Organizing in model materials

SketchUp
1

Question in a nutshell: Is there a better way to create sub categories of materials?

My work flow process - when I begin creating an interior scene, starting with the construction materials - I meticulously name all of my materials with a code which reflects the later used code for the drawings.

I then place models from libraries.

The "in model"category then becomes increasingly less useful as it is populated with hundreds of other materials.

Grouping the important listed materials I will use later involves:

  1. creating a directory. individually saving each of the materials to that directory (sketchup doesn’t allow selection of multiple materials when performing this operation)

  2. Scrolling through all the categories including the numerous default ones (brick, wood etc) each time I need to find my custom group

is there a better way of doing this? all I need really is for the materials “in model” to be visually presented more easily. Any directories I create are virtually redundant at the end of the project and my computer’s windows filing system doesn’t seem to be the right way to deal with organizing in-app information.

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In lieu of the grouping in directories that you described, I use a prefix (i.e # or +) in the material’s name that sorts alphanumerical first. All the indifferent/ unrelated / unimportant materials are thus pushed further back in the list; out of sight so to speak. That saves frantic scrolling up and down the browser list all the time.

Simple. But aww well, it feels like a workaround to me as an organized person! Having said this, when I was using Revit, my team used a similar method. So material organisation is not a task solely for SU users.

I wish to hear of a neat and simple method myself.

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Right, I use a ! Symbol at the moment, and like you mentioned also do that for adding temporary layers in CAD The old school method of creating a row of actual sphere or cylinder models painted with categorized materials doesn’t hurt either.

I’m hoping someone is going to come along and say, “seriously, how can you have used sketchup for so long and not know about…” :slight_smile: