Thanks for the feeback. Can you be more explicit on these 2 features
line width: Isn’t it set by style?
merge cut-face borders of adjacent areas: do you have an example?
For only showing the cut faces, you need to hide the rest of the model, more exactly create a companion scene where only cut faces are visible, so that you can get a stable viewport in Layout. This is tricky unless you accept to create the scene by hiding all toplevel geometry and containers (in order to avoid modifying tags). So, such companion scenes would have to hide hidden geometry and objects. If so, this should be possible.
News of this extension, digging into 5D+ recently, and reading the above has me more excited about SketchUp than I have been in a long time.
The mere possibility that I could use @medeek’s parametric modeling tools, @Fredo6’s dynamic section hatching, @Cyentruk’s SU to LO automation;
that I could get tag organization standardized across all projects, make robust templates that maximizes the functionality for the first time, and finally have a procedurally consistent workflow that allows me to focus more on modeling and less on the busy work of getting everything ready for LayOut.
It gives me goosebumps.
Thank you guys, I will be experimenting.
I’m thinking 5D+, FredoSection, and doing some proper study are going to change everything for me with this software. It’s a whole new world.
If a list of tags from @medeek and @Cyentruk were available, I could get to work on testing compatibility with the 3 extensions. I can look for these myself but I didn’t know if either of you guys had them sitting in a data file somewhere.
This is not just a list for reference, you can directly assign tags by selecting any objects in the model then click to the tag from the list. The tag will be import into the model with name, color, and dash style.
If you click the button (2) to open the Download Samples dialog, I leaved there several tag template files, included 5D+ Tags mapping to IFCs and AIA layers v3.
I think he meant setting different line with for each hatch. This is a common option in CAD (for the perimeter and also for the hatch itself). As in the picture.
I think that our local standard for line widths is simple and consistent. Attaching too much information to them is confusing, and our eyes are not well equipped to distinguish between different line widths that are similar.
Our standard has basically three line widths, and their width is always double the width of the next thinner one. I call them 1, 2 and 4.
width 1 is used for lines that divide a surface and annotations.
Width 2 is used for lines that describe a jump in space, what SketchUp calls profiles.
Width 4 is used for edges of things cut by the section plane of the current view.
Now the next question is: would it be by container or by hatching pattern?
I have the same interrogation by the way for the adjust, convexify and align options. Currently, all options are assigned to patterns, but my feeling is that it could also be by container. For instance, containers which are walls would always be aligned, convexified. If they are insulation, they would also be adjusted.
This is relevant when a pattern is used for several type of containers. For instance, a simple hatching pattern can be used for walls and for ground. For walls, you need to convexify. For ground, you do not.
To keep things simple, my approach so far has been to assign all options to patterns. The user can duplicate patterns with different options and assign them to containers.
I think by hatching pattern is the best option. And @Anssi is right. About five line widths are more than enough. On the other side, flexibility could be a plus for other uses/users. I can’t say.
Well, I think I will implement the custom section line width anyway…
By the way, something important to keep in mind about the data settings, All Patterns and options are stored as files in the pattern directory, which is advised to set explicitly.
The menu entry is under the extra icon, as “Custom Pattern Data Directory”
If you work in team or from several computers, it is advised to set the directory to a shared drive (or replicated drive) so that all computers can access them.
If you work in team, it is advised to coordinate between the team members for creating or modifying patterns, especially if your use a replicated drive.
Note that in all cases, the directory is independent from models and from the Sketchup versions.
