[Plugin] TIG-LayerWatcher

pbacot · 2 Jun 2015, 15:28

Wow. Another plugin that might logically have been a built-in option for SU itself. Great idea and execution!

cotty · 2 Jun 2015, 15:51

I only see one problem with this plugin:
those who do understand what it does might not need it, and those who do not understand will probably not install it (unless we force them to)

Great idea, thank you!

TIG · 2 Jun 2015, 16:16

@krisidious said:

But keeps the group or component layer? while keeping geometry at layer0?
Yes - you are correct.
It only affects Edges and Faces [aka Geometry] everything else stays on the layer it already has...

Krisidious · 2 Jun 2015, 16:17

@tig said:

Yes - you are correct.
It only affects Edges and Faces [aka Geometry] everything else stays on the layer it already has...

Beautiful...

TIG · 2 Jun 2015, 16:22

@cotty said:

I only see one problem with this plugin:
those who do understand what it does might not need it, and those who do not understand will probably not install it (unless we force them to)
Great idea, thank you!
I fully agree.
But we have to start somewhere...
In a way it was an exercise in Observer creation.
I was quite pleased that there seems minimal lag when it kicks in.
I NEVER set the Current-Layer to anything other than Layer0.
But at least this fixes the exploding Group/Component issue where its Geometry inherits the container's Layer !

db11 · 2 Jun 2015, 22:33

And the string of TIG hits just keeps on coming!

I always draw on Layer0, but I have had issues with raw geometry ending up on other layers... usually after exploding a group without paying attention to the layer inheritance, or after changing the current layer in order to delete another layer into it — and then forgetting to reset the default layer before resuming drawing.

This will help to eliminate the untidy consequences of those occasional —usually late night— attention lapses.

Thanks for another useful plugin TIG. The Layers from/to List plugins will also see a lot of use and are equally appreciated.

Doug

JQL · 2 Jun 2015, 22:53

@cotty said:

I only see one problem with this plugin:
those who do understand what it does might not need it, and those who do not understand will probably not install it (unless we force them to)

Great idea, thank you!

LOL! So true!

I tell you what... I will never install it myself, but I will force it's installation on all the people I tutor Sketchup to.

Does it work automatically with models imported from 3D Warehouse?

TIG · 3 Jun 2015, 10:16

Here's v2.0 http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TIG_LayerWatcher
It now adds a Context-Menu item if the current Selection contains
Geometry [Edges and Faces] not assigned to "Layer0", it is called -
"Selected-Geometry-To-Layer0" - it reassigns that Geometry's Layer[s] to be
"Layer0". The Layers of other Entities in the Selection - e.g. Groups -
are ignored, only Geometry in the Selection is changed.
However, if the Selection contains Groups or Components, AND they in turn
contain Geometry that is not assigned to "Layer0", then you are then prompted
Yes|No to fix that... These changes mine down into any nested containers too...
These Layer changes are one-step undo-able.

JClements · 3 Jun 2015, 13:59

"But at least this fixes the exploding Group/Component issue where its Geometry inherits the container's Layer !"

That is the 5-star attribute of this plugin. Thank you TIG!

cmeed · 11 Jun 2015, 09:04

Hi Tig, - Great Plugin again. there is a clash with ACT (advanced camera tech) that you and people should be aware of. the ACT automatically creates layers and then geometry on them. This leads to your pop up box repeating itself. you have to switch SU off using windows Task Manager.
i disabled tig-layerwatcher in plugins manager - restarted and ACT works fine.
c

TIG · 11 Jun 2015, 16:10

@cmeed said:

Hi Tig, - Great Plugin again. there is a clash with ACT (advanced camera tech) that you and people should be aware of. the ACT automatically creates layers and then geometry on them. This leads to your pop up box repeating itself. you have to switch SU off using windows Task Manager.
i disabled tig-layerwatcher in plugins manager - restarted and ACT works fine.
c
Thank you for the report.
Of course ACT should never need to change the active layer from Layer0, or to put geometry on a layer that is not Layer0 - so I am perplexed...
Investigating...
EDIT:
Oddly when the ACT tool adds a layer [it adds two] it makes it current and then immediately reverts to the existing layer anyway, so it's pretty dumb !
It is possible to add a layer and use it, without ever making it current.
ACT adds camera objects etc onto those newly made layers...
I am thinking of reporting its silliness to the authors...
I can easily trap for this idiocy, but it would not be expected if ACT acted sensibly.

TIG · 11 Jun 2015, 17:27

Here's v3.0 http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TIG_LayerWatcher It now allows tools [like ACT] to set a layer active that is NOT Layer0 - without the warning message.
It also allows non-native tools to add geometry onto layers other than Layer0.
Native tools are still covered...

cmeed · 11 Jun 2015, 17:57

As always your work and speed is sublime !

cmeed · 11 Jun 2015, 18:01

As always your work and speed is sublime !
If only ACT was updated - it's been the same pain in the a*se for so long now. We don't need those extra layers! I've never needed those camera volumes it produces and you can't turn them off. They keep coming back and It's slow slow slow. Grrrr.
Grumble grumble.

numerobis · 14 Jun 2015, 10:45

Great little plugin for fixing this idiotic exploding behavior! Thanks!

And yes... ACT should be fixed too - this large geometry is a joke that makes it unusable!

DOD3R · 15 Jun 2015, 01:35

Hello All,
Allow me to just share my idea on how i deal with this in my workflow.
I probably as everybody have the habit to save usually at least once in ten minutes, or usually when finishing some steps like component,floor.
To address the problem of geometry on different layer than 0 I made similar habit of running clean up plugin from ThomThom. I did set up two hotkeys for two kind of settings. First is applicable for solid like geometries with smoothing and deleting edges and the other is practically just geometry on layer 0.

have a great day everybody.

T.

TIG · 2 Aug 2015, 18:13

Here's v4.0
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TIG_LayerWatcher
Now trapped for obscure errors from some other plugins' operations affecting its observers etc.
It has also been made into an 'Extension'.

TIG · 13 Nov 2015, 20:03

Here's v5.0
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TIG_LayerWatcher
It has minor tweaks and is also 'future-proofed'.

TIG · 14 Nov 2015, 17:09

Here's v6.0.
http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TIG_LayerWatcher
It has better reporting of geometry assignment to Layer0 on completion.
It also has a few background security tweaks too.

TIG · 28 Dec 2015, 13:37

Here's v7.0 http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=TIG_LayerWatcher Its code loading regime has been adjusted in an attempt to avoid an occasional glitch with v2016.