I'd have the 'site' as a model - with nothing inserted into it. I'd have several site-option models: these would each have the 'site' inserted as a site-component. If you change the 'site' in its original model file you can then reload the site-component in any of the site-option models and it updates. If you change the site-component within a site-option model do not export it back out and overwrite the original 'site' UNLESS this change affects every option [at which point all option users must reload it to be in step] - if it's an option specific change then you must leave as it is in the site-option model and then remember never to update it from the external 'site' model again - you could of course then export an option version of the site if required. For each site-option you'll have a number of building models etc which are also external model files. You'd insert them into the appropriate option-site model as components. If you edit any of these in their original model files you can reload them into the appropriate site-option model. If you change the component within a site-option model AND it is a permanent change then export it back and overwrite the original [you could always make a backup copy of the earlier version first, in case you want to 'revert' later on]. You cannot have the site inserted into a building model because a reload of it into another model will bring the site with it - however, you can change building component within the site-option model and export it, them reload into another file... At its extreme you could have a site-option model for each site option version for each building [the other building would be inserted for context but never edited] - you edit the ONE building component and export it - a central site-option model would have all such building models inserted as components and reloading them will update all into this central site-option... All of this is pretty complex and needs to have a written document so users understand what they are doing and can do - unfortunately it's impossible to legislate for someone accidentally updating the wrong component in the wrong model and exporting it, overwriting something and reloading it elsewhere.... Setting it up this way separates both the 'site' and the 'building' models for the options but needs some pre-planning...

We drift off topic into the sunset.........

That is odd. Try opening SU first by double clicking the SU icon. Then from within SU, open up your saved model. See if that helps. If so, it might have to do with special observers the plugins try to load, and if they are failing on loading a saved model, this might be a bug that should be reported. Chris

There is a thread somewhere around here, maybe in the extensions forum about this. And they started with Left 4 Dead export only, but I think their tools now work with any of the games. Or rather, they always worked with any of the games, but at first you had to own L4D to be able to download them. But I tihnk they are freely avaliable to everyone now? Anyhow search the Extensions forum and this should have a topic there. Chris

Thank you very much Tig. Great help.

Gaius— Wow, that is way cool (for an annoying popup window). Thanks, Gai

Whenever I download a new build (and I do have a couple of them! ) I generally rename the installer file to the version number I get from the Help menu so that I can always tell what is what.

@gaieus said: Still it seems that the texture is scaled with that cabinet door. Are there two, separate texture images with the model? If not, try to right click on that component and "Scale definition". If it were a native SU model, this would fix the texture scaling issue. There was only one texture for the wood but I did right-click and make unique texture and scale that one so I found a work around just wanted to see if anyone else had seen this before. Thanks

Thanks for the tips guys. Much appreciated! Ken

Scott, Modelhead, Thank you very much - some great recommendations there. It is clear that Photoshop (or it's various cousins - I'm on a Mac and using Gimp, Pixelmator etc.) is pretty essential. I have had some success with Gimp by taking a basic board, and copying/modifying it in various ways to create larger panels. Gimp's Liquid resixe and bump maps help create some pretty good looking images that then serve fairly well for the size of furniture I am working with at the moment.

@Panga: I used VirtualBox 3.0.10 on linux. I found the solution on wikipedia: VirtualBox does support OpenGL (only 32-bit windows XP and Vista, linux, solaris) after having installed the "Guest Additions" (see manual, it's like a setup cd that you put in the virtual operating system) @juan974: I have not yet thought about it... Interesting . The XP on the Virtual Machine cannot be completely compared to a normal XP on a real computer, VirtualBox does not support all techniques that Sketchup can use, like hardware acceleration. Also I used a very stripped down Windows XP which can of course not use the full ram (in my case I allowed it only to use 192MB) because otherwise the host operating system cannot work. The minimal XP install cd can be created with nLite. Luckily SU7.1 works now also in Wine on linux without problems, so I only need VirtualBox for placing models in Google Earth. The above test made me wonder why SU runs faster in a virtual machine than in wine...

@manojglobal said: hi My first sketchup layout. comments are walcome... Manoj Singh Hi! It's your first try... That's look like my first file Yo uwill porgress Warm redards From France Sergio

I have recently bought it in a bundle but haven't played with it yet however as far as I know, it will only export the camera viewports. But now as I am thinking about it - in LayOut (as you are planning to use it maybe), you can adjust your viewport to any size and when you export the image with transparent background, it's already a piece of cake to select the transparent channel, invert selection and crop to selected area. OR you can install CubicPanoOut (see in the ruby library depot) and it will adjust your viewport width or height to any set size so you can export easily. (Or render with Kerkythea or Twilight - I know both can export batch render at given exact size and also a clipmask render to apply in post pro - maybe other renderers can also do it easily.)

That was good, Andrew, thanks!

@martinrinehart said: Like SketchUp, the tutorial's free. nearly everything is free here.

@cmoreink said: I think I'm home welcome then.

@tig said: @wolverine said: Dilemma - have a model of a log cabin I've constructed (8" "D" logs, all individual, sixteen courses high). Now, I've got to get door and window openings in. Best methods for doing so? Thanks ! Make a grouped punching shape for the door as a box that extends through the wall, move it into place. Perfect, many thanks, worked great.

Ruby in layout has been suggested, but so far no one has really given any good ideas of what ruby should be able to accomplish. I think this is a great example of something ruby would be useful for in LO. Chris

What you say Chris makes perfect sense. The seller would have to be selling lock stock and barrel

guys, i think i am having a similar problem. a big site where i located 3 buildings which i modeled separately in their own files. however, when they were brought into the big file i had to place them in new positions relative to their previous origins. then i took them back to the original files and pasted them in the same place as they are in the big file (so that moving them back and forth is easier). problems: in the original files the first origin is never forgotten when i want to have a facade view. in the big file my renderer (podium) does not "see" the buildings. any ideas? EDIT: apparently the problem went away after i closed sketchup and opened it again.