I keep trying to export my Layout 2022 drawings to pdf and while the first few pages are fine, the following pages are all missing lines, text, dimensions, etc. The views of the models are there, but all of my information is not exporting. I can export it as a jpeg and it shows everything, but after I export it to pdf and try to open it in Acrobat, Acrobat has an error that says A drawing error occurred. I then can only see the 2D views of the solids- no text, no dimensions. I tried this in both Layout 2021 and 2022 with the same result.
Can you share the LayOut file so we can see what you have?
Oh yeah I suppose that would help!
Farmhouse Table Plans.layout (3.3 MB)
It has to do with incorrectly changing the dash style for Untagged for viewports on those pages. I reset the Tags for those viewports and thedrawing error is gone in the PDF export.
Here’s the file and the resulting PDF.
Farmhouse Table Plans.layout (3.4 MB)
Farmhouse Table Plans.pdf (1.6 MB)
I don’t see anything in your document that justifies setting a dashes style for Untagged anyway. If you want to show edges with dashes you should be creating tags for the groups in your model and then assign the dashes via the tags.
It would be better if you use tags for controlling the visibility of the objects in your model instead of using Hide.
Additionally you could make your model a whole lot more efficient if you were using components instead of groups and giving said components useful names that identify the parts. That would also make generating a usable cutlist easier.
Is this for your own use or are you distributing these plans somehow?
Take a look at this and see if it is suitable. I didn’t have time to finish it unfortunately. I converted your groups to components and gave them names in the model so I could generate the cutlist and label them in the exploded view. I also fixed the texturing to the “grain” runs the right direction on the various parts. In the LayOut file the dashed lines are actually coming from the model itself. No need to draw them in and if the model needs to be edited for some reason that would affect those hidden details, the dashed lines will update automatically.
This was just a quickie because I had something else to do first but maybe it will give you an idea or two.
Farmhouse Table Jared.pdf (255.4 KB)
Wow, thanks Dave for spending so much time working on this! This has definitely given me some ideas on ways to make the plans even more clear. Once I smooth out the bugs, these are going to be plans I sell on my website.
It sounds like there are a lot of things in Sketchup that I should be using to improve my workflow when I’m designing. So if I want to get familiar with the things you mentioned above, it sounds like I should learn about tags and assigning the dashes via the tags. I already know how to make something a component. Also, I usually just make the cut list in Excel manually after doing the modeling, but if there’s a feature that will create a cut list for me, that may be useful.
Where would you recommend I go to learn these techniques? Also, is there an easy way for doing the exploded views you show in your shortened pdf or does that have to be manipulated manually in the model?
You’re welcome. I do hope it helped.
Tags (and tag folders) are definitely something to learn to use correctly. In a nutshell, ALL edges and faces are created and remain untagged. Only components and groups get tagged. As for dashes, they are extremely valuable to me but in most cases I don’t assign them in SketchUp since that can be done in LayOut.
There are a few different cut list-creating extensions out there. I like and use an old one called CutList 4.1which is available in the Extension Warehouse. Very useful and quick but only as good as your model.
Drop me a PM by clicking on my name here and I’ll help you out.
As for the exploded views there are a few old plugins that will do that sort of thing but I’ve always found them to be clumsy and they are never able to do the exploding the way I want to show it. It’s actually a fairly simple thing with the Move tool