Might be a bit too complex for what is possible, or even a bit over the top to what’s usually done as graphical schedulling inside Sketchup, but I’d love it if we could achieve this level of detail:
I don’t mind drawing details as 2D faces, which is what we usually do. I don’t know how others deal with details on custom projects like this, but I’d really like to know.
Here’s the full set:
I think what I’ve been looking for since the beginning is an extension that takes the following inputs:
And outputs a layout page to a scrapbook with the viewports on it with front elevation, and optionally side elevation, transverse section, and sagittal section views. The views will be at the input scale and showing objects under the input tags.
Shoutouts to @mbrightman @Cyentruk and @curic4su for having extensions that are pretty ■■■■ close to being able to do this already, just need a tiny nudge. But it might be too difficult or too niche.
If your needs are just simple like that. Curic Scene Manager can handle.
Please try this.
Sorry @Fredo6 for mention about another extension in your topic.
Very neat work! - I do the same as you really; just draw in 2D either from cleaned up section cuts, or or from scratch.
This looks very exciting. I would encourage you to continue. Once you have the UI and a pricing model, then please comment in this thread and I will certainly be one of the people having a closer look.
Love this description. Had a recent conversation with @joanne about this very thing. Why can’t there be a point established inside a room that then generates views/scenes in the four cardinal directions. To have that output as a scrapbook file sounds like ConDoc tools, but the idea of being able to establish any number of designated locations to generate scenes from would be great.
Additionally @Fredo6 I like your idea of housing that production within a plugin so that the scene list in Sketchup doesn’t get completely unmanageable. This has been one of my beefs actaully, the scene management system is antiquated. Would prefer a tray based UI instead with more features like export scene as Layout Scrapbook and data driven scenes for searching and organization.
Thanks for your questions. Below some answers.
The plugin just need to identify which objects are doors or windows and some of their properties. The principle is that:
Selecting views is based on standard views (top, left, right, bottom, front, back) or setting the camera interactively. Here too, just UI.
Connecting points for dimensions are fake dimensions that you simulate in the Sketchup model. This would be via an custom interactive tool, just recording where you wish to have dimensions. This will not generate true dimensions in the model however (although the dimensions could be shown visually). The actual dimensions will be generated in Layout via the API.
Limitation of the Layout API is that you cannot update the Layout document when the Sketchup model(s) are modified. This is probably because the Layout document file embeds a copy of the participating Sketchup models. In addition, there is nothing like attributes in the Layout document, so it’s difficult to retrieve what is what in an existing Layout document that was previously generated. This is why a full regeneration is safer. Of course, unless you add doors / windows and change them, you can update the Layout document from the companion schedule model.
I could probably overcome some of these limitations and make sure that additional labels, notes and visual elements that have been added manually can be migrated to the new generated document.
Also, a workflow could be that the user just uses the automated Layout document and copy / paste viewports into another clean Layout document.
Anyway, you are right to point out that there would be as many types of presentation as users and user projects. This is why I will not pursue the development of this plugin. Too much work and hassles with the risk that it covers only 80% of the needs, whereas automation needs to reach 100%.
Still, the idea of using a companion model to generate views, sections, sections boxes, custom hatching of section cut fills, etc… is still an interesting approach to avoid polluting the main design model (and impacting performance), and also obtain some effects that cannot be easily achieved from the main model (like section boxes).
I decided to share my vision of visualizing the process of windows and doors. I want to note right away that in my process I use a third-party paid specialized program Orgadata Logic. This program is used worldwide by all manufacturers of translucent structures - it includes the entire database of stained glass profiles such as aluminum, PVC and wooden windows. All this, I repeat, is on a paid basis. The program contains all the functions that a manufacturer needs - optimization, cutting, selection of fittings, sending the task to the CNC, but this is not necessary for Sketchup. OK. I first draw all my windows in the Logical program - then convert them to Sketchup. Everything else you can see in the video: Видео презентация программного обеспечения ORGADATA Logikal.
БЦ Квантум - наружные витражи в DWG.dwg (3.0 MB)
I still think it would be cool just to populate objects for schedules
