Quick update on this very active thread, the error seems to be occurring if I'm trying to edit the parameters of text. It then renders the parameters of the rest of the tray uneditable.

The problem I'm having is when I've been using Layout for a while the buttons on the tray become unresponsive, eg on the Shape Style dialog I won't be able to change the stroke properties or on the text dialog I won't be able to change the font etc. I can open and close dialogs but I can't do anything in them when they're open. I tried selecting a page on the Pages dialog and Layout crashed. The only way of getting them to work again is to reboot Layout.

Is anyone else having this problem?

I'm using Layout 2015 but I was using Layout 3 last year and the same thing was happening with that.

Thanks in advance.

Here's the problem.

In my Sketchup model, I've got a building over multiple levels, with each level in its own group/layer. In order to hide the edges so that the exterior wall looks like one continuous surface, I have an "Always Off" layer that I assign to the common lines and set this to off in any scene I create to set a 2D view for Layout.

However, when I use the created scene in Layout, the lines on this "Always Off" layer appear in the views when they should be switched off ie hidden.

Below is two view, one showing the view in Sketchup and the other showing the view in layout.

![Sketchup, with lines on the "Always Off" layer invisible.](/uploads/imported_attachments/oWBb_Capture01.JPG "Sketchup, with lines on the "Always Off" layer invisible.")

![Layout, with lines on the "Always Off" layer visible.](/uploads/imported_attachments/1bjK_Capture02.JPG "Layout, with lines on the "Always Off" layer visible.")

I recently got a new machine at work with dual monitors. I'm trying to set it up so that my model is on the main screen with the toolbars and everything else on the secondary screen.

The problem is that the toolbars keep randomly "jumping" over to the middle of the main screen for no apparent reason.

Am I missing something here?

I'm currently working two models simultaneously, with one model referencing the other using an xref plugin.

@tt_su said:

What about the normal Text tool? click on empty space and it creates text that is fixed in the view. Though you have to put it on a separate layer that toggles for each scene. (There is a plugin to create a layer that is visible only to the current view.)

Yeah I got this answer on the Google forums and this seems to be perfect for what I need it for, I've already been using the Add Hidden Layer plugin.

@glro said:

Maybe this plugin
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38171

adds a text box on each scene

This looks like a useful plugin but seems a bit complicated for my purpose at the moment. The standard Sketchup text tool works fine for me.

The ideal would be a plugin that uses the Sketchup text tool but gives an option to add a solid/semi-transparent background to the text, just for clarity's sake.

Thanks for the responses.

@gullfo said:

if you have the pro version, use layout - a page per scene - where you could manipulate the model while the layout acts as a frame containing the text. another option might be to embed a watermark in a style and have that watermark image (containing the text) set differently for each scene - however the watermark being an image, the text is not likely to be as crisp as well as being a lot of work.

Thanks for the reply.

I see what you're saying with using Layout but I've got 28 scenes set up at the moment (and that is going to increase to god knows how many when I'm eventually finished) so I can imagine assigning each individual page in Layout a separate scene could become time consuming. Also I need to be able to send this model out to various contractors (M+E, structural engineers etc.) so they can explore the different stages of the project and a combination of a .skp file and Sketchup Viewer seems to be the best way to do this.

The theory of what I'm asking doesn't seem like it would be very difficult to program into a Ruby as no physical interaction between the text box and the model needs to happen, it is merely a static 2D textbox for presentation purposes. When the tool is selected, an unbounded text box with a solid background would pop up and you enter the desired text and save the box + text to a desired layer. I would try it myself but I have no knowledge of coding scripts.

Hello
I'm working on a factory project at the moment that has quite a lot of work involved in it. I need to have my model start from existing and finish at the end of the project. I have set up a load of scenes depicting different dates in the build and they are all named with the commencement date and a description of what happens on that date.

What I am looking for is a way to have this information in a static text box, located at say the bottom right corner, for each scene. I need each scene's text box to have different content and I need it to remain static as I navigate around the model.

Are there any plugins available for this or any workarounds in Sketchup that I could use?

Thanks

Jason