Plugin to "freeze" scenes to avoid changes?
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Anybody interested in trying their hand at coding a plugin that would "freeze" scenes to avoid inadvertent changes?
This is the initial topic that I wrote to see if it existed in the first place. http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=25372
Problem is: Sometimes I have 25+ scenes in a model for exporting to Layout for detailed construction drawings, updating the 25+ scenes is a real pain whenever I create new geometry because the scenes were created by hiding groups and components. Anytime anything new is created all the scenes must be updated to hide the new stuff.
If their was some kind of plugin that would freeze the scenes, or keep track of what geometry was in the scene since it was last updated and with one click bring it back to that state...
Of course I have no idea about the architecture of Sketchup and what is possible or not, just dreaming here.
Any takers?
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Dont layers work for you to control objects visibility ?
they can be associated with scenes -
@morisdov said:
Dont layers work for you to control objects visibility ?
they can be associated with scenesThere's also a plugin that creates a new layer that's only 'on' in the current scene... useful of scene specific stuff...
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I think I find working with layers tedious because everything that I draw in Sketchup eventually makes it way to Layout. If I could choose in Layout to only display certain layers then I would just work with layers, but because Layout requires scenes I do all my organization of objects by scenes instead of by scenes AND layers because it saves a step.
I'll give you an example:
I do mostly custom kitchen design. My latest has an island consisting of 4 cabinet cases suspended off of 2 center supports and 2 "L" shaped end legs. All four cabinets and supports need to be shown and documented individually to send to the cabinetmaker, plus an overview, so no matter how you look at it I need to create 9 scenes for Layout to dimension and display properly. What I am hoping to avoid is having to also create 8 layers (1 for each part).
I mean... sure I can do it... but it's less than ideal when I'm already making scenes for that purpose.
I suppose this is a pretty exclusive problem to avid Layout users.
I've been considering AddHiddenLayer and the VisMap plugin as an option, but if I could simply "freeze" my scenes then all would be well. Also, part of me hopes some magnanimous coder will leap to the rescue!
I really appreciate all the replies, I've been through a lot of forums and this is one of the few that feels like a community. Thanks!
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I make complex models and then plan documents in LayOut all the time. Layers and Scenes are not mutually exclusive. They are used together. Layers are only used to control visibility of various components in each scene. You must be using the Hide function to make things invisible rather than using Layers as they were intended to be used.
I find it very fast to go through adding layers and associating them with the various components and text/dimension entities. Then I make the various scenes to show what I want, adjusting the layer visibility as needed. It isn't difficult at all.
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I'm not saying it's difficult to use layers, just an extra step if you're already setting up scenes for visibility out of necessity.
Don't you agree that it would be faster to just set scenes for each component you need to isolate in Layout rather than scenes AND layers? Just to note, this is possible already in Sketchup by hiding geometry, it's just that every scene needs to be updated constantly to hide any new geometry.
I'm always trying to streamline my workflow here and always come back to "since I need scenes, why do I need layers?" and the answer always turns out to be "you need layers because scenes are missing a feature".
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Scenes aren't intended to be used to control visibility and I don't agree that it would be faster. The problem you're running into requiring you to hide new geometry isn't a problem if you are using layers instead of the Hide function.
What do you do when something you've hidden in one scene needs to be shown in another? You have to Unhide all and then go through the process of selecting those things that still need to be hidden and rehide them. I don't have to do that because I use layers. If I want to see components that were hidden in one scene, I just check the visibility box for the layer(s) that is associated with those components.
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True: scenes aren't designed to control visibility.
but they can.
If they just had the ability to "freeze" I wouldn't have that minor annoyance in my workflow.
The way I prefer to work is simple really:
-Build to my heart's content
-Select all, unselect desired component(s), hide, Add new scene
-Document in Layout
-Build more, add more scenes when necessaryI never need to Unhide because there's always a scene that has everything that I can create a new scene from.
Not trying to step on anybody's toes. Your workflow is just as valid as mine
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