Filling of 3D objects in 2D plan.

[Amarin]

Hello. 

I can't find a solution for very simple task - how can I make extrude objects (or other 3d body) look full colored in 2D plan? Since I extrude a 2D object it looses the filling, and looks empty, only contour stays, but the fill assigned stays "solid". If I apply a material to an object, it doesn't help either, in sections the object have the fill but in 2D plan it is still contours only. What  I can do only is to create a symbol from this object, and apply 2d View to it. But I don't need every detail to be a symbol. Is there any solution to do this? It looks like I'm missing smth very simple in the settings.

[Tom W.]

Another option is Create Auto Hybrid.

 

There are lots of other threads explaining why 3D objects display as wireframe in Top/Plan.

[scottmoore]

That is why VWX has hybrid symbols. For me, that was a major selling point for this program. 

[rDesign]

@Amarin If you want 3D objects (which were created by extruded 2D objects) to have a fill in Top / Plan view, you have to either create a 2D / 3D Hybrid Symbol or an Auto Hybrid as TomW suggested.

 

take a look at this video over at the Vw University portal.

 

Creating Hybrid Symbols

 

[Gaius]

@Amarin I think the simplistic solution is to work in Top View (which is 3D), in Orthogonal projection, which will maintain the flat working area.

That should provide the environment you are expecting.

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hello,

A really quick way to create a hybrid symbol from 3D only geometry is to do the following:

 

• Select the geometry, Modify>Create Symbol. This will create a 3D only symbol.
• Edit the symbol but choose to edit the 2D even though there isn't any.
• Right click on the page and in the contextual menu choose "Generate 2D from 3D component". Vectorworks does the 2D for you!
• You then have a choice of Wireframe or Hidden Line, click okay and then yes when it asks if you want this to be the 2D component.

 

 

 

 

 

Another handy manual method is to use the Render Bitmap tool as this gives you more options. This gives you Shaded and Renderworks including Artistic. Note you'll have to boost the DPI to 300 or so but there are more options for you, and all you have to do is add this to the empty 2D part of the symbol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

 

 

[Tom W.]

The OP said they were already making hybrid symbols: they were wondering whether that was the only option as they didn't need/want every object to be a symbol.

[BartH]

As @Gaius said,

 

Learn to use Numpad 5 and Numpad 0, to flip back and forth between Top/Plan (unfilled 3d objects*) and Top ( filled 3d Objects*)

*assuming shaded mode

[garrettohler]

@Amarin If you're willing to dig in to Marionette, I made a custom node that allows 2D to be automatically regenerated when updating 3D items.  We work with a number of items that it was annoying to create symbols for, so this automatically made them auto-hybrids:

 

[Amarin]

On 3/7/2025 at 7:52 AM, Tom W. said:

The OP said they were already making hybrid symbols: they were wondering whether that was the only option as they didn't need/want every object to be a symbol.

exactly, and I find your advice to make Auto Hybrid quite usefull, thnx. 

[line-weight]

4 hours ago, Amarin said:

exactly, and I find your advice to make Auto Hybrid quite usefull, thnx. 

 

The alternative is to use Horizontal Section Viewports instead of Top/Plan view. That is an alternative workflow that means you don't have to mess around making autohybrids - everything gets drawn according to its real geometry. Whether this is something worth you considering, depends on what kind of projects you work on. If you use a lot of custom-made 3d geometry, I recommend considering it.

[Pat Stanford]

The down side the to horizontal section viewport is that you don't get the 2D portion of Door/Windows, so you will not see door swings and you will get the "physical" instead of representative version of windows which may or may not be a problem depending on your use.

[line-weight]

46 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

The down side the to horizontal section viewport is that you don't get the 2D portion of Door/Windows, so you will not see door swings and you will get the "physical" instead of representative version of windows which may or may not be a problem depending on your use.

 

You can show the 2d portion of doors/windows if you want. There is a setting for HSVPs that lets you choose whether to display the 2d symbols, or the "physical" section through such objects.

[Pat Stanford]

3 minutes ago, line-weight said:

You can show the 2d portion of doors/windows if you want. There is a setting for HSVPs that lets you choose whether to display the 2d symbols, or the "physical" section through such objects.

Thanks for the information. Somehow I had missed that was an option.  Does it apply to all Hybrid symbols/PIOs or you can choose which ones to display 2D and which to display 3D?

[line-weight]

38 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

Thanks for the information. Somehow I had missed that was an option.  Does it apply to all Hybrid symbols/PIOs or you can choose which ones to display 2D and which to display 3D?

 

It applies globally (per viewport) but I have been requesting more granular control for a while now! Ideally it would let you choose per object or object type but at the moment that's not possible so it's all or nothing.

 

 

[Elite Exhibits]

On 3/4/2025 at 7:44 AM, Amarin said:

extrude a 2D object it looses the filling, and looks empty,

 

@Amarin

 

Pillar - Floor - Wall  - Single Item Hybrid

 

While we use thousands of Hybrid Symbols in our design work, a simple solution we tap into, is to create items from 2D filled Screen Plane shapes then convert / create Pillar - Floor - Walls. These 3D components are singular in nature and they are also 2D / 3D Hybrid without any additional work - without any additional components. (See attached)

 

We use Walls, not for walls as in architecture, but for their properties and additional settings in the OIP, compared to an extrude or a Hybrid Symbol

 

Peter