topic Re: Hidden Visual Style in AutoCAD Forum

Hidden Visual Style

dwahlz — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 14:03:17 GMT

I'm struggling to figure out how to show and print 3D piping clearly. I'd like to show it as I believe the hidden display style should show, where I get the outline of everything, but linework doesn't show through objects.

When I have the hidden display style set, the outline of objects do not seem to carry through when objects cross over other objects. When I modify the Hidden Visual Style to include Isolines, the pipes are easier to see what is in front of what, but all the lines through the pipe make things difficult to read in a print.

Hidden Visual StyleHidden with Isolines turned on

Thanks

Re: Hidden Visual Style

john.vellek — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:42:49 GMT

Hi @dwahlz,

Have you tried to Render this to see how it might improve the display?

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

leeminardi — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 17:37:17 GMT

First (very important) set DISPSILH = 1. Then see if you get the results you want with the Hidden visual style. If not, set the visualstyles to 2d wireframe and give the HIDE command.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

john.vellek — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 21:39:35 GMT

Hi @dwahlz,

I am checking back to see if my post or @leeminardi's helped you with your problem. Please mark a post or posts as accepted solutions if they resolved the issue or give me a bit more detail on this issue so we can continue to work towards getting this solved.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

Michiel.Valcke — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 10:29:14 GMT

Have you tried to start from X-Ray or Shaded with Edges?

If I need to make a clear representation of intersection solids, that shows both depth as well as relative position of the different items I usually start with one of these two visual styles.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

dwahlz — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 13:00:50 GMT

Hello,

Thank you for the responses!

Sorry for the delay, some priorities shifted, and just getting back to this.

I have tried all the suggestions so far with the exception of rendering the view. Nothing seems to get the results I need. The rendering is not what our client is looking to do.

I have worked with the client a bit more on this to get additional information, and they are looking to use their pen table on this as well. The client indicated that they generally print with a shaded viewport of the Legacy Hidden style. The problem with the file we provided is that the piping has all the lined through it when in this style.

I'm trying a few more things this AM, as I am curious if this is due to the type of objects the "pipes" are. The pipes were extracted from a point cloud via Edgewise, exported to COE, and brought into ACAD. I have a few options for object types that the pipes are exported to (extrusions/mesh/solid/etc...), hopefully one of these options will provide better results.

In the legacy hidden style, the edges do display fine when objects "cross over one another", the only issue is the lines through the cylindrical objects (pipes).

Thank you

Re: Hidden Visual Style

john.vellek — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 20:43:15 GMT

Hi @dwahlz,

Is it possible to attach a sample drawing for me to play with? I am wondering if a FLATSHOT might get you closer on this issue.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

dwahlz — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 20:45:39 GMT

Hi John, yes, thank s for taking a look.

I'll give the FLATSHOT a try, that one is new to me.

Thanks.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

leeminardi — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 22:00:16 GMT

I think the main problem with the drawing is how the straight pipes are represented. They are defined as a circle with a non-zero thickness where the thickness value represents the length of the pipe. To produce a good hidden line drawings these straight pipes should be changed to solid objects rather than circles. You could do this manually by opening the properties window, selecting a straight pipe and changing it thickness to zero and then use extrude and set the height what was the thickness value. This could also be done with a relatively simple AutoLISP program.

Try changing a few pipes manually to see if it yields the results you want.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

SEANT61 — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 22:27:00 GMT

I Think Lee is on to something. The ConvertToSolid command can do the task en masse. see attached. Some of the missing line work is no doubt due to interfering solids.

Re: Hidden Visual Style

dwahlz — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 12:30:21 GMT

Awesome!! That's what we're looking for! Thanks a lot all!

Re: Hidden Visual Style

dwahlz — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 12:46:49 GMT

Just incase anyone references this down the road, the command Sean refers to is CONVTOSOLID.

Thanks again!

Re: Hidden Visual Style

dwahlz — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 12:52:10 GMT

This also fixes the rendered hidden visual style as well...

Re: Hidden Visual Style

MottMa — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:52:02 GMT

This was the solution for me. I was looking to get rid of all the triangles that show up on a 3D cylinder when you print using legacy hidden.