I just want to double check just in case someone has a better way of doing this…
When I insert a SU Model into layout the bounding box for the model inherits its height/width ratio from what was setup in SU. . . And this doesn’t always match what my page orientation is for Layout. which is to say I often insert a landscape SU orientation, into a Layout which is setup for a portrait page size.
What I’m wondering about is if there is a way to CROP the bounding box of the SU model, without having the model distort while I’m reframing the bounding box to better fit the layout page.
I know I can grab the handles and resize it, but in doing that the model stretches along with the resizing effort. What I’d like to see happen at some point (on occasion) is for the model to stay in a fixed state while I’m adjusting the bounding box.
I hope I’m explaining this clearly here. If I were to describe this as if I were making a feature request (and maybe that ultimately is what I’m doing), I’d say that I’d like to see a hybrid tool which is a synthesis of combining the Scale tool and the Crop tool as they exist in Adobe illustrator/photoshop. and where the functionality changes based upon a modifier key being used or not.
Layout does of course offer a built-in solution to my problem. And it comes in the form of using a clipping mask shape… Which in my case is a rectangle sized to the page margins of the layout doc. and then converted into a clipping mask with the SU model that I’m trying to resize.
That’s the approach I’m currently using now, but I’m wondering if there was something a little more straight forward which I should be using, instead.
I’m curious what others are doing for this situation.
Right,… I am using scenes in SU. and I should have mentioned that in my post above.
Also, I am satisfied with how the resizing happens for the most part, because I do want the model to scale initially when I’m placing it on the page.
But once I have the initial scaling and sizing sorted out, I often need to fine tune the sides to bring them into alignment with the page margins within the layout doc. It’s this last little bit of fine tuning that I’m trying to workout.
Your point is well taken, I will go back into SU and look more closely at how I setup my scenes. the only problem with that is that it’s hard to judge the page layout when looking at the model in the SU modeling space. which I suppose is why I try to fine tune things in layout.
If you are talking about a parallel model, then you need set up the scale. the model will always stay that same size and you can adjust your window as you want.
For perspective, the model once is been link to a sketchup view should be the same as what you see in Sketchup but you can do final tweaking by double click inside the model space and using some of the camera tools (right click)
That check box does the trick, and is what I was looking for.
Ideally, if I could toggle that box on/off via a keyboard shortcut then it would be a seamless and perfect solution in moving between both behaviors on the fly. But alas it doesn’t currently seem possible to change this setting via KB shortcuts at the moment. . . so true perfection, while just beyond grasp, is still within sight. which is good as I have something to look forward to.
There is one case where this doesn’t work properly - if the scene in the viewport is a PhotoMatch view, the photo disappears from view if you resize the frame. The only way to crop PhotoMatch views is to use a clipping mask.