Building a house question

SketchUp
1

Hi-
When drawing a basic house is it necessary to assign each component to it’s own layers?
Layers example
0. Drawing layer

  1. Floor
  2. Walls
  3. Roof

Thanks
Mark

2

I would say that it’s helpful but not necessary.

3

Thanks.
If I draw the walls would the doors, windows ect be on separate layers?

4

If you plan to view the walls without the windows and doors, you should place them on separate layers.

5

There are no firm rules about that sort of thing. Keep in mind that layers are only used to control visibility. Decide what you want to show and how. Let that inform your choice of layers and what gets associated with each one.

6

I draw everything on layer 0 then block items (roofs walls doors) then put the blocks onto layers (works with components too). You can add and change layers as you go depending on how you intend to use the model. Sometimes separating roofs, walls etc. is useful. Most of the time actually but you need a system to do it properly.

7

I think it’s more important to group geometry logically and then sensibly name each group or component. As @Cotty and @DaveR pointed out, the layers only control what is visible or not. In general, all geometry should remain on Layer0 and whether you tag them with a different layer or not is subjectively up to you. I have found that it is worth drawing a quick sketch of where I’m going and deciding how to group things at the outset of any project. A little forethought goes a long way to preventing having to painfully rearrange things later. While you can certainly have a separate layer for each and every group, I think you will find it easier to put several related groups (or components) on a layer together (as @DebT pointed out).

8

I begin a house model with the foundation and start with layer 0.0_FOUNDATION. Then I model the foundation walls and footings and the slab with each getting a layer 0.1_Foundation Walls, 0.2_Concrete slab. Whatever elements that are specific to the foundation will be assigned a separate layer. Moving to the floor system 1.0_FLOOR SYSTEM, each element: 1.1_Floor Joists. 1.2_SubFloor, 1.3_Sill Plates and so on up through the house. Assigning each element or groups of elements their own layer allows me to control the visibility throughout to create the various scenes I will need in presenting the model in Layout. Any element/elements that will have different lineweights in Layout has to be on their own layer so that their respective viewports can be stacked in Layout when I prepare the final presentation and construction plans. That’s my two cents. Hope this helps.

1 Like
9

Thanks Paul great information.