Layout rendering

LayOut
1

Maybe a really silly question: …
So what I don’t understand is why we have to wait for render times when Layout updates a viewport. Why flatten it? Why not just look into the actual model as is? I understand the need for some computing to be done to display lineweights. And If it was flattened before printing, then surely printing would take a longer time. And the viewport obviously needs to be flattened before printing.

But we update viewports so much more than we do printing, going back and forth between the model and the layout. So waiting a bit while printing surely is better that waiting for the viewports to update.

Generally its hard to understand what the Layout viewport really contains, so maybe this whole question is based on a misunderstanding… :slight_smile:

2

I’m guessing a bit…

There are probably two things at work here. One is that Layout has to load both the LO file itself and all the constituent parts, which could consist of more than one SU drawing, image files, etc. So it has a lot to handle.

The second thing is that the root code of LO is now really, really old. Its speed has improved in 2021 version but it still creaks at the seams. One improvement they made a version or two back was to prevent rendering whilst moving viewports. That certainly made a difference but its lack of WYSIWYGness is maybe a clue to the slightly desperate means to try to keep an old horse still standing.

The problem with all this is that LO probably needs redesigning from the ground up. But that takes time and money and there may be other draws on those that are perceived to be better spent.

But as I say, I am only guessing.

3

A few settings will give you more control, in the Preferences, ‘automatically re-render…’ checkbox is checked by default, which means it re-renders every viewport of the Document (!) when you update the model.
Best to turn it off and re-render only viewports by right clicking on it.

The other is document based, in the setup, set the display resolution to ‘low’ and the output to ‘high’ in the Paper tab.

Check out this myth:

4

I´ve seen this video. I am actively looking for routines that make the viewports less strained. But sometimes you just can’t do that, because your actual geometry needs to be presented all at the same time.

If I want to work freely in sketchup I will limit my model size to about 300 000 edges. That model is not performing well in Layout. Another model I work with at the moment has 50 000 edges, and performs very well in Layout.

I agree that you cannot just throw any file size into Layout and complain that it does not work. I just think there must be some approaches that gives us some more speed , and I think must users would be fine with giving up on many longstanding features (like interacting with the model inside the viewport ) if you could freely perform your basic tasks of having a viewport with an updated scene, and add text and dimensions to those.

I suggested (without understanding the underlying technology) that Layout just don’t flatten the models it presents, and rather does that on print.

So in order to make ones choices on how to make the viewports lighter it would be nice to understand what is inside the viewport. My guess is:

It is flattened so that one can place lineweights onto the resulting geometry. If you go into your viewport and change your orbit, it is re-flattended upon leaving the viewport.

I don’t understand the right click option “Render models on page” How is that different from updating model reference? Because that is totally what I want: to update it without rendering it … :slight_smile:

So why not have the option to turn on and off this rendering of lineweights. You need it to see how your model will look like on print. But you don’t need to look at that rendered nice looking viewport all the time. You just need it to be geometrically updated.

That would require a different expectation to what layout is. That it is nothing like a WYSIWYG page Layout software like indesign, but rather like paperspace in Autocad. (as it states it is) Nobody works with lineweights in paperspace in Autocad, but you check your lineweight settings once or twice with Print Preview before printing.

We are not graphical designers, and the graphical designers that use sketchup will put their designs into Indesign anyway.

It is when you start presenting your work you find all the things you need to change. So the going back and forth between Layout and sketchup is inherent to the presenting process.

And the “Layout myth” guy is basically dodging the question is seems. His plan views are maybe 200 edges…