Color In Scene

[m29]

Problem: Scenes are a great way to present alternative designs in a single model. For example, there may be fixed common geometry (walls, doors, facilities) and each scene contains different interior design elements. Layer visibility controls which elements are in which scenes. Moving from one scene to another presents alternative interior designs.

The only part that cannot be controlled by scene are the surface textures of the fixed (common) elements. See this forum thread for complete background, several suggested mechanisms, and why each of them fails to solve the problem in a way that is usable and preserves the integrity of the model:

https://forums.sketchup.com/t/best-way-to-represent-alternative-interior-designs/78360

Suggestion: Implement a ‘Color In Scene’ feature which allows surface color/textures to be set on an object on a per-scene basis. It might work like this: when I paint/texture a surface there is a checkbox that says “Only in this scene”. When this box is checked, the color/texture applied shows only when the current scene is selected. I can then select another scene, and then choose a different color/texture for that scene. Thus I can setup surface color/textures on a per-scene basis.

Note this is conceptually quite different than ‘color in layer’ or coloring a component wrapper. Both of those techniques apply a single color to everything and are not specific to a scene. This suggested enhancement allows each surface to be individually colored/textured in each scene. This allows scenes to be much more useful and avoid clumsy duplication of geometry in multiple scenes just to have different textures.

[Forestr]

That’s a great idea! If you want to show someone multiple color ways, then this would be extremely useful. I think it’s possible to make an extension that does this. The extension could store colorways on layers, then toggle through them in scenes. Technically, you can already switch textures with scenes by putting each texture into it’s own layer. But it’d be great if an extension made it easier.

[whiterabbitdesigncompany]

Was also thinking those walls could be made as dynamic components that could have different color options?

[m29]

How do you put a texture on a layer, independent of the object the texture is applied to? (Keeping in mind there are many surfaces in a layer that need different textures).

[m29]

I walked through some examples of dynamic components, but I don’t see how the component can change it’s texture based on what scene is currently selected. I don’t see any function in the dynamic component function list that gives the scene name. And writing this type of code for every surface to be customized per scene sounds like an incredible amount of tedious and hard to maintain work.

[Forestr]

I’d make the faces into a group, then make copies in separate layers. Groups make our lives easier. Each layer can have a different colorway, then you can toggle them with scenes.