I’m having infuriating problems trying to print a very basic model in scale.
I’m using SU for personal use to make model templates for 1:76 model. i.e. I want to design in SU using the actual measurements then print out to 1:76 scale, then paste onto foam board as a template, then cut the foam board in accordance with the template. Simples !! No.
In testing, I have a simple square box. One side Actual measurements 10’ by 20’. I print the ‘right side’ from with SU and the print to 1:76 scale - prints OK i.e. 40mm x 80mm.From the same drawing with the measurement 10’ x 40’ it doesn’t print to scale, it prints 37m x 76mm. I haven’t changed any print settings. Just changed the view in SU.
I’ve read dozens of threads with similar problems, nothing has worked.
Please advise
I was trying to print a 7" x 3" vertical rectangle to scale on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. If I set the scale in preview mode, it insisted on printing it on four sheets … if I set the inches in SketchUp to match the inches on paper it still wouldn’t print correctly. I finally figured out that the portrait mode I was using conflicted with the widescreen aspect ration of the screen. By first minimizing my window so it was narrow (vertical) and just framing my geometry, it printed fine. Without doing this, the print output was trying to use the entire screen territory and scaled it (and the geometry) accordingly.
Normal size (different model):
Minimized for printing:
Q: Are you using the Standard Views to set the Camera positions ?
Q: Have you set the Camera to Parallel Projection ?
Q: Any difference with “Use model extents” checked / unchecked (in Print dialog) ?
Thanks for your replies:
Jim - Didn’t work for me.
Dan: Yes to your first two questions. Don’t get any options in Print dialogue to “Use Model extents”
I’ve spent another day trying to print one side of a building to scale and wasted 23 sheets of A3 paper. Enough is enough. I appreciate there is a learning curve - but my curve has turned into a straight line in a dark tunnel.
The software appears to excellent at making pretty pictures on screen pictures, but at printing it sucks.
I’m moving on
Thanks again for your responses it is appreciated.
Your profile says you are on a Mac. On Mac, the settings to choose scale are on File->Document Setup… and you uncheck “Fit to Page” to let you choose the Print Scale in the bottom half of the dialog. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give ratios such as 1:48, you have to input two actual numbers that have the desired ratio, e.g. 1" in drawing and 48" in model. Also, these only work correctly if you are in parallel projection and one of the orthogonal views.
Correct I am on a Mac, already done all what you say. Still doesn’t print correctly.
I created a 2" x 8" rectangle that I want to print in portrait mode. It’s in parallel projection and is the only geometry in the model:
When I click on “Print Preview…” I can set the SketchUp-to-printer ratio to be 1" = 1":
Note that it says that the image is 15.688" x 8.421053" … when I click “OK”, I get two sheets with half of the geometry on each:
This apparently includes the whitespace on each side. When I resize the main SketchUp window:
The “Print Preview…” now shows this:
And the output result is now this:
Which is what I wanted in the first place.
Just as a suggestion, if you are concerned about wasting paper in any program on a mac, just use the “open in Preview” pdf menu option in the print dialog. It can give you a chance to see what would come out on the paper, and maybe save a few sheets.
You may be having a problem with not “tabbing out” of the scale dialog in the “Document Setup…” dialog. If you go back to the dialog, and it doesn’t have the value that you last set, then it’s not set. Be sure to click or tab to another text box to ensure your value gets set. I had this happen to me repeatedly when trying to re-create your issue.
Jim, if you check the “Use model extents” box in the “Print” dialog, … do you still have to resize the SketchUp application window?
This is a subtle thing that many people miss about printing to scale directly from SketchUp. The drawing window at least needs to have about the same ratio as the paper (inside the borders). Julia Eneroth wrote a handy extension for Windows called Viewport Resizer that makes it easier to resize the drawing window appropriately for this sort of thing.
Of course in LayOut, printing to scale is much easier but then it was really designed for that. If there’s much printing to scale to do and your time is worth anything, Pro would pay for itself.
Jim, I think we are looking at different beasts. You have the windows version, I’m using the Mac version. My print dialogue is completely different. No mention of “Use model extents”.
Earlier this evening I thought I had cracked it. Printed both sides of drawing to scale. Yippee !!! Closed document, came back 30 mins later opened document. Back to square one. Wont print to scale or on on one page !
But now, a lot of other things are screwed up. After attempting the print and returning to the main screen. Zoom function does not work. The drawing is distorted (though dims are correct). Pan function doesn’t work. Geometry sometimes completely disappears. Close without saving, reopen and its ok. Zoom, pan etc work ok. Try and print. Everything askew again.
I’m beginning to think the Mac version is ‘still under development’.
Gentlemen, I appreciate all your replies. But I’m admitting defeat. I want to make models, not beta test software.
Thanks for your interest.
It’s too bad you feel like you’re beta testing software. You certainly aren’t using a beta version of SketchUp. It has been available for Mac for years. Printing to scale is possible it’s not difficult. I guess you’ve made up your mind so the following is probably a waste for you but maybe someone else will come along and find it useful.
I drew a 2"x8" rectangle like Jim did in SU on the Mac. I made the drawing window roughly the same proportions as a letter-sized piece of paper in portrait orientation and then did the print thing. Nothing special for settings to get it to fit at 1:1 other than unticking Fit View to Page and indicating 1:1 in Document Setup.
@AllenJ, I know you’re moving on, but I encourage you to keep working with SketchUp and use LayOut as well, I’ve found the return on time invested in learning SU and LO to have much higher returns than any other software I’ve used.
I use a Mac. Just recently I created a full-size pattern for a hub that joins four angled legs in the center of a table base. The angles and size are critical else the base wouldn’t go together. I had no problems printing it, cut it out and pasted it to a piece of mdf to make a template, and used that to rout the shape. It worked perfectly, which to me is proof that the print did not distort the scale.
So, whereas I can’t explain AllenJ’s experience, I can say that it does not prove that the software does not work.
HI Guys,
In frustration deleted the software.
But did a a reinstall and tried again.
Tried again.
It worked !!!
But wait…
This is the short size representing 45’
I want to print on A3 paper at 1:76 scale.
My print dialogue.
This physically printed exactly to scale. I then repeated with the long wall (100ft), with same settings.
This physically printed correctly to scale on 1 sheet of A3 paper.
I then zoomed out the screen image. Using exactly the same settings.
You will note it now says 2 pages required. Why?
I click the > icon to see Page 2. See below. What happened to my drawing ?
On returning to the main screen. drawing has changed also the zoom tool doesn’t work.The Pan tool doesn’t work. Now I have to close and reopen the file to get back to normal. This is surely a bug.
Though I did manage to eventually get a scaled print, it appears to totally depend on exactly where on the screen the geometry is placed which I think what was stated above. This appears from my experience to be an hit and miss situation.
Once again thanks for all your replies. I may persevere.
Best regards
I just set up a 100’ long wall in SU2016 on my Mac, set paper size to A3 and scale to 1:78. I’m not seeing any of the weird stuff you describe. It works as expected for me.
Does this have to do with the aspect ratio of the viewport vs the aspect ratio of the paper? I notice on @AllenJ’s screenshots that the viewport is wide. I always set mine to match the aspect ratio of the target paper before printing.
@DaveR, I did have some weirdness when I was using it, and at one point I did have to close the model and re-open it. @AllenJ, I agree, this may be a bug. What seemed to help me was to do a zoom extents after setting parallel projection, then doing the print dialog.
Maybe. I thought that point had been beaten to death in this thread so I didn’t mention it in my previous post.