LayOut 2017 Wishlist
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Here we go again...
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MOVE Tool - I was a big advocate for the move tool in previous releases and would still like to see some advancement on it. Rather than it be part of the SELECT tool, giving it its own identity would allow for much more freedom and hence workability.
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LINE Tool; its options for line thicknesses have been in points rather than units. Can we have the option for units as well [in my case, millimeters?]
Give users the ability to set thicknesses of lines by mm rather than points. [Not sure if many know what it actually converts to but we should have to convert it. Points mean nothing to us when thinking about producing documentation as we’ve always known it…..[/list]
- Text Baseline - The ‘baseline’ for text should be the baseline of lettering rather than a corner of the text box IMO. When I want to snap to a grid or object to inference to the text is not lined up but rather the textbox.
Here's some examples of how the textbox affects text fills:
[Also, when using text filling in leader text; the fill cuts out half of end of the line if using a dot for instance]
- The STYLE eye dropper - it should work so that when it inherits the selected style of line, text, etc it alsy inherits the objects layer property....
I believe so given that if I’m sampling say a dashed line that represents a ceiling or roof above I will want to put it on the 'Linework' layer. Same with TEXT: if I want to sample TEXT chances are I want that on the same layer as all the other text... The same goes for site boundary lines, elevation height lines, etc. The only thing missing is the ability to sample Layer info which saves me the step [and quite a lot of times a little forgetfulness!!]
I just think that this makes sense.
- ROTATE Tool - as with the MOVE tool, we should be able to rotate precisely. Here’s a good example of once something has been rotated, it is impossible to rotate to a specific angle:
As you can see if I want to rotate a north point to a specific angle I can’t pick and align the north line to where I want it to be. Maybe a ‘3-way rotate is the way to go and this is how it should be done IMO.
- Activating the ROTATE tool allows selection of one or more entities. As with the MOVE tool the standard snap functions of SU are available to pick from.
- Pick and place where desired.
- Once placed pick again the origin of yoru rotate [while everything is still selected] then the target rotate point then simply ROTATE!!!
- DIM leaders - we need to be able to set our extension above and extension below the DIM line. It has long been a user setting in CAD and should be in LO also. Gives the user the ability to customize his / her own style….
I can't tell you how time consuming it is having to edit each dimension string to an appropriate length. I generally grab the end of the DIM line and inference it down the DIM text; seems to loo right.
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Nice,
I'll keep going:
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VIEWPORTS
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Ability to Tag a viewport Name in autotext;
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Ability to Tag a viewport Scale with autotext
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Detail viewport at a given scale - If you draw a shape on a viewport that is supposed to represent a detailed area of a viewport, a new viewport is created with that shape. Scaling that viewport will create a detail vieport with that porportion and specified scale.
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SECTION MANAGEMENT
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If a viewport has a scene with an active section, other viewports from the same model would be able to generate a section line automatically.
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The section line's end arrows would have an autotext (A, or AA', etc.)
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A manager would allow us to finetune wich lines should be shown by viewport
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LEADERLESS LEADERS and LEADERS INSIDE GROUPS
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For cases where you want to extract info from a sketchup model with autotext, but don't want to have a leader line;
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For when you want to associate a shape to a leader with autotext, for instance a triangle for an elevation heigth coordinate.
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AREA TOOL
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Draw a shape in Layout and an area is extracted from the shape.
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The area should autoscale if it's drawn uppon a model like dims do.
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We could assign a specific scale to an area (1:500, 1:100; 1:50... )
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@utiler said:
MOVE Tool - I was a big advocate for the move tool in previous releases and would still like to see some advancement on it. Rather than it be part of the SELECT tool, giving it its own identity would allow for much more freedom and hence workability.
Wondering mate, why does the current move and rotate function not work for you? Personally I find it a godsent!
@utiler said:
LINE Tool; its options for line thicknesses have been in points rather than units. Can we have the option for units as well
PLEASE!!!
@utiler said:
The STYLE eye dropper - it should work so that when it inherits the selected style of line, text, etc it alsy inherits the objects layer property....
Maybe the option for a modifier on paint here! Shift + paint equals graphic and layer properties are assigned, paint only equals graphic only.
@utiler said:
ROTATE Tool - as with the MOVE tool, we should be able to rotate precisely.
I think the process you outline is complex mate, without needing to call up a move tool you can select multiple objects, set the point of rotation and rotate to a typed in figure. The problem I see is simple - inferencing doesn't work when rotating, so you cant rotate to meet with other geometry.
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@jql said:
AREA TOOL
- Draw a shape in Layout and an area is extracted from the shape.
- The area should autoscale if it's drawn uppon a model like dims do.
- We could assign a specific scale to an area (1:500, 1:100; 1:50... )[/list]
I will in person hail down kisses on the trimble gods for this function!!!
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LAYOUT API/PLUGINS
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We can see Layout evolving with recent launches. Probably the highest evolution is the implementation of an API. I'm an enduser and don't understand a thing about that stuff, there's no direct benefit in having an API if plugins or tools aren't created for it... I have high expectations on the Continuous development of this API and plugins for 2017
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@jql said:
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LAYOUT API/PLUGINS
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We can see Layout evolving with recent launches. Probably the highest evolution is the implementation of an API. I'm an enduser and don't understand a thing about that stuff, there's no direct benefit in having an API if plugins or tools aren't created for it... I have high expectations on the Continuous development of this API and plugins for 2017
The release mentioned it was the beginning steps of the plugin development (I paraphrase). Don't know what that means or why it isn't "wide open" to development now. But hopeful too. At present they seem to have some examples, such as a function to send all scenes to a LO file with a scene per page.
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Rich,
On the MOVE tool - As with just about every other program I can think of you have the ability to activate a 'move' tool. Not being about to dymanically move is a real pain when having to continually go find where the damn snap / rotate symbol is, move it to where you want to snap to on the elements you're moving then execute the move.Not to mention functioning as SU does with automatic snap modes!
EYEDROPPER tool - yes, I was thinking the same. Simple 'Shift+paint' would inherit world properties when simple paint only inherits graphic properties....
ROTATE tool - its currently complex, Richard! Unless of course you just want to rotate it around it's centre. If not, as with the MOVE tool you have to move that damn snap/rotate thingy around the screen [and go forbid if the destination is outside your screen space....
]
Simplifying it to work [as most other programs on the market], especially to be able to rotate something to a specific angle. -
@utiler said:
ROTATE tool - its currently complex, Richard! Unless of course you just want to rotate it around it's centre. If not, as with the MOVE tool you have to move that damn snap/rotate thingy around the screen [and go forbid if the destination is outside your screen space....
]
Simplifying it to work [as most other programs on the market], especially to be able to rotate something to a specific angle.I'm still amazed at how this works! Such a simple thing made into such a complex operation!
Move/rotate/copy by dongle position + mouse dragging and multiple keystrokes
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I prefer not to think about it, JQL.
It's like working with blunt tools at times!!!
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@utiler said:
I prefer not to think about it, JQL.
It's like working with blunt tools at times!!!
There's no way not to think about it. You have to work with it...
Two things good about Sketchup:
- Basic tasks work intuitivelly and cohesivelly in a fast and simple fashion;
- When a complex or tedious task arises, certainly a plugin to deal with it has been developed by some good willed soul.
Two things bad about Layout:
- You can do basic tasks;
- When a complex or tedious task arises you have to keep banging against it until it's done.
You are able to get things done with both, but I try to do the most I can in the Sketchup side of the pipeline...
Layout is getting better each new release though... This layer managing new system is a bless!
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it sure is a move in the right direction....
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API - just to clarify what the current API means to end users - it is a C API. This means that tools within LayOut cannot be developed using this. Instead, LayOut files can be created/manipulated from outside LayOut - from SketchUp for example. We would have to wait for a sketchUp Ruby style API in a future release.
ROTATE - I do have frustrations with this, but I don't mind the principle of how it works. It needs to work with inferencing better, and have an ability to change the "start rotate" angle, if that makes sense. Then, I'd be happy.
BETTER INFERENCING - LayOut inferencing should be as powerful as the Sketchup inferencing, and work in the same way. End of. Please get this done!
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I would like some more 'right click' options. EG:
To enter a dim entity to change a measurement without getting RSI clicking 10 times on the damn thing.
An option to reduce the bounding box on a model to the model extents, instead of grabbing several handles. -
Hello folks,
I asked the guys at SketchUp (back in 2014) if they could add some metric scales to their vehicle-templates in LayOut, but alas they told me that I just had to make my own custom scrapbook templates for this purpose.
I have now made one 1:100 and a 1:200 metric templates that anyone is free to use. (...If SketchUp allows it)
...to clean up/delete custom made LayOut scrapbooks (on Mac) follow this thread: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12%26amp;t=48602 )
Kiwi15 (NB: this is my first post at this forum)
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A place to designate pages to print, instead of having to choose the page range each time from the print dialog, which besides repetitive is so slow in response and only allows sequential picks. Similar to "include in presentations" which I don't use at all. It seems this might also speed-up the print dialog since it seems that LayOut "renders" each page when you go to print and you have to wait for this before proceeding. In fact I'd like to sidestep the dialog once it's all set up. Press a print button ("use last settings")--and the designated pages print--and not have to wait so long every time for the print dialog.
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Having an option for a model displayed in Raster/Hybrid but exported as Vector for CAD.
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@jql said:
Having an option for a model displayed in Raster/Hybrid but exported as Vector for CAD.
Yes please... this is really necessary.
- Option to assign not only lineweight, but linetype to vector viewports.
- Show the current layer someplace like the window title.
- Option to draw stuff using viewport units (draw stuff at 1:50 for example)
- Ordinate dimensions (for stuff like levels in elevations and coordinates)
- Spot elevation (for levels in plans)
- Better display of dashed lines so they display properly at polyline ends. (linetype generation in autocad world).
- PDF import support in windows
I had a chance to talk to some of the developers at 3dbc, but forgot to mention most of this stuff
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I would like to see guidelines,similar to those in Sketchup.
More font options, as in width factors, kerning etc...
A line offset tool would be handy.
And I would like to +1 the idea for text to have insertion points relative to text, not text box.
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LAYERS:
Layout's:
- Have the ability to send objects to locked and hidden layers - I tend to lock layers not in use and when I find objects I want to send to those layers I'd like to be able to do it. Sending an object to a layer is not an accidental process it's really something precise you must do, so having this overriding a locked layer state isn't dangerous.
Sketchup's:
- Have Sketchup Layers visible in Layout's side;
- So they can be exported to CAD/PDF files;
- So we can control their color, line, fill styles and also visibility inside a viewport;
- It would be oh so cool if the above "visibility" would be replaced by "transparency"
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Having an option to set Display Resolution to "Low" & Output Resolution to "High" as default under Document Setup/Rendering Resolution would be neat.
- Inside "SketchUp Model window" under "View" add a "Section Display"-icon, so that I can toggle it on/off without having to go back to do this in my SketchUp model.
I would like to be able to import .svg files as well.
Ability to use "Fog" in Hybrid mode, not just in raster.
Dedicated "Update Model Reference" icon for the toolbar or perhaps better; inside the menu window for the "SketchUp Model" under "View".
I would like to have an optional dynamic info box linked to each scene in Layout for quick reference. In this optional dynamic info box it should be info about what scale is used, which style, line weight, date created, and name of the .skp file. Today I have to do this manually.
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