Controlling line types in SketchUp
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A quick question for those who have the ability to make plug ins.
I teach young students Sketch Up as part of my Materials Design course and have used a plugin called Build Projection to produce plans and elevations of the models they design. This is a quick way of introducing orthogonal drawing concepts without the need for layout at this time and allowing them to use the dimension tool on 2D drawings to use in the workshop. I have used layout with older kids as the next logical step.
My request is that a plug-in be made which will convert the standard line type (or draw in new lines) which will look like the conventional hidden detail and centre line style standard in orthogonal drawings. This will impress upon them the need for standard line types used in CAD programs such as AutoCAD etc and traditional engineered drawings.
At the moment, I am either using hidden geometry lines or construction lines to try to differentiate them from visible edgesI have seen a line colour plug in, however I have not got this to work with my SketchUp version. If this can be done, could this be modified to reflect line style.
If this plug in already exists could you please point me in the right direction.
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Color Edges by CPlassais ?
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@pilou said:
Color Edges by CPlassais ?
Yes, I believe this was the plug in that prompted me to think that different line types might be possible.
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TIG has a 2D Tools plugin that may be of interest to you, see the line style option, also does some other things that may interest you.
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Be good to see what you output you're getting, ntxdave. Would you mind posting a screenshot of how it comes out in Layout?
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Beware that linestyles in Sketchup isn't available.
If you transform an edge or curve into a 2D tool's dashed line, for instance, it will plot nicelly but it will become a group with several faces that look like dashes instead of an edge. You'll never be able to export it as a line.
Tig can do wonders and circumvent many Sketchup limitations with his plugins, but he cannot force sketchup to suddenly have linestyles assigned to edges.
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First of all, let me say I may have misspoke a little said something in a way that is misunderstood. Yes, @JQL is correct, you cannot use the alternate line styles as edges. However, there are many ways that you can use the alternate line style and the text objects very effectively. You ask about how they look in LayOut - be aware that the 2D Tools is a SketchUp plugin but I will show you what the lines look like when you send the model to LayOut.
My most common use is the text as I can place it in my model and then orbit it without having to worry about where the text is going to show up. This first image is an example that I user very often (the lines were not drawn with TIG's 2D Tools, they are just normal lines). I find I have much better control over the this text tool as opposed to the 3D Text Tool in SketchUp (at least for they way I want the text to look in LayOut).
Here is a 2nd image that shows some of the line styles that can be used. Yes, I went in and added some lines just for showing what can be done. I even went into the model and edited an edge (corner of wall). I also changed the color of some of the lines to show that effect as well.
In the case of lines, you can draw with TIG's tool or you can draw with the normal line tool and then go edit the line style (which I did in most of these cases).Hope this helps illustrate/explain what can be done.
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Thanks Dave, it appears you're viewing in raster mode?
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@jql said:
Beware that linestyles in Sketchup isn't available.
If you transform an edge or curve into a 2D tool's dashed line, for instance, it will plot nicelly but it will become a group with several faces that look like dashes instead of an edge. You'll never be able to export it as a line.
Tig can do wonders and circumvent many Sketchup limitations with his plugins, but he cannot force sketchup to suddenly have linestyles assigned to edges.
Agreed, JQL. SketchUp really needs custom linetypes. Fullstop!!
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This was explained to me years ago by a SketchUp team member. Different line types weren't possible because of the way the identification of lines was handled in the software. Since they have implemented PIDs with SU2017, perhaps that'll be possible in a future version.
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@utiler said:
Agreed, JQL. SketchUp really needs custom linetypes. Fullstop!!
That carry on into LO and DWG exports...
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@dave r said:
This was explained to me years ago by a SketchUp team member. Different line types weren't possible because of the way the identification of lines was handled in the software. Since they have implemented PIDs with SU2017, perhaps that'll be possible in a future version.
I can't make much sense of that explanation. Even without persistent IDs both faces, edges and component/group instances can have a material. Why wouldn't it be possible to assign an edge style or edge type to edges even without persistent Ids?
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Helpfull post that line creation is not so easy to change in SU..as a programmer (us none programming
thinkers can only suggest ,) A direction would simply be PENCIL BOX as the annalog variety SIZE AND COLOUR AND LINE STYLE ,Windows 10 INK WINDOW has lots of simple create tools and LAYOUT (if u got spare $695) anyway it is still great and I,LL TRY TO DOWNLOAD that 2d TOOLS again and not leave it in the
LOCAL LIBRARY this time ,,,JON,, 1 WEEK or so latter ,,THE answer is YES 2D TOOLS and TOOLS ON SURFACE fill the void for me .Jon.. -
@jonathonlt said:
and LAYOUT...
.Jon..
And of course if you are using SketchUp for anything more than hobby use, you would have Pro and thus LayOut.
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