Hi everyone! I’m using SU Pro 2024 on an old(ish) MacBook Pro. I’ve watched various tutorials on layering viewports in Layout. My intention is to highlight proposed new work in an existing building by having it brightly lit with sharp, clean lines, while the older existing background is “brushy/sketchy”. They’re on separate layers to make easier to flip between them to work on. The problem is there’s a part of the old structure (a guardrail) that is in the foreground of the new. I want to mask it off so the final stacked image has that part of the highlit new structure behind. I crop out what I want removed, create a mask, but it doesn’t work out. I have assigned it to a new layer, moved layers around, I can’t figure it out? I’ll post this query and then try and link to the project. Thanks in advance.
Adrian
Hopefully you are using tags in SketchUp model to control the visibility of the objects. If I wanted to do what you describe I would add another viewport using the same scene with it stacked on a layer over the new work viewport and I would turn off all tags except the one for the rail so it is in front of the new work.If you want to make it appear grayed out, select a style without edges for the rail-only viewport or something similar.
Here’s a quick example. This is a random model I came across in my collection that I figured could be made to stand in. The top knob and the piece it’s mounted to are meant to stand in for your rail. I added a bit of color to the mask that fades the base of the key. Across the top are the viewports (all from one scene) and mask, each of which is on its own layer in LayOut.
Thanks, DaveR! That is (as usual) a simple and elegant solution. I’ve stacked a third layer with guardrail only on top, but this is where I discovered the source of my pain. The guardrail now sits in the foreground, but unfortunately only does so as a vector image, so it looks clunky and out of place (the style has canvas, transparent glass, etc.). With raster or hybrid the underling layers are blocked out, even with background turned off. Changing the style would defeat the point, so I’m SOL. It’s not a big deal, I was just trying to be a little too fancy.
Thanks for your response!
Take care!
Maybe you could send me your LO file in a private message. Maybe an alternative is available.
Hi again! Thanks for the offer. I came up with a compromise using two layers, some slight style changes , and clipping mask. It’ll do for the intended purpose.