Still cant grasp how to manage all my section cuts.
I am modeling a house with several cuts for each plane (elevation). A majority of the model (many layers, groups and everything inside the house) is combined into one large group. Within that first group, I have all my section planes.
I set up a scene with the cut active and plane hidden (scene 1). Then I create another perspective of all the same layers, just no cut active with a new scene (scene2). The original scene (scene1) now has no active cut.
This seems to happen quite often when I manipulate one cut and scene, other scenes are changed.
What am I doing wrong?
You are not updating each scene after making changes.
FYI, when you create a new scene, it will copy everything from the active scene page.
Also be aware that section features are controlled by style, so you may need to create a separate style for scenes that have differences in section styling.
I am updating the scenes, that’s the problem. Scene 1 section cut is active initially (everything checked). Scene 2 no section cut on, uncheck active section cut, update- scene 1 section cut is now off. This happens for all 10 scenes I have.
Now I am experiencing after setting up many scenes with specific layers on and off, they all went screwy with random layers on and off.
Scenes do not recognize visibility/section cut within groups. If it was active, it will remain active on other scenes.
Best advised section cut themselves are not in the group unless you are trying to cut many times at once. (which you can’t control by assigning different scenes for the reason I have stated above)
Also, there was similar thread that I have answered.
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Ok I think I am getting it. I am changing the same style but not making a new style with and without the section cuts.
Thanks for the posting. Sometimes the wording of these explanations just loose me.
It works for me. See example:
Scenes_with_group_sections.skp (54.5 KB)
No worries.
Each scenes will remember which section cut was “active”. Given that they are not in a group or component.
Pls see example where they are within components. (But I am using separate styles for each scene.)
You are correct Dan.
For some reason, I had trouble getting sections to behave the way they are expected when they are in groups.
I am talking about the time when I first started learning these scenes and section cut stuff. back in Version 7 and 8.
I can be completely wrong. Sorry for wrong information @cottonwood.
I have assigned two scenes which flips with different section cuts nicely. (even in group)
Scenes_with_group_sections.skp (56.3 KB)
If the nested section cuts within groups were always fine, then I must have mixed up with “hidden geometry tracking issue when hidden elements are nested within groups”
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Thanks for the help
Love how helpful and quick this community is.
Why can’t SketchUp use the same approach as Revit and have a viewing box - all 6 orthogonal section planes active at the same time. Then one can change the size of the viewing box as required. Methods described here appear very cumbersome and time consuming. I would like to be able to isolate a fraction of the model limited by a viewing box and then orbit around that portion to scrutinise. Is there a way to do that in SketchUp? If there isn’t, then this would be a major deficiency of the software.
Miho Mihov
Bridge engineer
Willing to learn more
Because SketchUp was never designed to be a CAD clone (of AutoCAD, Revit, anything else,) and never will be. SketchUp has been called the “unCAD”.
Think of all the CAD clones over the years that have withered and died and are no longer here.
You group or component “fractions of the model”, and assign them to “use” some unique layer.
(Keep all primitives associated with “Layer0”.) Layers in SketchUp are visual masks, not geometric collections!
Then you can switch off other layers so that the “fraction” is isolated.
You can click it so it’s selected, and then from the context menu choose “Zoom Selection”.
(A shortcut can be assigned when something is selected, by going to Window > Preferences > Shortcuts, scrolling to “Edit/Item/Zoom Selection” and then assigning a new key combination in the “Add Shortcut” box.
If you think you’ll be needing to isolate this “fraction” often, then that is a good time to set up a custom non-animation scene page with this “fraction” isolated (only it’s layer and “Layer0” on, the camera positioned and zoomed to suit, whatever special visual style you need for this view.)
SketchUp scene pages are most similar to creating user named “model space” views in AutoCAD.
ADD: If you think you’ll be doing the same kinds of scenes in multiple models, then it may be time to create your own model template with standard scenes pre-set.
Even though Miho mentions Revit (which isn’t CAD) I think he is asking a quite relevant question: Could section planes be modified so that more than one of them could be active at the same time in the same editing context? There shouldn’t be a technical reason behind the current behaviour as other OpenGL-based modellers are doing it all the time.
The need to isolate parts of a complex model to better be able to work with them is real, think about a room somewhere in the middle of a larger building. You cannot componentize everything, and, as SketchUp doesn’t have the 2 1/2 D “Plan” method of viewing things it is even more important.
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I don’t know. But I would like to know.
Never having used Revit, I didn’t really understand exactly what he was asking for.
(I just reed the FR thread an a now enlightened.)