Adobe Illustrator (.ai) Import/Export
Opens or saves Adobe Illustrator (.ai) format.
Import
To open, import, insert, and attach a file as a worksession
-
From the File menu, click Open, Insert, Import, or Worksession > Attach.
- In the dialog box, select a supported file type.
- Click and configure the settings.
When you open a non-3dm file and save the model, its filename will be the default 3dm filename.
AI Import Options
Scale
Fit to default screen
Scales the objects to be visible in the default Top viewport.
Preserve units
Sets how to convert the file unit into the Rhino unit.
Always use these settings. Do not show this dialog again.
Saves the current settings and turns off the dialog display.
To turn the message back on
See also: ResetMessageBoxes command.
Notes
- Save your file from Adobe Illustrator as a version CS (version 11) or older file format.
- Rhino only reads curve geometry, not text. Convert text to curves before saving or exporting the Adobe Illustrator file.
- For files made in Adobe Illustrator, only geometry on the AI drawing board is included in the file.
- If there are multiple pages, you will have the opportunity to select which pages to import.
- PDF import options are used to open PDF-based .ai files. The Import Options dialog box title displays "AI(pdf)...".
Export
To save as or export a Rhino model
- On the File menu, click Export Selected or Save As.
- In the dialog box, the Files of type list displays the currently supported file types for export.
- In the Files of type box, select the supported file type.
- In the File name box, select or type a file name.
- Specify what is to be saved.
- If the export can be configured, click the button to specify export settings.
- Mesh file types export NURBS surfaces as meshes either with the specified meshing options, or the document render mesh settings.
| Options | |
|---|---|
|
Save small |
Though clearing the render meshes makes the file smaller, it will shade and render more slowly the next time you open the file. |
|
Save geometry only |
Saves geometry objects only. No layers, materials, properties, notes, or units settings are saved. This is similar to exporting the objects. A new file is made, but it does not become your active Rhino model. |
|
Save textures |
Embeds external textures used by materials, environments and decals into the model. |
| Save plugin data | Saves data attached to objects or the document by plug-in applications. |
AI Export Options
Scale
You cannot preserve the scale and units from a perspective viewport.
Snapshot of current view
Rhino exports the curves as a 2-D snapshot from the active viewport.
Preserve model scale
Sets the scale factor and units you want to use.
Color
RGB
Red, Green, Blue color system.
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black color system.
Options
Export viewport boundary
Exports a rectangle that corresponds to the current viewport boundary. It is useful for registering curves to renderings or screen captures taken in the same view.
Hatches exported as solid fills
If checked, hatches export to as solid fills.
If unchecked, hatches export as lines.
Order layers
Exports layers using their display order in the Layer panel. When unchecked, layers are sorted by layer indices.
Always use these settings. Do not show this dialog again.
Saves the current settings and turns off the dialog display.
To turn the message back on
See also: ResetMessageBoxes command.
Note
- Before exporting, position the objects in the active viewport the way you want them to fit the page in the illustration program.
- Rhino exports text and dimensions to AI files.
- Rhino exports NURBS geometry and polygon meshes as wireframe curves.
- Curves have fewer control points than the original because the Adobe Illustrator file format only supports non-rational cubic Bézier curves. Rational curves or curves higher than degree 3 are approximated with a cubic Bézier.
- If you draw curves using the free-form curve tools degree 3 or lower and export them from the top view, they won't get refit and will look exactly the same in Adobe Illustrator.
- Hatches export into AI as closed paths with standard solid fills.