Greetings hive-mind. I’m very new to Sketchup/Layout but have been getting up to speed with the Sketchup Campus lessons, Linkedin Learning lessons and lots of coffee.
One thing that I haven’t seen covered in lessons or on Youtube is a workflow for working with revisions. I’m building concept drawings and lighting diagrams for film/tv and commercials and these go through multiple rounds of revisions.
I start by making a new SKP file and calling it {project name}_CURRENT.skp. Then bring it into Layout to make the drawings for presentations. I’ll name the Layout file {project name}_{version}.layout.
Now when I make a revision to the Sketchup file I’ll first make a copy and give it a version number (ie. _v01.skp). Then I’ll make revisions to the CURRENT file, save it, then go to Layout, open the last version, save a copy as a new version then update all the viewports on all the pages, making new measurements/notes along the way. I’ll use the autotext to reflect the version number on all pages.
This works but it’s a little clunky (as clunky as my explanation). It seems like users who are doing building drawings must have a better workflow. Anyone care to share? Any Youtube content creators want to do a video?
I do not use ‘Save As…’ - I use ‘Save a Copy As…’
When I use ‘Save a Copy As…’ I will add a descriptor (date, change name, etc).
I keep working in my main file…
I do not like having to figure out which model is current. For me, the current model is always the one without any notes / dates / etc.
I cannot stand when I teach my clients and we have to sort through ‘CNI-Smith-FinalPorch-ReallyFinal-ThisTimeIReallyMeanIt’ file names.
Keeping the SKP file name simple makes referencing in LayOut easy. I never have to hunt for the proper file.
Of course I can always go back to older files, or re-link older files, etc… as needed.
In LayOut I generally do a similar thing - but there is no ‘Save A Copy As…’ - so I manually manage this by using notes at the end of the file - Review, PEReview, ShopDrawings, ForFabrication, ForPermit, etc.
I don’t use layout but if I did I’d use the same method I use for SU files.
All projects have a number (let’s use 007 as an example)
All projects have an identical folder structure with the project name in the top and sub folders, eg:
007-ProjectName
—007-01-3D
—007-02-Images
—007-03-Videos
—007-xx-etc
—007-99-Suplied
I use PosteHaste (Post Haste - Digital Rebellion) to create new project folders.
The 01,02,03 numbers in the folder names is to keep them in the order I want.
The 99-supplied folder is for ANYTHING I’m provided to create the project, I even regard photos I take as supplied to the project. I create a dated subfolder in the supplied folder whenever I receive something such as 2024-08-19 - CAD when I’m sent drawings or 2024-08-19 - Photos for photos etc.
The initial SU file will get the name 007-ProjectName-v1 and I’ll stick with the v1 until either a major change or step in the project, by step I mean that say, I renders some views and the client comes back with comments, at that point I’ll save as a v2 version.
If I was using Layout then I have a 007-xx-Layouts folder and the files would match the corresponding SU file v number. The PDF’s generated from the layout file(s) would probably go in the layouts folder but maybe better in their own 007-xx-PDF folder.
I used to have a folder called ‘Archive’ in the 3D folder where I’d move older files I dint want to see but did want to keep, I don’t do that anymore as it’s not relevant in my current business. I’d reinstate it if I was back in a more technical environment and have one for the layouts and PDF’s too.
‘revisions’ can have different meanings, most likely depending on regional conditions and methods.
It might point to traditional ‘drawings’ where the ‘as build’ is just another phase, just as ‘definitive’ or ‘preliminary’. Even within those phases, one might call it a revision.
One thing though, there would always be some stakeholder that ‘revises’ or checks the drawing.
All this ‘metadata’ is usually displayed in the title block (drawn by, revisioned by, date, etc).
While it is easier to have this metadata projected in the filename in some situations, in larger projects, this kind of metadata is usually controlled by tags/status in the project software.
The name of the file is then usually the result of some form of agreement (eg. Project_Discipline_Contractor_Building_Floor) and should not be changed.