Like to add my $.02 also. Totally agree that Layout needs to have matching accuracy!--AND SOON, PLEASE!

I just ran into the same problem! The model is drawn to 0.001" precision but there's no matching precision in layout. I can't simply convert to metric because Layout's mm precision is limited to 0.1mm. sigh I did post a reply on the Layout wish list; so, hopefully that will help get it fixed. regarding the topic of dimensioning & SketchUp for engineering, I thought producing a dimensioned and annotated 3D PDF would be a great & simple way to pass the model along to collaborators and contract manufacturers unfortunately, it seems the current 3D PDF export pluggins don't work so well for this: The SimLab 2.4 pluggin exports only 2D plane 3D geometry; it does NOT export points, lines, guides, text, nor dimension entities - which makes it practically impossible to create a fully commented/annotated 3D model in PDF. However, with Adobe Acrobat, you can enable the 3D PDF for analysis & measurement within the free Acrobat Reader which is pretty cool. ...but measuring is still a pain compared to having the dimensions already called out...

Thank you very much, you've all been a big help. And now finally i can use sketchup for drafting, except from modelling.

this is the most obviously needed addition, to be able to lay out pages and annotations properly and accurately in professional use. cant wait for it!

@unknownuser said: Thankfully my printer has it down now, so I just send over the files and order at will. They are really good at making adjustments and testing before final printing. Look after that one mate! My printer hands me stuff with huge lines across it smiles and hands me the bill!

@freizeitkraemer said: Hi all, Text can be aligned left right and center but I can't find any option to justify text to form a nice block. Any work arounds for this one? I'm trying to convince my colleagues to use Layout rather than Indesign for SketchUp presentations - but the limited text format options really make it difficult to sell. Layout is great for presentations of models that evolve and need frequent updating or drawings in scale. But the general work flow issues, limited export resolution and missing text features leave Layout behind the competition. Having said that- I personally like it and use it a lot. cheers, Thomas BTW, why would you want to do this? The features in InDesign for EVERYTHING far outweigh those available in Layout! I currently work this way and it's rather seamless!

Sorted thanks fella =]

I have found when issues like this arise if you delete the affected file, purge in document setup, and then reload it back into layout it may clear that up..... has worked for me in certain situations in the past.

Don't know what you're saying,Richard,but I'll see if I can do that too.

Yeah, what you say is correct Gaeius. My advice goes for "flat" 2d objects only. Which I got the impression by the picture we where talking about. By "height" I meant position in Z-axis. You can group a face and a group, no prob. If the road is a flat face for ex, there is nothing stopping you from grouping it with the symbols. From there you can glue groups/comps to the face. Either by dragging premade 2d symbols from comp.browser(with glueing behavior) or using a plugin to reglue..

I have tried a little doing something like this on the Mac but it doesn't work for me. However in the last post TIG, it seems that the update would not be automatic anyway. Do I understand that correctly? In that case a method that I have used is print or save the excel file to a pdf file that has been inserted in LO. update the pdf by over-writing to the same file and LO will update. But as I understand it the holy grail is to have auto update from SU to Excel to LO. You can probably script some of the process. Now I wonder if anyone knows why inserted graphics are not at proper size, or is there some rule they follow?

Where is the paper size window (I must have a worse problem)? Edit: In the "New from template" command the dropdown window has a "New" tab and a "Recent" tab.

Menu > View > Uncheck 'Guides'. That'd hide all guidelines without deleting them.

Not sure if you got this problem solved, stumbled on this thread searching for something else... The below thread might be something you are interested in... Plugin called component array (By sdmitch)- http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=40244 He did some further modifications for the plugin to suit my post on that thread too. Alternatively put a [REQ] in the plugin directory for a variation on the component array?

@dave r said: @david. said: @dave r said: The trick is you need more than one entity to create a group. That's interesting. I've heard other people say the same thing. However, I am able to group a single line entity in both Layout and SketchUp. In SketchUp you can use a keyboard shortcut or Edit>Make Group (or Edit>Make Component) on a single line entity but Make group doesn't show in the Context menu when only a single line entity is selected. In LayOut, with a single line entity selected, There is no Context menu item for Group. In the Edit menu, Group is grayed out and not thus not available and the keyboard shortcut doesn't make a group either. At least that's the behavior I am seeing on my Mac with LO3 I'm running on Win 7. The Make Group option doesn't show up on the context menu in SU or LO. I am able to make a group of a single line entity on both SU and LO using a keyboard shortcut.

I'm not finding anything you guys have in Word on a Mac (insert button with link submenu?) If I choose insert file and pick a box in the open dialog "insert as link" I get an error not valid file name.... Anyway is LO reference supposed to be able to update when you update the Excel this way (rtf)? or do you also have to do something with the rtf file? I use an alternate method myself. I update the excel then print to pdf, Iinsert pdf to LO. Later if I change the excel file, I print to pdf and over-write the same pdf file The LO file can then update ther reference. Is this more steps?? If you use macs the print to pdf will use the excel name so you don't even have to worry about the name--if you are in the right folder. Regarding OP I think the missing step is using ruby to export the information about his DC to the csv file. Just guessing.

Ah yes, I didn't understand from your first post that you had the default background visible in the overlay nor that your "terrain" was an image from Google Maps. I was thinking you wanted some of the model to be transparent or translucent. It does appear that you've got it, though. That's good.

Most of the projects I do in LayOut are dimensioned drawings of furniture for others to build from. I would use dimensions on perspective views more if I didn't need to use this work around. As you say, for a few it's not so bad. I wind up using mostly tags for dimensions in perspective views instead. Let's hope the next version of LO would be able to create these dimensions automatically.

You two sound way to Australian.....