LO 2016 feature request / wish list

glitchdesign

I'd really like to see a more user friendly approach to layers.

It'd be nice to work the same way that i do in SU, where i keep a default layer active at all times and assign entities to the layer i want them on as i create them. AFAIK the only way to change an object's layer is with this process:
select item > change active layer > move items to current layer > change active layer back.
This seems unacceptably clunky to me. (Please tell me if i am missing a trick here).

This is considerably exasperated by the fact that copied items loose their layer status and appear on the active layer when pasted.
I've become quite accustomed to the use of stacked viewports to achieve different lineweights / colours, and it always seems unforgivably cruel to me that i can't set up a stack of viewports ordered how i want them and then copy and paste them around the drawing, so that all i need to do is change the scenes.
Likewise it would be nice if scrapbook items appeared on the layers they were saved on.

I remember reading a post a year or two ago that summed up these (and a few other points) very well. I'll see if i can dig it out.

JQL

All of those are good comments on layers.

Another feature for layers would be to know visually in wich layer you're drawing. Like what happens when you're inside a group where every other element in LO fades away.

I've written a lot of LO features over at Sketchup 2016 FR's. I'll copy paste here.

JQL

@frederik said:

Ruby implementation...

I'm quite certain that some of the very talented ruby programmers will be able to take LO to another level...

Ruby would be key to the success of LO as it was for the success of SU.

Pasted from other thread:

*The idea of having more computational efforts on SU for such heavy tasks such as layout's is not easy on me.

Besides that I like the fact that:

You can insert multiple SU files in LO;
You can work on a 2D workflow;
You have very high graphical output and, nowadays you go towards making a SU model only model, with all dims, texts, and leaders inside LO.
PDF export is beautiful

I don't like the fact that:

All commands are different in LO than they are from SU (we are so used to SU why reinvent the wheel in LO?);
Selecting has no CTRL or CTRL+SHIFT modifier keys;
Drawing commands are less effective;
Lines don't break nor faces get generated, nor can we paint a shape like in SU wich is much better than filling and stroking stuff;
No components, only groups;
Layers are confusing to work with. In SU you CAN'T change active layer, In Layout you MUST change active layer... awkward and opposite workflows.
Drag methodology for moving stuff around is awfull. Move should be "M" or Icon.;
Drag+CTRL for copying is terrible;
Double click for editing viewports is Dangerous as double clicking is also used to edit objects wich are always on top of viewports...
Scale? SU is better;
Rotate? SU is better;
Inference? SU is WAY better;
That dongle for inference, scale and rotate... OMG...
Offset tool... where is it?
Guide Lines?
Ruby?
DWG export is flawed;
Auto text is good but limited;
Auto tags are good but VERY limited.

I still love Layout and because of it I ditched CAD... so why am I complaining? Because I work with it a lot!*

glitchdesign

I think we can all agree that Ruby would be the single most significant addition to LO, but apart from that, isn't it interesting to see how many of the other common requests people are making could be so easily incorporated?

There seems to be very little missing from LO in terms of core functionality, but so much to be gained from tweaking, streamlining, and bringing tools and processes into line with how they operate in SU.

The release of SU 2015 has filled me with optimism. My fingers are certainly crossed for an awesome LO 2016...

Krisidious

I'm amazed there is no offset...

JQL

Ah... I also want to say that this is the right time for thinking on this. LO has just become fast enough in the new release. It IS much more workeable than before! 2015 is one hell of a version and the future is ready for greatness...

pbacot

I wonder what it would take to be able to insert (updatable) link for things like Excel worksheets or a Word page. Or DWG files? I know one can link rtf, (which I don't use, but that has some issues I understand.) Also provide support to links to pdf for Windows users like we have in Mac OS. Personally there are many things I'd rather do in other applications and I use pdf as the update method.

pbacot

Please, please, fix the way that images (like pdf) import at reduced size. I have had to use oversized sheets to get the image to come in at scale. I keep a 60 x 60 template just to import 24 x 36 images. Or document it or something. Please.

otb designworks

Would be very helpful to be able to import DWG/DXF files

Frederik

@otb designworks said:

Would be very helpful to be able to import DWG/DXF files

+1
And also IFC files...

kaas

It would be great if when copying several elements from one page to another, Layout would leave the assigned layers for those elements as they were. Up till now, layout will change all the layers for those copied elements to the current layer on the page you're copying to. Would be great it the assigned layers like 'Sketchup pages', 'images', 'text' etc would be preserved. Only work around now is copying those elements layer by layer OR re-assigning them after copying.

fouronethirty

@jql said:

@frederik said:

Ruby implementation...

I'm quite certain that some of the very talented ruby programmers will be able to take LO to another level...

Ruby would be key to the success of LO as it was for the success of SU.

Pasted from other thread:

*The idea of having more computational efforts on SU for such heavy tasks such as layout's is not easy on me.

Besides that I like the fact that:

You can insert multiple SU files in LO;

You can work on a 2D workflow;

You have very high graphical output and, nowadays you go towards making a SU model only model, with all dims, texts, and leaders inside LO.

PDF export is beautiful

I don't like the fact that:

All commands are different in LO than they are from SU (we are so used to SU why reinvent the wheel in LO?);

Selecting has no CTRL or CTRL+SHIFT modifier keys;

Drawing commands are less effective;

Lines don't break nor faces get generated, nor can we paint a shape like in SU wich is much better than filling and stroking stuff;

No components, only groups;

Layers are confusing to work with. In SU you CAN'T change active layer, In Layout you MUST change active layer... awkward and opposite workflows.

Drag methodology for moving stuff around is awfull. Move should be "M" or Icon.;

Drag+CTRL for copying is terrible;

Double click for editing viewports is Dangerous as double clicking is also used to edit objects wich are always on top of viewports...

Scale? SU is better;

Rotate? SU is better;

Inference? SU is WAY better;

That dongle for inference, scale and rotate... OMG...

Offset tool... where is it?

Guide Lines?

Ruby?

DWG export is flawed;

Auto text is good but limited;

Auto tags are good but VERY limited.

I still love Layout and because of it I ditched CAD... so why am I complaining? Because I work with it a lot!*

YES. i like this one JQL. a lot... i hope things get fixed on next SU.and LO. i mean, NExt LO. SU is better now a days and doing extremely brilliant production. , all we can do now is wait for the next development.. . .. i also use SU and LO. a lot, tools for my job, i complain a lot when using it, i can only try managing utilizing the best out of it for now.. LONG LIVE SU and LO. thanks.

TommyK

@jql said:

Inference? SU is WAY better;

If I could prioritise anything from JQL's list, it would be this one. In SU, I often get my point to hover over a line, hold shift, then any movement is locked to that line. And that is just one example. SU-style inferencing would be awesome! Inferencing in my view is the number one core feature that puts Sketchup ahead of all the other software.

To add to this general list of wishes, I want to add a feature where LO doesn't hang while the views are updating. With multi-core supportit should be possible to render a view while editing elsewhere in the document. I have more details of the wish here:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13%26amp;t=58905%26amp;p=554458#p554458

pbacot

Drawing tools are primitive and need more features, and actions need to be added. Have a real join function and trimming and get rid of the toy like glue and cut tools. They don't work half the time. Better snapping.
2.Fix bugs that adds thick lines (vector and hybrid)
Fix bug that makes hidden lines visible in printout (hybrid and vector).
Produce smaller pdf output files (no reason they have to be so large--practically unusable without reducing each page afterwards).
Fix bug that reduces the size of imported graphics.
Make it all faster: rendering and printing.
Make a special dialog to choose which pages to print (by page name).