I’ve used ‘Auto-Invislbe Layer’ extension to manage Scenes in the past, but does this only work with Tagged elements?
I end up with a number of scenes and jump back and forth all the time adding and tweeking all of them as I go. So is there a way of making a new Group/Component only visible in the scence i’m adding it to?
I now manage my modeling with the Outliner Tray, and only use Tags for a couple things. It seems the AIL ext. does not work with groups or components, only Tags!?! It would be a bit laborious having to tag all of my Groups & Components just so i could use the AIL ext.
Or am i missig something?
Is there a better way to manage my workflow so that as I add new groups/components to scenes they don’t show up in all the other scenes?
Thank for your help, you’re all awesome.
Ed
Yes. Auto Invisible Layer, when turned on, turns off new tags for existing scenes.
Using tags to control visibility for scenes is a better way than hiding and unhiding them as you indicate you’ve been doing. Using tags for that also makes it possible to control the visibility of objects in viewports within LayOut which would potentially reduce the number of scenes you have to manage. It has for me, anyway.
thanks Dave
I have never used Layout, and might never have to. As an estimator in the civil’s game I do method and qty’s. I only produce 3D images for our submissions, no need for 2D layout plans.
So I hardly use Tags anymore now and focus all my control using Outliner Tray. I find this a lot easier to manage.
So i was hoping there’s a way of keeping new groups added out of other scenes. and not having to name my groups, and then create a tag for that group too, only for the purpose of visibility.
thanks
Ed
Tags are intended for visibility control of groups and components between scenes. Hide (which is what you are using in Outliner) is really intended as a temporary thing while you’re working.
Obviously Auto Invisible Layer is for tags/layers.
If you’re only going to use Hide I suppose you could disable saving the Hidden Objects property in the Scenes panel. That will mean that selecting an existing scene will not result in new objects being made visible if they’ve been hidden already. Of course not saving the state of hidden or visible objects is likely to create other issues for you.
FWIW, if you are exporting images of your SketchUp models you can get better quality images if you do so via LayOut. LayOut isn’t just for 2D plans.
thanks Dave
I’ll have a go at Layout then too.
But don’t you get my angle that if i’m naming all my groups in Outliner, I’m then doubling up by having to Tag them too.
I do like the fact that i can use TAG info, especially when importing CAD with all it’s layer info. But i find it a lot easier to organise my work in Outliner. So would be nice if we had a similar ext. to AIL ext. for Groups & Components.
I’ll try that [quote=“DaveR, post:4, topic:300937”]
Hidden Objects property in the Scenes panel.
[/quote]
hopefully that will do it
thanks Dave
I get what you are saying but giving tags to components and groups doesn’t need to be an onerous task. Besides it’s really the way things are designed to work in SketchUp. Don’t you get my angle that using the tools the way they were designed to be used is easier and makes things more predictable.
I do get your point Dave, I like using things the way they’re intended. I’ll have a go with Tags.
Another chap got me sold on using Outliner a year ago, and i’ve got used to that now. Guess I’ll just have to prove that this Old Dog is still tricky hey!!
Hi Ed
I am sure @DaveR is correct - but like you, I am very much in the habit of using the Outliner for pretty much everything, and especially for controlling Group Visibility for individual Scenes.
I used to spend forever, towards the end of each project amending dozens of Scenes whenever I added a new Group which was a really common and frustrating occurrence.
Then, some time ago a fantastic guy on here called @dezmo wrote me a few extensions which I now use literally every day. One in particular was to control the visibility of Groups within Scenes.
The initial extension had this toolbar enabling you to select any Group, or Groups, and do any of the following actions:
- Unhide on all Scenes
- Unhide on all Scenes but current
- Hide on all Scenes
- Hide on all Scenes but current
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, I mentioned I only use the ‘Hide on all Scenes’ option and what would be really great was to have just that option as a menu item and, hey presto…
I have attached the extension below as I am sure @dezmo will be happy for me to share it.
I hope you find it as useful as I do 
I use Outliner & Tags. The secret is organisation of the model. By the sounds of it this may be what you are doing if you’re only using outliner. I use the tags to control common features e.g. I might split my doors into floor level groups in Outliner, but I use Tags to control the types of displayed details for all floors such as turning off architraves. SU is so versatile you can bend it to suit. I do agree though that doing all the organising in Outliner and then creating loads of Tags matching the Outliner names is an exercise best avoided if you can.
thanks Kevin. three cheers and lots of beers for @dezmo
sounds like something i’ll use a lot too
thanks DG
I like the idea of using both. Will play with upping my use of TAGs