# Can I generate a report without a hidden object? **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Created:** [November 25, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634 "2019-11-25T00:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cabarsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Cabarsa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Cabarsa)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/1 "2019-11-25T00:24:04Z")
Can I generate a report without a hidden object or hidden layer appearing? I have a dynamic component, which has 3 objects in it, only one appearing on the screen, but in the report 3 =/ Tried to turn off layer, hide, always appears in report = / ---
**Author:** ![MikeWayzovski](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/mikewayzovski/32/98346_2.png) [@MikeWayzovski](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/MikeWayzovski)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 7:23am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/2 "2019-11-25T07:23:24Z")
Alas, this is not possible, (yet?) You need to filter the csv yourself Adding an xtra attribute might ease things up ---
**Author:** ![pcmoor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/pcmoor/32/3427_2.png) [@pcmoor](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/pcmoor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 10:32am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/3 "2019-11-25T10:32:56Z")
You could use custom attributes that do not add a value if hidden [count visible.skp](https://forums.sketchup.com/uploads/short-url/5Pj7gwxYBKepj68kaSPFnGG6VZ8.skp) (107.4 KB) edit to sum count ---
**Author:** ![Cabarsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Cabarsa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Cabarsa)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/4 "2019-11-25T14:47:08Z")
It’s cool, but it doesn’t work, it still appears in the report but with a blank line or with the quantities. ---
**Author:** ![pcmoor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/pcmoor/32/3427_2.png) [@pcmoor](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/pcmoor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/5 "2019-11-25T21:15:56Z")
You could simplify the DCs using a ruby script that deletes the hidden subs, if you find you need to alter one of the DCs later then replace the instance with its definition, it will reactivate with its current settings. ```auto def remove_hidden(instance) children = instance.definition.entities.select { |e| e.respond_to?(:definition) } children.each { |c| remove_hidden(c) c.erase! if c.hidden? } end remove_hidden(Sketchup.active_model.selection.first) ``` This is one of Julia Eneroth’s solutions- > [@Select all sub-components in a selection](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/select-all-sub-components-in-a-selection/54361/2): > > This is quite easy to do but in most cases a bad idea. The user will not expect entities outside of the active drawing context to be selected. In my view this should only be done in the extreme case when the whole point of the plugin is to be able to select outside the current drawing context. If the purpose of the plugin is something else it’s better to find another solution. # Select an instance and run snippet to select all child instances. def select\_children(instance) children = instance… this would remove the hidden subs of selected item(s) and could be attached to a button created in Aerilius’ toolbar editor (extension warehouse) ---
**Author:** ![Cabarsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Cabarsa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Cabarsa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/6 "2019-11-26T13:58:31Z")
thank you, it would be very complex. Would you change a Nesting Levels Component through a condition? if it is hidden change to another level, so I can generate a report from one level above. ---
**Author:** ![ryan.moore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ryan.moore/32/106089_2.png) [@ryan.moore](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ryan.moore)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/7 "2019-11-26T15:22:28Z")
Not sure exactly what you are trying to do here, but maybe the answer is in excel not SketchUp? I always have a top line that catches the unnecessary/extra info generated by report in SketchUp. I do this by sorting the items in the report by my own ListName attribute. If the item is hidden the ListName returns a blank value, so any attributes for hidden items end up compiled in this first line of the report. I wrote a small VBA script to import a SketchUp .csv export into excel that cleans up the import and deletes that line of excess stuff from the report. Maybe something like this could work for you? Good Luck! ![29%20AM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/f/2/f23b1e7ef2bf5acdc4694a8fce009625515d866d.png) ---
**Author:** ![Cabarsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Cabarsa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Cabarsa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/8 "2019-11-26T15:40:26Z")
Hi rwamoore I have 1 object Component Nesting Levels 2 I want to change Component Nesting Levels from 2 to 3 if an object is hidden. VBA script: never used, how does it work? ---
**Author:** ![ryan.moore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ryan.moore/32/106089_2.png) [@ryan.moore](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ryan.moore)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/9 "2019-11-26T15:44:06Z")
So VBA is like Ruby script but for Excel. you can actually just record a series of manual actions and assign them to a button. Click and the series of actions is executed. What is the purpose of the level drop, the desired outcome? Maybe there is another way to get there…? ---
**Author:** ![ryan.moore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ryan.moore/32/106089_2.png) [@ryan.moore](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ryan.moore)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/10 "2019-11-26T15:53:12Z")
![52%20AM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/1/4/14851d6f4d95e86e965fb96713dbabe8064a8533.png) These two railings are the same DC with a bunch of hidden subs, different pickets and glass types. All of the hidden parts are summed in the first line of the report, if you ignore the top line the rest of the report is only visible component parts. ![17%20AM](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/a/7/a755f5c1e03da28b77d90f16d62386b0c7a6c91e.png) Once I save that report as a .csv file I use the VBA script to bring it into Excel and clean it up, add pricing and put into an invoice template or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Cabarsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Cabarsa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Cabarsa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/11 "2019-11-26T16:02:29Z")
> [@ryan.moore](#): > > So VBA is like Ruby script but for Excel. you can actually just record a series of manual actions and assign them to a button. Click and the series of actions is executed. What is the purpose of the level drop, the desired outcome? Maybe there is another way to get there…? seems complex to me = / The purpose is for a hidden object not to appear in the report. I want a way to do it without having to edit the table If I change it level with one condition, I can generate the report from another level without it appearing. ---
**Author:** ![ryan.moore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ryan.moore/32/106089_2.png) [@ryan.moore](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ryan.moore)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/12 "2019-11-26T16:11:43Z")
I don’t know if what you are trying to do is possible, best solution I have for you is last post above, just ignore the top line… Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![pcmoor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/pcmoor/32/3427_2.png) [@pcmoor](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/pcmoor)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/13 "2019-11-27T02:30:14Z")
> [@Cabarsa](#): > > thank you, it would be very complex. > Would you change a Nesting Levels Component through a condition? if it is hidden change to another level, so I can generate a report from one level above. You could create custom attributes and report it in the parent, level 2 in the report. [count visible 2.skp](https://forums.sketchup.com/uploads/short-url/oldTDtFJcXciONfTWBp1WpFL0bB.skp) (136.4 KB) ---
**Author:** ![Cabarsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Cabarsa](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Cabarsa)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/can-i-generate-a-report-without-a-hidden-object/109634/14 "2019-11-28T03:46:57Z")
wowwwwwwww!!! Perfect! ?Thks