Hi there, I work for an architect and until now I used Sketchup just to create 3D models to show the clients as a concept but now I would like to go to the next level and start using the models on layout to create construction drawings. I think I can do it but my major problem is that my boss and the construction company we use are used to see autocad prints with different thickness of lines for different things and they get confused with the renderings. I wanted to give it a try and I did a presentation for a small project all in Layout with floor plan and elevations and the like it but it was on a 11"x17" printed on color, our normal drawings are generally on a 24"x36" and our plotter print W&B and I’m sure they will say that is confusing…so that is my issue…what do you guys do generally?
None of you have this problem? Well the thing now is…if I print the layout file on my plotter they come out W&B and it’s ok but since I’m the only one in the office to have these programs I created pdfs of the projects I did with layout but if you print form a pdf everything is getting really really dark.
If im not mistaking thickness of printing lines can be adjusted in Layout. Please take a look at this earlier posted topic. That 'll clear a thing or two up.
Thanks for the reply Tjerk but my problem wasn’t the line thickness but the rendering of the material I used like rocks or wood patterns but I figure out why the pdfs where coming really dark when i was printing them. It was because Adobe Acrobat was using his own color correction but when you print if you go under Advanced and select print as image the came out like if you print direct from Layout
the original question is still a working in progress for me, like do you know what generally people do? Print W&B with the materials on or remove them and go to a more Autocad style?
Do you want black and white drawings or do you want color? You can do many things. You could use Hidden Line face style in SketchUp and have simple black lines on a white background. Or you can create the views with flat colors or with colored textures. Another option is to convert the materials to gray scale. You can edit the textures in an external editor if you want or there’s a plugin by Jim that will convert all textures to gray scale.
I don’t know how what I do compares to most people but for most plans I create, I use black lines on white and few if any textures. This makes it cheaper to print them and for most of them, color wouldn’t add useful information. For proposals and such, I do use color and textures. It varies from job to job.