I’d like to have it.
I’m no expert, but last I saw the issue discussed the Windows version had the sub-windows completely compiled into the app, not external resources as on Mac.
Yes, the idea of “Nextstep Interface Builder” (aka .nib) files was something Steve Jobs brought to Apple along with Unix-based OS X when he returned from Next. They separate the cosmetic and layout aspects of a UI element from the handler code that responds to user actions. The latter is still compiled into the app source code. But, as John is expert at, one can fiddle with many aspects of the look and layout via nib editing.
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I’m in Windows and I keep re-sizing the names column to be able to see the layer names and ignore the dashes column but it is constantly re-sizing itself back!! I think it does it when i save the file Ctrl+S but not always. Anyway in the space of an hour it’s done it about four times. Would be happy enough sticking with Sketchup 8 but now others are using 9 I can’t open their files without using 9 also!
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Just going to keep using SU2018. Sorry to say there is no reason for me switch (for free) to the new version. I’d rather have a somewhat acceptable UI than rarely used dash lines. Hate to be a downer, but this is an honest assesment.
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Same here. I’d like my layer panel to stay like this, with no visible layer line style and no active layer control:
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Dear Trimble – please let us move away or hide or shrink the “Dashes” column in the Layers panel.
• Dashed linetypes can be a good idea for the minority that use them. As a 3D modeller, I would never use them myself.
• A dashed line is, at least in a some sense, not a 3D entity. It is more of an annotation feature. As such, it should not be in the layers panel at all. And if it need must be, it should not be squatting extremely valuable space in this essential panel. A majority of large Sketchup project will use layers. Most likely only a minority of Sketchup projects will use dashes. Color by layer is used by relatively few, but unlike dashes, it does not shout “Look at me! I’m here! Look at me!”.
• As I have explained in greater detail elsewhere, the current implementation of dashed lines is based on a sloppy conceptual foundation. Dashedness is a property of edges. So in the first instance, it ought not belong to layers at all, but to edges themselves – just like soften, smooth, cast shadows, receive shadows, etc, do, since forever. Or perhaps to containers, if one really wants dashes visible on profiles. Extensions can then take care of the rest. And extensions would do it much better, since having dashes per edge gives greater power and granularity. Moreover, extensions could then fairly easily via the API get the possibility to activate dashes by layer anyway, for those who want it.
• Just like the best “feature” of Sketchup 2019 was to remove the maddening focus stealing startup process, one of the best features of Sketchup 2020 would be to remove dashed lines from the Layers panel. The focus stealing was so bad it was bearable only to occasional Sketchup users. From which we draw the tentative conclusion that the powers that be belong precisely to those.
• On Windows at least, the Layer panel “Name” column at least is resizable. So what is the point of making the “Dashes” column ship not resizable? Who gains from this?
• If Trimble still insists on dashes in the layers panel – please, make the dashes column resizable or movable or optional. And let us 3D model in uncluttered peace.
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I have a solution. Place your stack in the top right or left corner of the screen and stretch it out wide enough to read all your layers.
After you’re done toggling layers, close the tab and it will shrink. And now you have plenty of screen space.
When you reopen the tab, it should return to that size.
This is not what a call a solution, it’s a cumbersome workaround that force you to loose half of your working area every time you open the layers panel, and I am one of those that work with the layers panel opened most of the time.
But thanks for sharing.
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Thank you.
The problem is not how to hide the layer panel. The problem is: How do I control the layer panel contents?
So, your suggestion does not solve the problem.
We – as most users with real-world projects do – use the layer panel all the time. So it usually remains open.
The new dashes column needlessly takes up way more valuable GUI estate that its occasional value merits – even when you use it. And if you don’t use it, well, it is just irritating and should not have to be there at all.
Most users want to be able to move and to properly minimize and, best of all, to remove entirely the dashes column from the layers panel. Any column in any panel should be movable, resizable, and sortable.
Can you do that in Sketchup?
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we could ask @SketchupDoug for his take on the absence of user choice…
john
Sure can! Most useful to us would be to get samples of layer names that you are seeing truncated with the default tray width, as it’ll help us test or check against these situations.
Even when names aren’t truncated the balance looks just off, with layer names barely fitting into one column while another column is half whitespace. It should also be noted that layer names is the primary column, used to identify each line, while line style is a secondary feature not used by all users.
It’s a bit like if Windows Explorer showed bit depth in a column as wide as the file name.
Personally I’d be very, very happy if we were able to select what columns to even show so I could hide both line style and active layer, similar to how you can control columns in Explorer. This would probably be my one favorite feature for that whole release.
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My questions about new layer panel ( and dashes):
- What does the “Default” means in column: dashes? A solid (continuous)? Or which one? If solid, why don’t shown like this: “_____”?
- How can I set THE Default value? Can It be different than solid? Can I set it to e.g. “…” or “----”?
- When you are sorting by dashes, how do you know the order? (Which one goes first/last, and why?)
Default means the value is inherited from the parent, like the default material can be. I’d rather have these called “None” though, as I think it better conveys what they represent.
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This one sounds much better. Thanks for clearing.
However there were a little more number of questions above… 
,
…but the 
is very poor to describe the “dashes” function. I’m not surprised if I have got no real answers. 
John,
Xcode is unnecessary as the nib file is a xml file with the extension nib. You can edit that in a text editor such as Bbedit.
One question—I’ve been searching for the nib files you mention but so far have not been able to find them.
Sure, I can answer these.
Default as noted by Eneroth, is saying that there is no dash pattern. This will inherit the parent pattern. It works great when a component might be on a layer with a dash, as sub components in different layers can be set to have no style, or a solid style to override the parent.
As we have an explicitly defined solid pattern, we reserved that visual indication for it.
Setting a default realistically whatever you set on layer 0, or the layer your objects are on becomes the default, so there is no specific default for the global model except solid.
Layers attempt to be ordered by the length of the dashes and gaps, so in general the smallest pattern to the largest pattern will be ordered. Due to the exact math of how to order such different patterns this might feel approximately smallest to largest. Primarily it’ll help get all the styled layers into one area of the list.
Help article Out of curiosity, when looking at the help article, what were you looking to find out or learn? Was there information that would help, alternatively what about the information could be clarified or adjusted to have been more clear?
Edge Styles seems like a more consistent term than Dashes.
I dont really understand why we have dashed edges, but then the colour is applied to the entire layer including faces.
when you use Colour by Layer, the entire model becomes coloured and you cant see any edges. I would prefer the edges to stay black.
It would be nice to see the model’s faces shown in colour (or with mateirals) but have some edges with a Colour and dash style.
It would be nice to apply Colour by Layer to layers on an independent basis, not be appplied to the entire model.
my 2c
Here is a random sample of what’s on my desk today. I’m already abbreviating everything to keep it as short as possible so that the layers window can be as thin as the UI will let me have it. I wish it could be thinner. Layers window needs to be open all the time for most of us pushing large models, so loosing screen real estate to a bunch of empty column space is very annoying, more so if you don’t want what the column is selling (dashed lines, edges). I’m sticking with 18 until this gets sorted out and the columns are resizable and individually hide-able like they should be. Give me control of my own UI please.
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