In Layout when I try to select a layout line, it selects the viewport (scene) behind it instead. If I right click it DOES select the line. If I hide the viewport’s layer, select works fine. I’ve tried “arranging” the viewport to the back.
I must be missing something basic. Obviously the purpose of Layout is to mark-up a scene from SU, so I need to SEE the scene, not hide it.
Any ideas? (attached is the layout file I’m working on).
Kitchen v1.layout (891.3 KB)
You’ve got the viewport on the Default layer which is at the top of the list. Everything else that is on a different layer will be underneath the viewport. You should rearrange the layers so that the viewport is on a layer that is below all of the other drawing entities you want to put over it as well as the dimensions and other text.
FWIW, In my LayOut templates, I have layers set up like this:
Text
Dimensions
Dashed lines
Hatches
Model4
Model3
Model2
Model1
Every page text
Title text
Page borders
Model1 is where viewports go unless I’m stacking them and then copies go up. Model1 is also set to be the active layer when I save the template so when I use Send to LayOut or open the template to insert the SKP file the first viewport winds up on the right layer.
THANK YOU DAVE! I had no idea about the order of layers in Layout. Thanks also for the bonus explanation on the “arrange” command. It’s like nested layers.
You encouraged me to migrate to layout for my dimensioned drawings, which is what you see me doing now.
Thanks again,
Ron
You’re quite welcome, Ron.
In SketchUp, layer order has no impact on what appears in front of what. In LayOut, layers are like layers in Photoshop where order matters.
I don’t remember that bonus explanation but since you bring it up, Arrange offers Bring to Front, Send to Back, etc. These only affect entities on the same layer but don’t work between layers. I suppose you could think of it as giving you nest layers or major layers and sub layers.
Generally I would suggest layers for entity types. Send to Front/Back for controlling the way overlapping entities of the same type appear.
That sounds like it might be the answer to what I am experiencing in Layout which is that I can’t seem to select some labels that are within the model (the model keeps being selected) and some labels disappear "under’ the model when I create them.
My question is, how do you change the order of Layers? Where can you reference the Viewport layer?
Are these labels you added in SketchUp? If so, you have to go back to the SketchUp model to access those.
That implies you have a layer lower in the Layers list active when you are creating the labels.
Go to the Layers panel. Select the layer you want to move and drag it up or down the list.
The viewport will normally end up on whatever layer is active when you send to LayOut or insert the SKP file. In my templates I created layers for viewports and I have the first (lowest in the stack) Viewport layer set as active when I use Save as template. Since I will nearly always start a new LO project by adding a SketchUp file, the first viewport automatically ends up on the correct layer.
This is the Layers panel for one of my templates.
Thought of something else. If the labels are just under your SketchUp viewport, the viewport would be in the way when selecting. Make sure you aren’t double clicking on the viewport and modifying the scene that way. That will cause you trouble down the road. You can always lock viewports or just lock they layer they are on to prevent them from being clickable.
I am trying to make blueprints for a home improvement project so I have created my models and scenes in Sketchup and then send them to LO where I add dimensions and labels.
My layers are what are shown when Layout opens:
You will notice in the image my problem, the label “HEAT PUMP” is partially hidden under the model image.
I really don’t know what the terms, “Default” and “Unique Elements” mean. I’m new at Layout so I didn’t realize you could create unique layers and I’m not sure how to use that feature to advantage.
So from your screen shot it appears the selected viewport is on the Default layer while the active layer is Unique Elements. Since it is lower in the layer list, things on that layer will be under things that are on layers higher in the list. The simple fix right now would be to drag the Unique Elements layer up to be on top of the Default layer.
A better option would be to create layers that make sense for your project. The OEM template you selected has a few layers created to give you an example of how they can be utilized. Those names aren’t magic, though. The On Every Inside Page layer is a shared one (notice the icon to the far right of the layer name) which means that anything on that layer will show on every page. The Cover page layer is set so it is visible only for the cover page of the document. Switch between the first and second page in the document to see how the layer visibility changes.
Click on the + button at the top left of the Layers panel to create a new layer above the highlighted layer. You can double click on a layer name and then rename it if you want. As in my screen shot above, I have layers best on the types of entities I’ll put on them. I have more than one for viewports because I regularly stack viewports in my projects. Notice that the Art Text and Dimension layers are at the top of the list. Art Text is for labels and other text that isn’t dimensions and isn’t title text. Since they are on top, all my labels and dimensions will show above all other content on the page.
Thanks DaveR, that solved the disappearing label mystery. Now I have another Newbie style quandry. I don’t know how the tabs at the top function. For some reason, Layout opened with 2 tabs showing that are different versions of the project I am working on.
Question is, what is the function of the Tabs across the top?
The tabs at the top represent different LayOut projects/documents. It looks like you started a second one, maybe by sending the project to LayOut a second time? Best is to just work in one. It might be possible to copy stuff from one to the other but you need to have your ducks in a very straight row or you can quickly make things worse and create more work than if you just abandon one of them. If I was in your shoes, I would export a PDF file of the LO project you decide to give up on and print it out so I would have it at hand as a reference to make sure I’ve got everything I need in the other document.
Got it, thanks for the explique. I see now what happened and…it won’t happen again.
