Exploded Viewports Not Dimensioning Correctly

Mark Beattie · 6 Jan 2020, 03:44

Good day,

Within a Layout file I've exploded certain viewports to adjust linetypes/weights but, after I try to snap any dimension to these lines, they seem to be reading more the size of the paper than any previous assigned scale.

Can anyone help with this?

Thanks,

Mark

Dave R · 6 Jan 2020, 04:01

After you exploded the viewport the geometry is no longer model geometry. It becomes LayOut drawing entities. Unless you convert it to a scaled drawing, the dimensions will be paper space dimensions, not model space.

Generally exploding viewports is not the best way to manage the line weight thing. If you have some reason to modify the model later, you will have to replace the LO drawing stuff and the dimensions because there's no link back to the model.

Better to use layers and scenes in SketchUp and stack viewports in LO and don't explode them or otherwise modify them.

Mark Beattie · 7 Jan 2020, 01:45

Dave R,

Thanks for this. I was instructed that, if there were elements of my design that remain static throughout the project (ie: site plan), that it was safer to alter lineweights/types this way. Without this my documents look frail and unappealing. But I do understand what you're saying.

The funny thing is I'd set-up a different Layout file with entirely exploded viewports and they scale correctly. Was just wondering if it was a known Sketchup issue.

Thanks,

Mark

Dave R · 7 Jan 2020, 03:43

If you explode the viewport without converting it to a scaled drawing in LO, the dimension will be paper space dimensions. If you added the dimensions in SketchUp before exploding the viewport, they'd show as expected after exploding. Maybe that's what you did.

It's certainly possible to avoid "frail and unappealing" documents without exploding viewports but the nice thing about SketchUp and LayOut is that there are different ways to do things. If you want to explode the viewports, go ahead. Just convert them to scaled drawing entities so you can dimension them properly.

Richard · 30 Jan 2020, 02:19

@mark beattie said:

Good day,

Within a Layout file I've exploded certain viewports to adjust linetypes/weights but, after I try to snap any dimension to these lines, they seem to be reading more the size of the paper than any previous assigned scale.

Can anyone help with this?

Thanks,

Mark

If the Sketchup model was inserted as say 1:100 and you explode it, next time you want to dimension the exploded model just set the dimension up as auto-scale 1:100