I am looking for ideas on how to configure the Trays. This is how I set it up: Left Side: MATERIALS Tray OUTLINER Tray Right Side: DEFAULT Tray Entity Info Layers Components Scenes Soften Edges STYLES Tray Styles Shadows Fog [image] How are your trays set up? And why do you like them that way?

Hi Kat, I work on dual monitors and have them set up on display 2 to work like the former sticky dialogs. That leaves the model space free of auto-hide trays blinking on and off. [image] [image]

Although I have two displays, I keep all SketchUp stuff on a single screen with the windows on the right as the default setup. It’s the same layout I’ve been using since there were first utility windows to display. The added benefit is some additional toolbar real estate above the windows.

Some ideas may be in this topic [image] Show us the way you have SketchUp set up on your computer right now Gallery Hi everyone, We’re doing some analysis of SketchUp’s user experience, and we need your help. If you’re willing, take a second to shoot a quick screenshot of the way you have SketchUp set up on your computer right now. I’m not looking for your ‘ideal’ configuration, but instead how SketchUp looks for you right now. I’m interested to see how you have your windows arranged, which tools you have in the toolbars, which toolbars you have visible. I’m interested to see what you’ve chosen as your defa…

my setup is exactly the same for the same reason :slight_smile: great minds think alike!

I’m still experimenting with which trays I keep open, which I have auto close, and which trays go where. Although I have two displays, I’ve recently been using only 1 to prep for Bootcamp and Basecamp when I’ll have only 1 display!

I like the interface redesign of 2016 a lot! It’s really helpful having those trays. This is how I like them arranged. [image] I find this is the most convenient way. Everything concerning the visual representation is on the right side: Shadows, Fog, Styles and Materials. Everything that has to do with modeling is on the left side: Layers, Components, Soften Edges etc. Most of these tabs have shortcuts assigned to them, so if everything is expanded and I have difficulty searching for the one I need, I call out the tab via the shortcut. The only thing I’d personally add is a fixed ratio viewport. 1:1, 2:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 would be good options to start with.

@ViggoPaulman, I like the logic of your system (although I think of Soften Edges as an Appearance setting). My setup is partly the way it is because when I look at Outliner or Materials, I need the full vertical screen length… Whereas Entity Info and Layers often don’t take up much space for me, so they can share a tab. And I tend to use Layers while I’m using Scenes, so I keep those together, even though Scenes tends to take up a lot of length. I actually don’t use the Components window much, unless I’m doing a select/replace, so I don’t care much about where that is. Same with Soften Edges.

I’ll be honest, I use SketchUp since 2010 and I’ve NEVER used Outliner. :smiley: I never felt the need. You’re right, Soften Edges can be seen as an appearance but as it technically changes the geometry, I sent it to the left side. Plus it makes the left and right trays balanced: 5 tabs in each one.

Outliner is great, but only if the groups and components are named. I keep accidentally calling Outliner “Organizer”, because that’s what it does. Layers don’t truly organize, and Layers don’t nest (because they aren’t actually “layers”), but Outliner lets you see exactly how things are nested, and I love the drag and drop reordering. Also, for deeply nested components, it’s nice to be able to skip all of the double-clicking and select something directly from Outliner. Keeping Outliner open does slow down some operations, though, so I like to be able to hide it alone while using the other trays.

It highly depends on your field and workflow whether you use the Outliner or not. I personally do not use Outliner either as I don’t find it useful to my own workflow. I know @ViggoPaulman works in relatively same field as I do. I believe the reason is the same. In architectural projects, you can have hundreds, if not thousands of components and groups. Coming up with clever and unique name for each object is very difficult. And hundreds of objects listed by name on a list would be very difficult to go through. We work visually. Group#4 and Group#5 is fine for me. I can see them in my model. I actually don’t “create component”. I make them group first (use G for shortcut) and convert them into components. That way, I don’t get questioned (dialogue)for the name and description of the component. [image] katyakean: Keeping Outliner open does slow down some operations, though, so I like to be able to hide it alone while using the other trays. and that too. However, I know for a fact that in furniture design and woodworking it is essential to work with it since you can name all the parts.

How do you like to have your Trays arranged (on a PC)?

SketchUp

Cotty May 16, 2016, 10:35am 4

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How do you like to have your Trays arranged (on a PC)?

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