which creates the problem you reported of not being able to update the viewports when you update the SketchUp model. You can’t have it both ways.
shouldn’t I be able to unlock them and update them?
Yes. You can unlock them but you also have to reset the viewports so that your overrides to the scene properties are removed. At least remove the overrides for the properties that need to get updated.
ok…I have been using this stuff for so long, but I guess you really do learn something new everyday.
to use the plug in, what is the best method? Just follow the prompt to do the whole model or select the different groups and components?
I just tried the whole site model. The issue I have is the it changes the livetype that is determined by the layer it is on and that is an issue. advice?
That means it’s a good day.
Just remember that the changes you make to the viewports in LayOut that result in the Reset buttons being displayed basically say you don’t care what the scene looks like in SketchUp. That’s fine if you’ll never need to go back to the SketchUp model to make scene updates but it also kind of wrecks the update-ability. Best practice is don’t.
I would let it do the whole model. You’ll have some stuff to fix but that’s the way it goes. Make sure ALL edges and faces are group. No loose geometry.
Put the edges in groups as they should be. Give the groups the appropriate tags and set the dash style as needed.
To be honest I don’t set dashes for tags in SketchUp at all. I do make that setting in LayOut. Tag visibility and dashes styles are something I do set in LayOut. It overrides the scene but I don’t want or need those changes to be updated from the SketchUp model. Even if I only have a single view of a model in my LO document there will always be a scene established for it in the .skp file and the Camera properties are never modified to show the Reset button.
As always…I appreciate the input and direction…I will see how it goes and get back to you on this thread with any questions.
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Good luck with it.
I’d like to see your workflow improve. What I see in your LO file tells me you’re working harder than you really need to. I think you could make this better without too much trouble and have less time invested getting to the end product.
By the way, you might want to remove your link to the LO file since it contains your contact info as well as the client’s.
I agree…I haven’t been using SU and Layout so much for working drawings until say the last year. I have been using it for conceptual design and design presentation, so this is a little new for me.
I am going to try your methods to see how it goes.
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Ok…I have a question…if I group or component everything in the model. The site model I have two main group entities. I have my building model as one and the other is the site plan which is not in 3D. When I run the plugin it does modify the linotypes and if I run the purge plugin it actually gets rid of several tags. I guess I should not run a purge? save the file as is and then reload the updated file into LO then adjust the linetypes in Layout? when running that plugin does it empty the particular tag? If so, if I adjust the livetype by tag will it make the change I need?
It’s actually just removing the tags from the edges.
The tags get purged because they aren’t applied to anything after you untagged the edges. Wait to purge until you’ve created the groups/components to contain the edges and then given those tags to those groups/components. Once those tags have a reason to exist again, they won’t get purged.
Not quite sure what you are asking. Again tags get removed from the edges you had them assigned to (probably best to think of putting tags on things. They should only be put on the containers (groups and components) that contain the edges and faces. Think jars with labels on them. The label (tag) goes on the jar not on the grape jelly or mustard in the jar.
In my workflow I leave the Dashes set to Default for all tags in my SketchUp model. In LayOut I choose a suitable dash style for the tag in the viewport. This means I can show the same component(s) with dashed edges in one viewport and solid in another. Fewer scenes in the SketchUp model to manage and the possibility of doing cool stuff with stacked viewports in LayOut.
So are you saying I should be:
- grouping everything on each tag separately
- run the plugin
- move each group to each tag
if I were to go step by step?
Put edges (and faces) in groups that make sense. Maybe all setback lines should be grouped together. Centerlines for post footings should be grouped together.
Yes. You can do that next.
Put the appropriate tags ON the groups.
DaveR,
Is there a way to change linetype of a line without having to change the tag that has a certain linetype? Sometimes you may have a background say of a site plan and you might want to have it on one tag, but with several different linotypes.
thanks.
No. But you could separate the various edges of the site plan into separate groups and put different tags on them. Then collect those tags into a tag folder. You can give the different tags different dash styles and use the tag folder to control the visibility of all of them in a single click.
Just a warning unless it has been recently fixed… if you explode a group or component… all the edges will now have the tag of that group or component applied to them… contrary to all the good practice everyone advises… it is a gotcha that just should not happen… but it does…
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There are some instances where that can be helpful. For instance, when I create my site topography from a site survey, the surveyor typically only provides contours just past the property line. After the ACAD file is imported, I set all the contour lines to “untagged”, group and place on my SP_CONTOUR tag.
I like to have more context in my site so I extend these contour lines further out with lines that are grouped to a layer SP_CONTOUR EXTENSION.
Now I want to use sandbox tools do create a seamless mesh of both. I explode both groups then run sandbox create mesh from contours. By keeping the original tag assignment I can still easily isolate the original survey contours which I want to show on the site plan. I can also easily isolate, group, then edit back to “untagged” inside the group.
So as long as you know this behavior, it can easily work to your advantage.
Nick, I don’t disagree that this characteristic may is some cases may be useful…
But I am really annoyed that what is fundamentally an un-intuitive action by the software ( personally I would define this a a fault or bug) that is surely baffling to new users and even un-aware to experienced users is left not fixed!
Who could argue that when the advice from everyone (including Trimble) is to have your raw geometry always be untagged does its own software ignore this fundamental advice…? At least this action should be clear advised to all users , not stumbled on in obscure forum posts…
Further, this same argument applies to the issue of the rectangle tool in some cases not creating rectangles and distance snapping not being reliable, both with result in inaccuracies and countless hours of frustration and time fixing.
I feel these “sloppy” fundamental drafting issues require much more urgent attention for correction than say duplicating tag operations with a new 2022 “tag tool” that does not seem to add any significant productivity to SU and perhaps only complicate/duplicate tag operations.
I am unaware of the issues with the rectangle tool or distance accuracy. I’ve never seen these in 20 years of using SU. I can only speculate these are related to users not forcing direction with the arrow keys.
For me the fact that entities retain the tag assigned to the group exploded always made sense, not only because it always behaved that way, but results in no change to scene visibility. So it’s certainly not a bug. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to regroup entities if everything goes to untagged? It would be a mess!
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I appreciate all the replies please keep them coming.
And now for something completely different, but related to the 2021 vs. 2022 issues…
in 2021 you could use your mouse controls, namely the screw wheel to zoom in and out and the scroll wheel click/hold to pan. I believe these settings were the standard as I have never made any changes.
In 2022 the wheel acts as a scroll which to me is unacceptable. I want it back like it was in 2021. Are there any settings to make these changes to get the controls to work like I like? I am sure I am not the only one.