Plugin to move everything inside a group to specific layer?

AcesHigh · 24 Oct 2009, 14:53

This usually happens to me... and I NEVER KNOW how to deal with it. If there is someway to deal with it with native Sketchup, please, point me in the right direction... else, a plugin would be great.

I have this layer called Tower, which has some complex geometry which I want to hide to make it easier to model the rest of the scene.

But I was not careful, and I have drawn lots of things WHILE the Tower layer was active.

Basically, I have this HUGE GROUP, which inside has LOTS of subgroups, many of those subgroups with sobgroups themselves (and so on), and geometry in many different layers.

Now I cant hide the Tower layer, because a lot of stuff inside this group I want to edit disappears.

I can select the group and change its layer. I can even open the group, select the subgroups and change the layer. But lots of geometry and subgroups inside the subgroups are still in the Tower Layer (as well as apparently a few other layers).

So, is there any way for me to change EVERYTHING INSIDE THIS GROUP to ANOTHER LAYER (not the Tower layer)??? Can that be done by the outliner, in an automatic way?? Is there a plugin that can do it?

Thanks

JClements · 24 Oct 2009, 15:10

There already is a script to move a selection things from one layer to another, including all sublevels within a group. It was by Chris Grant and I believe it is called PutOnLayer.rb.

I couldn't find the original link but here is one in which the script has been modified a bit:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=12494&hilit=+Plugin+PutonLayer

AcesHigh · 24 Oct 2009, 17:02

thank you very much!

xrok1 · 24 Oct 2009, 18:21

you could select everything you want to move then in the entity info window from the layer drop down list choose the layer you want it to be on.

AcesHigh · 25 Oct 2009, 20:31

@xrok1 said:

you could select everything you want to move then in the entity info window from the layer drop down list choose the layer you want it to be on.

that wont change the layers of the subgroups inside the selection. It will only change the layers of the groups/components/geometry directly selected. The subgroups or components INSIDE the groups/components selected will remain in other layers.

RunnerPack · 26 Oct 2009, 01:23

To avoid this problem in the future, I suggest turning on the "Layers" tool-bar (if you haven't) and getting in the habit of checking it before you start creating or grouping any geometry/components.

I also add mine to the recommendations of Chris' PutOnLayer, and I also recommend Todd Burch's layerchange.rb.

JClements · 26 Oct 2009, 19:58

The thing is, when cutting pasting from different models or importing models made by different people with different modeling expertise, then the whole layer thing can get messy. That is where the plugin listed above can be a big help.

AcesHigh · 27 Oct 2009, 02:29

people like me dont need to import models for the layers to get all messy. I always leave the layers window open, and even so, I will forget to change the active layer when modelling, and screw everything up.

Chris Fullmer · 27 Oct 2009, 03:50

Try NOT leaving the layers panel open. Turn on the Layers toolbar instead. And then ALWAYS stay on layer 0. And model things on zero, then turn everything into groups and components. And then move those onto the desired layer through the layer toolbar. That way you never change from layer 0. But you can move components and groups easily onto the correct layer.

I like to do it that way,

Chris

Oh, and its still possible to get raw geometry to change layers accidentally. So then I use TIG's move all geometry to layer 0 plugin. It moves all loose geometry to layer 0, while leaving all components and groups on the layer they are on.