What is ʼMake2Dʼ in Rhino?

Short Answer

In Rhino 3D, Make2D converts visible 3D geometry into 2D curves from the active view, which is the most common professional method for creating linework for drafting, layouts, and cad export. It works best with clean, organized model geometry. Limitation: complex scenes can produce overlapping or fragmented curves.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Make2D depends heavily on the current viewport and object visibility, so hidden, locked, or badly joined geometry can create missing or duplicate lines. A very common failure is running it from the wrong view and getting unusable 2D output.

How to Use Make2D in Rhino

• Command: Make2D

• Shortcut: No default shortcut

• Quick Steps:

  1. Select the 3D objects, then in the Top, Front, Perspective, or desired viewport, run Make2D from the command line.
  2. In the Make2D options, choose the current view or projection method, and set a real option such as Maintain source layers or Show hidden lines as needed.
  3. Press Enter to generate the 2D curves, then place and organize the result on the target layer for annotation or export.

Variables & Settings

• Key Setting: Maintain source layers keeps generated 2D curves organized by the original object layers, which is useful for documentation and lineweight control. Show hidden lines adds obscured edges, but can clutter drawings if enabled on dense models.

Why it Fails

• Cause 1 (Geometry): Bad polysurfaces, duplicated faces, or unjoined edges can create extra, broken, or missing 2D lines.
• Cause 2 (Layers/Locks): Hidden or locked objects may be skipped or only partially included, depending on selection and visibility state.
• Cause 3 (Command/Logic): Running Make2D from the wrong viewport or with hidden-line options set incorrectly often produces the wrong projection or too much linework.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

• Quick Fix: Clean the model with SelBadObjects, fix or simplify problem geometry, switch to the exact viewport you need, then rerun Make2D with Maintain source layers enabled.
• Manager’s Verdict: Use Make2D for fast drafting output, detail sheets, and DWG-ready linework, but avoid trusting the result blindly on messy production models without checking overlaps and broken curves.

FAQ

Does Make2D work from perspective view?

Yes, it can generate 2D output from the active Perspective view.

Can Make2D include hidden lines?

Yes, enable the Show hidden lines option in the command settings.

Is Make2D good for DWG export?

Yes, it is commonly used to create clean 2D curves before exporting to DWG.

.