of the objects matching the applied filter in the view style will have the selected fill style. For an example workflow showing how fill styles can be applied, see Apply a Visible Fill Style to a Drawing. In the following graphic, everything that is a slab (everything except the two barrels and the wall piece) has a Hexagon fill style applied.

Clipped Solid Fill Style

Specifies the fill style for clipped faces of objects that match the applied filter in the view style. See Apply a Clipped Solid Fill Style to a Drawing. For example, the following graphic shows where a clipped wall surface is filled with a Honeycomb fill style, while the underlying slab surfaces (also clipped) are not filled.

Make Clipped Solid Monolithic

When set to Yes, specifies that all solid objects assigned with this graphic rule are based on the view style tests they passed (Filter, Orientation, Clipping) and that all of the objects in each group are merged into a transient object. The software finds the intersection body or contour of the transient object with the drawing volume. Only the intersection contour is drawn and filled on the top of the constructing objects, masking out their common internal edges. See Use the Make Clipped Solid Monolithic Option.

Aspect (Multi-Select)

Specifies the envelope around the objects for VHL processing. Examples are maintenance or insulation envelopes. You can select multiple aspects by holding the CTRL or SHIFT keys. This setting is currently not supported.

Show Centerline

Specifies whether the centerline displays in addition to the 3D graphics. If you reset this property to No, the Centerline Visible Line Style, Centerline Hidden Line Style, and Centerline Extension boxes display <Not Drawn>.

Centerline Visible Line Style

Specifies the line style for a visible centerline.

Centerline Hidden Line Style

Specifies the line style for a hidden centerline.

Centerline Extension

Specifies the length of the extension at the ends of a centerline.

  • Centerlines are only drawn on the appropriate types of geometry on equipment, such as revolved surfaces, tori, cones, ruled surfaces with elliptical top and base curves, and projections.

  • Centerlines are drawn for all straight pipe, bent pipe, pipe nozzles, and HVAC nozzles.

Clipping

Indicates whether or not the graphics are clipped within the drawing. For example, in plan views, certain objects such as stairs or ladders are best represented unclipped by the drawing volume. You would specify a filter row in the view style for stairs or ladders and set this option to unclipped to achieve the needed graphic representation.

Make Transparent

Specifies how transparency is applied to an aspect:

  • No - The aspect will not be transparent.

  • For all objects in view - Full transparency. The aspect of the object is transparent for all other objects and all aspects of the same object (that is, it does not hide other objects or aspects of the same object).

  • For other aspects of same objects - Relative transparency between objects. The aspect of the object is transparent only for other aspects of the same object (that is, the given aspect does not hide other aspects for the same object, such as the flanges and web of a built-up member, but hides other objects).

In orthographic view styles, the Make Transparent option is especially useful when you need to show objects beneath another object. In drawings by rule view styles, the Make Transparent option is only available for members. For example workflows, see Apply Transparency to an Orthographic View Style.

Tangent Edge Visible Line Style

Specifies the line style for visible tangent edges of objects.

  • There is not currently a separate property for specifying the line style of hidden tangent edges. Smart 3D uses this property for any visible, hidden, occluded, or self-occluded tangent edges.

  • This property uses the Fully Transparent line style to suppress turn feature edges in duct runs. You can change the value to any visible line style to draw the suppressed edges.

  • All line styles are found in the Styles.sha and IS Styles.sha file, located in the [Reference Data Folder]\SharedContent\Drawings\Catalog\Templates folder. You can add new line styles to this file.

  • Drawing view styles work in a top-to-bottom priority order. If an object finds its match in several different filters, the last graphic rule applied (bottommost row) is used.

  • You can create new line styles to use with the properties on this dialog box. For more information, see Create Line Styles to Use in Drawing View Styles.

See Also

View Style Properties Dialog Box
Graphic Rules
Select Graphic Rule Dialog Box