Workflow Question, re SU and LO

[CarlMDB]

I’ve been trying to work out the iteration /presentation issue.

I build a conceptual model “House”, and sometimes I show it to the client on the screen, with active 3D orbit and so on. Nice.
Sometimes I want to have the concept on paper or PDF, so I create some LO docs using templates . Refers to “House” SU file. Fine.
Keep refining the model. with several options and iterations. But I think there is a value in maintaining access to the early LO file and concept. So “Save As” with name like “House 1_1_17”, and create new LO doc with new reference.
After 5 or 10 iterations, with variations both large and small, I have created a large number of files, SU and LO. But I still don’t want to lose the value of early design experiments, both model and LO presentation files.

Eventually a design is narrowed down, more significant LO documentation done, then more changes made, now considered “revisions”.

So, the SU file history may look like this, with names that help me remember what is going on it a version:

House
House 1_1_17
House 1_3_17 Opt 1
House 1_3_17 Opt 2
House 1_4_17 Opt 1 stretch LR
House 1_6_17 Stair 1
House 1_6_17 Stair 2
House 1_10_17 {start con docs now}

House 2_3_17 rev 1 {which takes into account some elements of Opt 1, and Stair 2, so it’s handy to be able to refer back}

House Siding 1
House Siding 2 (because the project has begun without knowing absolutely what the siding and colors are. I am also the builder BTW}
{Tangent: How do you construct a model in a way to show two different siding choices as scene choices? Create a “skin” group? I’ve tried that and it gets challenging with a more complex model}

So, while the SU “Save Copy As” properly sets early files back and could keep the current file as “House”, it also breaks the link to LO, if there is a future desire to look at the LO file of an early iteration.

Just wondering how the smart , good looking professionals here do it.

Carl

[DaveR]

Sometimes I have need of doing something similar. After revising the SketchUp file and using Save as… to make it a new one, I open the LO file and immediately use Save as… to save a new LO file named like the revised SU file. Then I change the reference to the new SKP file. I do the Save as… first to prevent any potential screw ups if the computer or LO crashes before I get finished. Never had a problem but better safe than sorry.

Id odes create a larger number of files but when I know I no longer need certain iterations, I delete them. So far that has worked out well for me.

[MikeWayzovski]

@CarlMDB

good looking professionals here do it.

Ok Dave took care of the smart, now it is up to the good looking…

I always (try) to maintain a structured folder set per client. Always keep the .skp file unmapped in it, never change it s name use save as in archive map for different versions ( file name with date added) Generate pdf in pdf map for Communication with client or subcontractor.

[bmike]

My most recent iteration always has the shortest file name. I use ‘Save a copy as…’ when something changes or I explore a design direction and I keep the original file name with no notes, dates, etc. This always stays mapped to LO.

When I do have to present 1-2-3 options I’ll creat 1-2-3 alternate LO setups. Often times different documents (just delink different files, as my scene names are often the same, since all my iterations spring from the same base model…).