Hi,
I’m using SU and LO to create large ballroom events where each of the tables need to be numbered individually . To do so, I have to manually enter each number on each table in LO.
On larger group it tends to take a lot of time. is there a way to number items automatically?
You could create a grid of table numbers in a spreadsheet and import that as a table in Layout. I used Numbers but no doubt there’s an easy way to do this in Excel too. Numbers lets you extend a pattern. If you select boxes with 1, 2 you can extend it to 1,2…20. Likewise vertically and you can quickly number the whole grid like this:
Make a table in layout and import your spreadsheet .csv file. Select all the cells in the table and centre them with
Text Menu → Align → Center.
Hide the grid lines by setting the stroke to white. Superimpose and stretch the spreadsheet table over your dining tables to put the table numbers over the SketchUp view in Layout. This might be fiddly, good luck! I didn’t go as far as draw the dining tables, but if you have the right number of rows and columns and space them equally it shouldn’t be too hard.
Thanks Mc Gordon,
I see this working for symetrical set up.
But I was hoping for an “object-counter-labeler-kind of thing” maybe in the futur!
S
The tool you’re inventing here is frustratingly close to what’s already available in Layout’s set of Auto-Text options. . . mainly the ‘PageNumber’ tag.
As a laborious workaround (that’s almost crazy enough to make me proud of it) you could actually use the ‘PageNumber’ tag to fulfill your goal. But the effort in doing so would likely outpace the manual work that you’re already currently doing, by going at it one by one.
The PageNumber tag does automatically increment itself up, but the cost of that happening comes at the addition of adding in a new page (so that it has something to count).
Once in place it is possible to right click on the results, and convert the auto-text back into regular text, where it could then be cut/pasted directly onto your banquet tables… albeit by having to jump across pages,… and ultimately even deleting the pages that were made in the first place—just to get this all to work.
BUT, you don’t have to remember what the count is… and using kb shortcuts to drive this whole process would speed things up some. and dumb down the concentration factor in keeping track of all the numbering.
I’m mostly mentioning this, because I think that having an Auto-Text Numbering Stamp Tool would come in REALLY HANDY, for the exact reasons that you need it here, and of course even more.
You could always switch over to another spreadsheet idea— and just use cell names as an alternative method.
JimD, you are right, the “object-counter-labeler-kind of thing” would work like the “PageNumber” tag but instead of tagging a page it would tag objects in layout…or anything that requires an un-interrupted sequence
This would definitly take care of making sure the numbering sequence is right. (no misses or doubles)
To be put on the Wish list… it seems easy to do!
Perhaps someone could write a simple “component numbering” plugin that would rename the instance names of components with a sequential number (preferably with user definable pre- and suffixes) when you click on them one by one. Now you must enter the numbers in the Entity Info dialog.
Sounds like a simple project but unfortunately I have never written a plugin.
Then, in LayOut, you can place text labels that automatically display these names.
Such a tool would be nice in LayOut: a counter wich keeps track of the number of references used, an autotext tag attached to display the number and a user defined maximum numbers (standard infinite) so the user knows how many he has left. The scrapbook as an inventory tool!
I’ve asked for this auto number stamp tool since day one of the auto text label feature.
It’s needed! I’d use it to number windows, doors, closets, etc… On my projects.
However, there is a plugin for sketchup that allows us to auto name components or groups and add a sequential number to them: Rename by layer (it works by selection too.)
With this plugin you could the use the autotext tag tool to count the tables.
What would be handy though is that we could easily create leaderless autotext tags easily. As we can’t the workarpund I use is to have fully transparent leader styles. It’s visually working for printing and on pdf export, but it’s a mess on CAD exports…
Number Components
Μy Number Components extension places 3D text of a number on top of each group or component in the selection. Each 3D text number is in a group with the same name as the number “1”, “2”, “3”,etc nested inside another group called “Component Numbers”. This main group will be placed in the current context. If you’re editing a group, then it will be placed in the group at the same level as the objects you’re numbering. You can always move it if you don’t want this by cutting to clipboard then paste in place in the context you want or dragging in the outliner window.
This is primarily for labelling in plan/top view. If you want it in another view you’ll have to rotate your objects to the floor, number them, then rotate them back. It copes with objects being different heights and places the text just above the top of each object.
3D text does add more geometry to your model, so this isn’t as lightweight as adding the text in Layout.
It can take a while to work and I see the spinning beachball, but just let it work. The tables with dance floor in the middle took about 15 seconds here:
This is probably because there’s more geometry than a simple rectangle in each component. This could maybe be optimised as it’s working out the bounds for every object and these were all instances of the same component. The extension works for any mixture of groups and components in the selection.
Try this:
GM_NumberComponent.rbz (4.9 KB)
Install with Window Menu → Extension Manager, click “Install Extension” then choose the .rbz file you just downloaded. You shouldn’t need to restart SketchUp.
To use, select some groups or components, right click on your selection and choose “Number Components”. Then choose text size, unit (for text size) and top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top numbering. The numbering order is sorted by y-axis first, then x-axis.
Numbering non-symmetrical selection:
Numbering components at different heights, the treads on a stair:
You can easily apply a colour to the numbers all at once as they’re in a group.
Hi McGordon,
Thanks for this info, I will look into this options.
Very good info by the way!
Cool Plugin McGordon.
Can it be alpha numerical?
Makes me wish for a Sketchup 3d text that would scale according to paper size in Layout and is exported to DWG from Layout too.
Thanks.
I don’t know if this is what you meant, but I’ve added an option to number rows with a letter and columns with a number.
Each text label precedes the number with a letter, so each row starts with a different letter, like this:
A1 A2 A3
B1 B2 B3
…
Z1 Z2 Z3
AA1 AA2 AA2
AB1 AB2 AB3
…
AZ1 AZ2 AZ3
BA1 BA2 BA3
…
ZZ1 ZZ2 ZZ3
Limited to ZZn. Even if you don’t mind waiting on this script generating all the text, then the amount of geometry added with more than 702 rows of 3d text will slow SketchUp down. It will just stop adding the text prefix after “ZZ”.
Close the Outliner window before using as this can make it 20 times slower!
GM_NumberComponent_1_0_1.rbz (5.3 KB)
I was thinking on selecting all windows or interior doors in a project and naming from W01 to W99 or Di01 to Di99. Eventually placing them on a sectioncutface?
Yeah, I did consider that too, but that would have been too easy! I could add that too when I have time.
Number Components 1.0.3
If you want a space between the text and the number, type a space at the end of the “Text Prefix” text field.
Cut the “Component Numbers” Group from the outliner then paste(or paste-in-place) it in whatever context you want.
GM_NumberComponent_1_0_3.rbz (5.4 KB)
Edit: Slight problem with 1.0.2, try 1.0.3.
LOL. That was too easy?
Do you need a tougher challenge?
What if your plugin also would name the components according to the numbering?
There’s a component definition name, that obviously can’t change,and then there’s a component name which coukd be affected by your plugin.
This would allow us to use Layout auto text tags (which do export to CAD) if we wanted…
Anyway, great job! Will try it asap.
Number Components 1.0.4
I’ve added an option to place the text in the name of the component instance. It either places text as 3D text OR renames the component instance / group. If you want both, run it again with the other setting.
GM_NumberComponent_1_0_4.rbz (6.0 KB)
Excellent Work McGordon!
Works like a charm… You are making this look so easy! Here are a couple more small challenge for you.
#1 In the direction field, would it be possible to add an option where we could choose the sequencing to start vertically top-bottom or bottom-top and then left-right or right-left, so it could look like this or reverse or any direction.
and while we (you) are at it, maybe like this (which is often requested)
#2 Would it be possible to start the sequencing at any given numbers. like 10 or 100
Again this is great and I hope i’m not pushing my luck with these 2 challenges…
Keep up the good work
S
thanks for the good idea, the plugin works really well, but … Is it possible to stamp the component definition text? and put the text on Component’s surface
