Tool Windows keep moving around and becoming 'unstuck'

SketchUp Feature Requests
1

Hi -

I’m reaching out about an issue that has been on my mind for years, but finally thought I’d ask about it… I’m using a Macbook Pro, version 14.4.1

When using Sketchup or Layout, all of my tool windows (ie Layers, Shape Style, Sketchup Model, etc in Layout, Entity Info, Tags, Scenes, etc.in Sketchup) constantly come unstuck from one another. I love the feature where you can ‘stick’ them together in the order that you like, and then have a predictable toolbar that is customized. The problem is, I try to set them up in an order that I like, and then as soon as I expand a few of them, suddenly they come 'unstuck, and shuffle themselves up all over the right side of my screen.

Is there a setting that I can change so that they stay ‘stuck’ and stay in the order that I’ve set up? It would go a long way to making my workflow more efficient, if so.

If this is not currently a feature, can I suggest it?

Many thanks,
Tim

1 Like
2

This is one of my biggest complaints with Sketchup

3

It is frustrating as all get-out. Constantly rearranging them and finding them in some new and random order…Ugh!!!

4

After setting all of these windows for Styles, Scenes, Tags, Entity Info, etc, have you tried to use SketchUp Menu → Workspace → Save current Window Size?

5

Hello Jean - Well, I’ve definitely used the ‘Save Current Window Size’ feature before, but I have never noticed whether it has an effect on the tool window positions. If it did, maybe it needs to be reset with each update? I’ll give it a try again and look to see if it has any effect this behavior. Thanks! Tim

6

if you have the dock activated, know that any panel that sticks out on either side will be moved on next launch.
same way, any panel that sticks out of the screen, even for a pixel, will be moved next launch. These are the safe zones of mac os where windows can be placed but not on launch.

7

Jean -

Just did a test of that. Unfortunately, after arranging the windows properly, saving current window size, saving the Sketchup file, and then closing Sketchup and re-opening, some of the windows were still rearranged.

8

Merci, @ateliernab! That makes sense. I mean, I don’t understand the coding necessity for it (I’m no computer programmer), but at least it’s a logical explanation. So I guess the workaround solution is to remember to minimize the tool windows before closing out of Sketchup, if you want things to stay in place?

9

yeah, don’t stick out, I usually have my panel a bit away from the borders.
off course, from time to time, I’ll close SU while having an extended panel that will go to my second screen on the next launch, but that’s on me.

there have been talks of unifying both PC and mac interfaces since they moved the PC one to a new framework last year, it’ll make plenty of people angry because it’ll likely change habits some users have had for decades, but over all, it’ll limit these weird quirks caused by the OS.

10

Yeah, they both have their quirks, it will be interesting to see how it would work in the long run.

11

My Feature request is somewhat related to this post. I think you should be able to press TAB to hide all the tool windows so you can see your whole model. Many Adobe softwares work this way, it is very convenient and seems like it wouldn’t be that difficult to add.

12

In settings, shortcuts, using Tab as a shortcut seems not to work. That could be done at the SketchUp app level, but tab is used for a lot of other reasons, and getting your panels hiding instead of advancing to the next text input field might be confusing.

I tried using Shift-H to trigger Window/Hide Dialogs, and that did seem to hide and show all of the palettes.