Someone bail me out here. Layout is freezing when I try to export to a PDF. I’ve tried lots of different variations of export settings (low, med, high res; different levels of image compression; etc.) I have also tried to print to PDF, but it also freezes there as well.
My SU model is only 44mb, and the LO file is 55mb. I originally had all pages of the drawings in one LO file, but split them in half to see if that would help.
It seems like it stalls out on pg 2 (Main level plan), so I’m assuming it has something to do with my viewports or layout page elements.
It’s very slow to export on my machine, too, especially with the export quality set to High as it appears you have it set. There may be no point in my doing it anyway. Due to not having the font(s) you used, the text is the wrong size so some things don’t look right. This is the first sheet exported.
Hi Dave - thanks so much for testing this on your machine. I am actually able to export the first page as well, but if I export the second page it will not export. I haven’t tested other pages yet, in fear that I may throw my laptop out the window!
Do you see any obvious reasons why LO is taking so long to export? Between this and the issue with indented fonts resizing, I am about ready to throw in the towel on Layout competely.
There’s something on that second page that is a problem for sure. I haven’t found it yet, though. I did look at the SketchUp file. Fixed some incorrect tag usage…
And purged unused stuff.
Reduced the SketchUp file size by a little over 25%.
Hopefully I can find the offending entity on page 2. It could be just about anything.
Update: I’m still working on your file. So far I’ve been able to get page 2 to export although I’m not sure what changed. Slow process going through each page, though.
Thank you! I don’t know if I am. I’m still working on it, though.
Questions for you:
You have Output set to High. Do you really need that? I’ve exported a few pages using Low output and really don’t see any degradation in the PDF quality. The PDF file ends up being much smaller and the export time is shorter.
I wonder if you could share the font file(s) with me in a PM. If I had them on my computer the text would work better.
I’ve got the same problem as ajharlan. Unfortunately the layout package leads to “not responding” if any command at all is clicked. This began when I updated the sketchup model with an updated version. Before that, all had worked well.
What version of SketchUp are you using? What operating system? Please complete your forum profile.
From what I see in your model and LO document, there’s quite a lot of linework to get rendered or at least to be considered for rendering as Vector in your Hybrid-rendered viewports. The “Not Responding” message indicate LO is busy. I would suggest that you leave your viewports rendered as Raster for as long as possible. Raster rendering is less resource intensive.
Unfortunately, I can’t change any of the settings in the layout file. At the first click, the file goes into “not responding” mode. I’ve tried to recreate the file from earlier editions, and I’ve checked the sketchup file referenced, but haven’t found a solution.
Simplifying the model would be the next step I would suggest. The railings look nice but have an awful lot of geometry to render. The center panel here is over 21,000 entities.
By the way, I also see in the References some .skp references that indicate you are copying and pasting from SketchUp into LayOut. This isn’t a good workflow because it creates embedded references so the original SketchUp file is no longer referenced. Changes to the original .skp file, then, will not translate into the LO viewports.
Dave: Thanks again. You’ve pointed out items that I wouldn’t think to address.
So, I’m getting to work on them right now. (and you’re right – they’re mostly borrowed from the sketchup warehouse. I try to be wary of imported components, but, when in a crunch, I nevertheless dive in.)
A note about objects from the 3D Warehouse: It’s alwys best to import them into a separate SketchUp session and take a little time to inspect them. Make sure they are useful for your project and are assets, not liabilities. Clean them up and repair them if needed or reject them and look for something else before you load up your project file. Here’s an example. This is a nice enough looking BBQ grill.
It’s listed at 49Mb, though. That’s huge for what it would add to an outdoor kitchen project. It’s almost three times the file size of a steam engine model I recently did with a cast iron spiral staircase. There is a ton of unneeded detail most of which would never be seen. The numbers on the sides of the knobs and the thermometer can’t be read and just add clutter and notice how un-round the lid is. The interior of the grill could be entirely eliminated along with a lot of exterior dtetail and the lid made smoother (rounder) making it a much more usable component.
If you added that grill to your project it would really affect performance in both SketchUp and LayOut.
I tend to think of file size as a sort of project budget. There’s a point where your computer hits the max. If the file size goes over that, the project stalls. That file size is impacted by entity (edge and face) counts, texture image size and other things. Just like in the real project you have to decide where to invest your budget. If your total budget is $100 K and you spend $49 K on the grill, what do you have to cut corners on to get the project done?
I get it but a little time spent up front making sure your models are clean and simple will be repaid many times over later on. Sometimes the shortcuts take longer and are harder than the long way. Think of the Hastings Cutoff for example.
I had to look that up too. When as a much younger person I got my first car I took some journeys by putting a ruler on the map between my starting point and destination, and taking the absolutely shortest route (the roads closest to my ruler). I got taken to some odd or interesting places, the roads were… interesting and the drive took considerably longer than via established highways. But it was rather fun.
