SU2016 "Generate Report" cannot handle model information

The new Generate Report fails me in so many ways that I held my breath and still couldn’t let it go… :anguished:

  • it doesn’t properly load customs attributes assigned to my groups. In the report dialog, Some attributes apear with different label-text and others are not shown at all.
  • Within an array of groups (with same definition name), I cannot get them listed individually in the report. Instead, I see them “summarized” in one single event that contains them all. Problem is each one has different values for different attributes.
  • My models are heavy and I’ve wished I could run the script for smaller selections of groups at a time. I cannot even open the report dialog for its default template starts reading “entire model” before i can choose anything. In fact, each time I create or edit a Report format, SU seems to scan the whole model what would cause to crash my model…
  • text output in 2015’s report shows the exact information of each attribute (assigned in DC/ Group fields). SU2016 messes decimals proximation and uses other text formats for punctuation (&#47 for “/” - is a pain).

Is it possible to set 2016’s Generate Report in the same manner it worked in its prior version? Does this have anything to do with “online feedback”? Can I block “scan entire model”? Can I get the exact field output my entities show in the “Component Attribute” panel?

Hopeful in finding a workaround for these…

Thanks guys!

To get the previous, 2015 behavior, just turn off the internet for a second, Generate Report, and you’ll see the old, Version 1.

that’s such a great relief… Thanks a lot Barry!

Would it be possible for you to share the model so we can look into the issues you listed?

Feel free to private message me with the model if necessary

CD

sure. In fact, i shall send you just a piece of furniture that can illustrate all these issues, along with two examples of ambients.

I ask you, though, to let me contextualize my workflow and maybe give you guys some ideas on future development and how much this is important to me.

These reports I use extensively in my work. I came up with a BIM that is made of two simple things: MATERIALS and the =MID(material,1,1) formula. Each Group (I use “groups” instead of “DC” so I can stretch it with the Fredos Scale) When modeling, a material will be applied to each group, obviously. In its name, though, I write all information I need: Brand, Item, model, Ambient, Price material, price labor, etc. Then I extract each information in different field of Attributes of DC. Voila: when I change material, I’m applying every piece of data for that geometry. No need for typing, nor selecting pop-up menus… Maybe Sketchup team could capitalize on the material tool to incorporate INPUT of DATA somewhat in this line… In practice, there were many issues I had to deal - such as “redraw, not applying one set of data to other components, etc “- But I did manage workarounds and it was very worthy. ONE database does many reports at once, just by tuning filter’s order.

I use Numbers 2.3 (old version) to filter by category with works as a pivot table/ dynamic table. It’s great. If only Layout could incorporate the pivot table such as NUMBERS’.

Arquivo Comprimido.zip (3.0 MB)

The 2016 Generate Report feature does not seem to handle component descriptions as I would expect - the “Entity Description” column values are always blank even if a given component has a non-blank description. The 2015 report generator yields the expected text for component descriptions. None of the other column/attribute choices (besides Entity Description) in the 2016 report-generator edit mode seem as if they would correspond to a component’s description property. So is there a way with the 2016 generator to emit component descriptions?

As an example model, see my “Viking ’75 Mars Lander Core Body” in the 3D Warehouse (I can’t find a way in the 3DW to provide a plain model link, so you can search for the model name, sorry).

@bru_degrave [quote=“bru_degrave, post:1, topic:17890”]
My models are heavy and I’ve wished I could run the script for smaller selections of groups at a time. I cannot even open the report dialog for its default template starts reading “entire model” before i can choose anything. In fact, each time I create or edit a Report format, SU seems to scan the whole model what would cause to crash my model…
[/quote]

Thanks for supplying your sample model for us to interrogate.

Is this the typical size model you work with?

I was able to run the Gen Report very quickly on the skp you posted without problem.

CD

Thanks for sharing your model

I was expecting that you did, for I’ve sent you just two pieces of furniture.

Normally my files are 10x larger - 70 mb… What isn’t Thaaat big either. They are fine to work with - modeling, I mean. The Gen Report (at SU 2015) takes 12min for one segment of my model, say “furnitures”. More or less 3k lines of entities.The entire model should triple that Time (I’ve never tried). The operation may not crash… But that’s not the point: version 1.0 let me choose “current selection attributes” before it did ANY calculation. And that is crucial… If I had to wait even 5 minutes for every setting I wished to try in any of the reports I can save in version 2.0, that would be way too discouraging… If it got “entire model” imagine freezing SU for 30 minutes?? I would simply “force Quit”

But the reason I’ve sent you my model along with the different reports (1.0 vs. 2.0) was to compare the nature of its outcomes - fairly different.

Another very important issue to my workflow considers that ALL my entities share the same attributes. I encourage you to check them on the “components Attribute” palete. Nevertheless… The gen Report 2.0 window fails to list them as they write. Some of them are not shown at all.

All in all, I was greatly relieved that report 1.0 was still available. These new features are yet to be revised, thus, not fully operational in my view.

Regards!

May I compliment the SU team on version 2016 for it did the same calculation report (in version 1.0) in half the time it used to do in 2015! I am very pleased with this improvement.

2016, runs smoother and maintains SU’s simplicity. I value this strategy. My main expectations on SU development are x-ref, auto text, navigable pdfs. I praise “trimble connect” (even though its far from responsive - too slow and bad interface), layout cloud ref, and new API for LO.

A small request (even though this is not the place, nor time…), referring to Layout’s ability to label DC’s visible attribute: could it be extended to Groups as well?

This LABEL FEATURE is extremely powerful. I hope it may be applied to groups as well, as All my attributes are assign to them, not DCs…

Hi @TDahl, I see what you’re saying about descriptions, and we will investigate.

I can’t use a new version of generate report T^T

@k2iyoy why? Are you 2016? If not, go to Extension Warehouse in 2015 and install a new Dynamic Components Extension from the SketchUp Team (updated Version: Dynamic Components (1.4.0); November 11, 2015), and it should work.

Now, I know that problem.it’s happen because my windows OS it’s not update T^T

Thank you very much Barry

I have just discovered the new report tool and after a first try I am a bit disapointed.
In one hand the new report tool offer an improvement because it is easy to get a sum for each definition name but in another hand it is a really bad change because there is not option to get a propert report for each entity in the model like in the previews version. the attributs informations are merges per componant definition in the colums so they can’t be used as data, only as useless text. If it is confirmed, the new report tool completly beak my workflow.

Is anyone can confirme that is not possible to report attribut information for each entity and not definition name ? is there an option I didn’t find ?

Regards,

I found out the solution to my problem!
For the other who meet the same probleme:
Only the default “Component Quantities Report” is automaticaly making sum of componant.
If you create new report, it will be like the old version with data sheet.
( at least this is how I understand the way it work)

Regards,

Yup, the “Component Quantities Report” is a specific report that you can run. Use the “Create New Report” button to customize a report for your own use.