Aligning model content in Layout

Is there an accurate way (to grid or by edge/endpoint) to align the content of two different SU models on the Layout page? For example, given SU models for two different objects, being displayed ortho, front and to scale, can the left hand edge of each be aligned vertically? The Layout viewport can be aligned but not, as far as I can see, the objects within the models. Thank you.

If you turn on Object Snap, your Move tool will snap to objects within the SketchUp view.

Anssi

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I place viewports on a page and align the sketchup model to scale. Several viewports on the same page. Later, after editing the sketchup model and updating the status from “old” to “new”, the viewports lose their formatting and the referenced sketchup model scene drifts to a new location. Very frustrating. Any advice?

(I’ve contacted sketchup tech support, but no response in 2 days.)

Save your SketchUp views as Scenes and set your LayOut viewports to reference those instead of the “Last saved SketchUp View”. In that way the camera and projection settings of the viewports will stay put when you update your model.

Anssi

Jeez this is an old thread, but i don’t see the problem answered sufficiently

i want to make standard draftsman’s orthographic view of say a single object : top, front, right, all at the same scale on a single page in Layout. I can make a scene for each view, or I can make a single scene and change the standard view, and copy the viewport to make the display.

So, HOW can i align the object edges exactly from one view to the next, so that all the edges line up perfectly. this way for example, you don’t need to repeat the same dimensions in the other views, and can easily visualize the object. Layout doesn’t seem to know where objects are within the viewport as there are no handles, which is what you would need to have in order to use an align command…

besides that i can only figure out how to do it manually, it is also approximate, neither of which are ideal. getting an exact result manually would be OK, if not tedious, but approximately is unacceptable.

not only that, but there appear to be inconsistencies with how the objects are scaled. they don’t match and i dont understand why. I have two orthographic views say top and right (these are rotated versions of top and front). the common dimension (front to back length)

viewed in layout is not the same length in paper units although the scale on the viewport is the same, and the views are orthographic and standard.

Can you share the LO file? It would be easier to give you exact help if we can see exactly what you are working with.

If I were going to show your case bottom in a multi-view illustration like you are working on. I’d probably set up a scene with two instances of the component with one rotated to show the end. This would give me a single viewport to work with in LO.

As an alternative I would create different scenes in SU for the different views and align them. I prefer to do that even with SU/LO 2020 rather than changing the views in LO. Either way, though, alignment is simple using the precise placement tool. Here I have a side view and rear view of a stack of drawers.

Actually, if you make separate scenes for the views in SU you should be able to simply copy and paste the first viewport, move it over with the cursor keys to maintain alignment and then select the other scene.

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Ok, so the alignment tool is interesting, I hadn’t been able to figure that out. That should be helpful.

But I still have a scale problem. I can reply with the attachment? I’d rather not post it to the forum

Send me the LO file in a PM then. Click on my name and then “Message”. You might need another post or two under your belt before you can send private messages, though.

Thanks for sending the file. I could see the problem with your viewports. You are correct that they didn’t show as the same size. I’m curious about the steps you went through to create those viewports. I copied the viewport for the plan view, selected the appropriate view from the list (Back for the right end view and Right for the front edge view) in the SketchUp model window and then adjusted the viewport size. The sizes are the same between the three viewports. I’m thinking you must have done something differently than I did.

I’ll send you the LO file back in a reply to your PM.