Object

Type

The object type: curve, surface, polysurface, block name, etc. displays.

Name

Object names are stored in the Rhino 3DM file and exported to file formats that accept object names.

See: Naming conventions in Rhino

Naming conventions in Rhino.

Layer

To change the object's layers, select a layer from the list. Layers can be created, and their properties can be changed in the Layer dialog box.

Display Color

The color of the object can either inherit the color of its layer or be set as an object property.

By Layer

Uses the display color of the object's layer.

By Parent

When the object is in a block, it displays with the display color of its parent (the block instance).

This option is only useful for objects in blocks. Think of a block instance as a container that contains objects (block members). A block instance is the parent of its block members. A block instance has its own properties. If By Parent is selected in the properties of a block member, the properties will be controlled by the block instance.

Simple block example:

In this example, Block A contains a cylinder and a box. The Display Color of the box is By Parent and is controlled by its parent (Block A). The box will display Block A's layer color because the display color of Block A is By Layer. The cylinder will always display its own layer color and will not be changed by Block A.

Nested block example:

Now Block A is nested in Block B. The box still displays Block A's layer color because By Parent only works with the direct parent.
If the Display Color of Block A is changed to By Parent, the display color of the box will be indirectly controlled by its grandparent (Block B).

By Material

The object displays with the base color of the material assigned to it.

Assigning per-face materials to an Extrusion converts the Extrusion to a polysurface.

Custom

Pick a color from the Select Color dialog box.

Unset Color (For Sub-faces only)

Unset Color indicates the selected sub-face does not have a per-face color assigned.

When a per-face color exists, selecting Unset Color clears the per-face color.

To change polysurface/SubD sub-face color

Ctrl(CMD)+Shift+Click sub-faces before selecting a color.

Use the RemovePerFaceColors command to remove per-face display colors from an object.
To remove per-face display color from a specific face, use Unset Color.
Assigning per-face colors to an Extrusion converts the Extrusion to a polysurface.

Display Mode

By View

Sets the object to display with the viewport display mode.

<Display mode>

Select a display mode for the object to override the display mode of the current viewport. How the object displays in other viewports is not affected.

Multiple Viewports

Shows a dialog that lists all the viewports in the model. It allows you to set how the object displays not just for the current viewport.

SetObjectDisplayMode

Linetype

By Layer

Uses the linetype of the object's layer.

By Parent

When the object is in a block, it prints with the linetype of its parent (the block instance). Details...

Specified linetype

Uses a linetype from document linetypes.

Continuous

Border

Center

DashDot

Dashed

Dots

Hidden

Custom

Opens the Custom Linetype dialog to customize linetype settings for the object.

Linetype Scale

Sets the linetype scale for the object.

The object linetype scale will be multiplied by the global linetype scale.

Print Color

By Display

Prints using the display color.

By Layer

Prints using the layer color.

By Parent

When the object is in a block, it prints with the print color of its parent (the block instance). Details...

Custom

Prints using the color picked from the Select Color dialog box.

Print Width

By Layer

Prints using the layer print width.

Default

Prints using the default print width.

By Parent

When the object is in a block, it prints with the print width of its parent (the block instance). Details...

Custom width

Select a line width from the list, or type a number to customize the print width.

Hairlines are defined as 0.0001 mm curves and are not scaled by the Scale by multiplier value in the Print dialog.
Print width overrides linetype width in pixels, but not in length units.
Linetype width can display in viewports when print preview is on or off. Print width needs print preview to be on to display.

Define your own line widths (For Windows version only)

Add line width values to the printwidths.txt file in Rhino support folder > Localization > [Language] > Support

In the printwidths.txt file:

Lines begin with ; or // will be ignored.
Line width values have to be larger than 0.

No Print

Does not print.

Section Style

Controls how object's clipping section is filled.

By Layer

The clipping section is filled by the layer's Section Style.

By Parent

When the object is in a block, the clipping section is filled by the block instance's Section Style.

By Clipping Plane

The clipping section is filled by the clipping plane's Section Style.

Custom

The clipping section is filled by the object's own Section Style.

Hyperlink

Specifies a web page associated with the object.

Render Mesh Settings

Custom Mesh

Turns custom mesh settings on and off.

Settings

Adjust...

Adjusts mesh settings for the object to override Document Mesh settings.

Rendering

Casts shadows

Casts shadows on other objects and a ground plane.

Receives shadows

Receives shadows from other objects.

Isocurve Density

Density

Defines the number of isoparametric curves Rhino draws on the surface.

Value	Display
0	One isocurve at each knot; no isocurve in single-span cases.
1	One isocurve at each knot; one isocurve in single-span cases.
2	One isocurve at each knot; one extra isocurve between knot locations; one isocurve in single-span cases.
3	One isocurve at each knot; two extra isocurves between knot locations; two isocurves in single-span cases.

Show surface isocurve

Turns display of surface isoparametric curves.

To change the default isoparametric curve density for new objects

Go to Options > General.

Match

Set the properties of the selected object to match properties of another object in the model.

See: MatchProperties

To match properties

Select an object with the properties to match.
Check the boxes for the properties to match.

Details

Displays technical information of the selected object.

See: What.

Object Description

The object type: curve, surface, polysurface, block name, etc. displays.

Object ID

The object's internal identification number.

Layer name

The name of the layer assigned to the object.

Render Material

The name of the render material assigned to the object.

Source

Object, layer, or parent.

Index

The layer material index number.

Geometry

Details about the geometry mathematics, edges, vertices, and meshes.

When Model Units is Feet and Distance display is Decimal, Surveyor's Units (e.g., N 64°39'50" E 56.292') displays for line segments. Lines or polylines must be parallel to the World XY plane for Surveyor's Units to display.

SubD friendly information

When a curve or a surface is SubD friendly, its object description displays the information like:

Valid curve.

Open NURBS curve (SubD friendly)

What is SubD friendly?

See also

Object Properties

Attribute User Text

Texture Mapping