@chrisglasier said:

[attachment=0:2r5h93b1]<!-- ia0 -->Roof walkway.png<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:2r5h93b1]With people, water tank and Triffid

If it were my public liability insurance policy on the line, I would be suggesting a steel deck, stairs and railing construction supported on steel SHS posts with suitably designed pad foundations. But then I am based in the UK, where Building Regulations have become more onerous.

@congellous said:

@aikibrown said:

IMHO, Depending on the size of your model, I've found that creating a LO file for each drawing, I. E. One Lo page per LO file gives fewer issues.

Having said that, LO2020 Pro performs very well now. Even with multiple pages and a 150MB model.

Genarally, keep SU models as light and as well organised as possible.

Yeah good idea can you PDF/DWG/issue all open layout files

Apologies for the belated response.

I've not really experienced many issues in exporting a LO page to PDF. As long you can refrain from using the Hybrid setting on your viewports, exporting should go well. I've also got into the habit of keeping no more than two layout files open at any one time during this process.

Now, exporting to dwg from LO is an entirely different proposition and it is my view that there is much that needs to be improved by Trimble with regard to the dwg export functionality and the quality and compatibility of the output.

Whenever I am asked to provide dwg files of my LO drawings, I find that exporting SU scenes of plans, elevations and sections directly to separate dwg files is the the way to go. I then XRef the individual components in one coherent master DWG file containing all the necessary linework and issue that. The process of generating the exports is tedious but takes up far less time than dealing with numerous phone calls from confused consultants, wondering how the hell they are supposed to work with the mayhem of vector geometry and uneditable raster imagery all dumped into model space in random positions, and often on the same layer, when spewed directly from LO.

@congellous said:

I have a 12 page Layout document
The sketch up file is 37MB

It was starting to get sluggish and I'm on an i9 suped up machine

I thought it might be material patterns so I changed them for block colour and now can barely open it ?

I've added the offending page - Is it the fills ?

With regard to your machine spec, my experience is that having the latest all singing and dancing multi core processors adds little to performance when using SU. A good dedicated graphics card and plenty of Ram is where I saw improved performance. I recall reading somewhere that the SU coding can't utilise all of the processor's cores, hence the minimal improvement in performance in simply relying on processor speed. Im running a 7th Gen i7 laptop but upgraded the ram to 32GB. I also have a SSD which helps with speed in opening and saving files generally.

As to your model, the pdf example doesn't look over complicated, but its hard tocomment without seeing a Layout or SU file.

Hi,
Just a thought. Have you checked your SU scene style settings have hidden lines switched off.

IMHO, Depending on the size of your model, I've found that creating a LO file for each drawing, I. E. One Lo page per LO file gives fewer issues.

Having said that, LO2020 Pro performs very well now. Even with multiple pages and a 150MB model.

Genarally, keep SU models as light and as well organised as possible.

@dave r said:

@aikibrown said:

but just encountered the same issue when trying to export to PDF using LO 2020 (Pro).

So the clipping mask thing from the OP has been one cause. I've also seen where a dimension or two on the page were somehow bad. In one case a few years ago the user had a bad logo image in their title block. That was obviously a different version.

It sounds like you know which page is the problem child. You could try releasing clipping masks if there are any or deleting dimensions of other content a little at a time until you can export the page. Do a little at a time. If it doesn't export, undo that change before trying something else.

In the case of the bad dimensions, after discovering they were the cause of the problem, I put in new dimensions to replace the bad ones and there was no problem with export.

Thanks for taking the time to chip in here Dave. You've certainly highlighted a few issues for me to keep an eye out for in future.

I've now looked over my layout file in more detail and can confirm that in my case, it was a single viewport that was set to Hybrid render causing the export to fail. With the setting changed to Raster, the issue no longer persists with Layout V. 2020 (Pro). I'll try registering the possible bug with Trimble.
Thanks again to all posters - all helped me get where I needed to be. Cheers.

Im a bit late to this post, but just encountered the same issue when trying to export to PDF using LO 2020 (Pro). In my case, a 3 page LO file where one of the pages would not export. I tried saving each page as a separate LO File, but that didn't resolve the issue. Also tried different viewport settings, ie. combinations of Raster or vector, or hybrid but still no joy. Was pulling my hair out and then remembered that I still had layout 2018 v. installed. I saved my LO file as 2018 version and exported to PDF with no issues. Still no idea why the problem arose but thankfully was able to meet client deadline.

Hi,

I have to admit that there is much more work needed by Trimble to improve SU's export to CAD functionality. The situation has improved somewhat with SU 2017 release but there is still a way to go. If my practice was not heavily committed to Autodesk products then SU & Lo would be my weapon of choice for design work and working drawing production. Unfortunately, CAD remains the default in most Architectural practices here in the UK.

Are you able to share your SU or Lo file? What is your work flow? If your CAD guys are saying that your SU exports are not editable then that sounds like you are perhaps exporting raster images rather than just vector linework?

I use both SU and CAD on a daily basis and find that I can quite happily edit all exported linework in CAD. Getting the best results does require producing a highly organised SU model with all building elements isolated on their own layers. I found it helpful to create a SU template with an identical Layer structure as the company's CAD drawing template. Scenes can then be easily set up in SU to allow you to export these individual elements (foundations, walls, windows & doors etc) as separate dwg files. These files can then be imported into a CAD template to assemble the drawing as required. Think of the SU process as the equivalent of creating Autocad 'xref' or 'Writeblock' entities. Personally, I only export linework from Su using a simple style with all white background and all faces in the model displaying as white. There is no point trying to export using a textured style as the raster image will not be editable and the CAD guys will have to delete it or switch the image off in order to use the exported linework. Where hatching and shading is required, this will have to be done in CAD by your guys, with reference to a PDF version of the fully rendered SU drawing.

I highly recommend researching Nick Sonder and Mat Donley's book and youtube videos. Although Nick uses only SU & LO for his projects, he does include a process of exporting linework to CAD for his consultants similar to the way I described above. See also Michael Brightman's workflow. Michael's process involves a deeper layering structure and hence a longer learning curve but is equally as effective.

Sorry if all of this is teaching you to suck eggs, but as I mentioned above it would be easier to assist if armed with more information regarding your process or sight of a SU/Lo file.

Anyway, I hope that helps somewhat.

Good luck.

I would agree with most here. The task of providing dwg format drawings for consultants, although workable is far from perfect and really needs to be addressed by Trimble.

The following process works for me:

1. Before exporting from layout, ensure all viewports are reset to vector rendering. There is no point using the Hybrid render setting. I found that hatches and textures
   Created in Su or the raster hatching in LO will not be exported in a format that can be editable or of any use in CAD. Therefore, consultants receive a usable dwg but with no hatching. This is not ideal, but they can refer to the full pdf version.

2.In LO switch off the layers containing the title sheet line-out and title sheet text. I have instead created a standard CAD dwg template with title sheet, layers, line width and colouring already set up.

3. In LO, export drawing to paper space in dwg format.

4. Open the exported dwg file in Draftsight. Then cut an paste the drawing papers pace entities into the separate template dwg file and save as a new drawing. In paper space my background colour defaults to white and so all drawing entities are visible.

5. Select all drawing entities and change their properties. Set colour to default white or black so that visibility is ensured regardless of CAD background colour.

6. Now I simply move all line work into model space and scale to full size. Tip-Draw a couple of lines in paper space as reference points for positioning new viewports. Turn off all layers containing dimensions, leader lines and text. Then select all that remains visible in paper space and hit Ctrl x. Switch to model space and hit Ctrl V. All your line work should now appear in model space. Use the scale command to make everything full size in model space.

7.Switch back to paper space and create viewports as required, scaling and positioning them using the reference marker lines that you Hopefully left in paper space. Turn back on all the layers containing text, dimensions and leader lines. Leaving these in paper space is less of a headache than trying to rescaled them in model space.

This process takes me about 10 mins per drawing but gives consultants a usable drawing. And saves countless phone calls and emails asking how to sort out problems with drawing formatting. Yes, it is tiresome on large projects and has to be repeated for drawing revisions but I'm all ears if there is a quick method.

Hope that helps some.

Count me in for a copy!

As someone who only uses a few plugins, I'd say the approach of this book will be spot on. Learn the basic processes and then choose which plugins best suit you best.

Watching Nick's videos was what made me decide to adopt SU and LO for all of my work in the first place. Purchasing the book will be my way of saying a big thanks to him for enabling me to wave goodbye to AutoCAD.

I would be particularly interested in learning how Nick maintains the dynamic link between SU and LO when producing section and plan cuts. Hell, any tips gained from both Matt and Nick will be worth knowing.

@pbacot said:

Andy knows what he's talking about: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79%26amp;t=51620%26amp;p=466323#p466172
Hi Andy. Long time no see.

Many thanks for the kind words. I lurk around this forum from time to time - there such a wealth of knowledge here. You guys have saved my Bacon countless times.

Looking at those drawings again takes me back - pleased to see much improvement in my work since those days.

Glad to see you're still around and hope you remain as busy as you want to be. Best wishes for Chistmas and the New Year.

Andy

I've been using an SU to LO process for all my CDs for a couple of years now. As to how much detail to model in 3d, I guess it depends on the size of the project and also what hardware you are running. I tend to create a massing model similar to you, but with accurate overall thickneses for each of the structural elements. I then cut the sections as required and simply detail them in 2D over the section cut line work all in SU. I generally only use textures or solid colours for any 'hatching' in SU, reducing the amount of time spent drawing in LO. I then save a SU scene for each section cut or smaller scale detail as required. In layout I just arrange viewports and draw thicker outlines as required over the visible SU linework to tidy everything up. The rest of the process is then just annotating in LO and exporting in pdf format.

High level detailing of the SU model only occurs in isolated areas where there are 'non typical' construction details required. I have a library of detailed models for standard construction details all saved as separate SU files. These can then be imported into the main model and adapted as required.

When I first began using SU, I always felt that I ought to be modelling every detail to the nth degree but soon found that there was little point due to the limitations of the dynamic link between SU and LO. It was a simple and painless process to make client's alterations to a loosely detailed model for the purposes of producing elevations but SU is not so forgiving when several revisions are asked for during the CD stage of a project.

For my usage, the level of detail that goes in my models is always weighed up on how best to utilise the dynamic link between SU and LO with the least amount of headaches.

@pbacot said:

Nice style, Fine examples, Andy. Welcome to the forums and Premium...
your "typical examples" might be a great way to get clients, they show off well.

Kris M

I am finding that the elevations are a place to start using LO for CD's. I use shadows and colors where I can anyway in CAD and SU builds this in for you. Also anything like components is missing in my CAD package so it helps with window and door changes. I don't use ACAD, and like my CAD (PowerCADD) so there is less of a push in regards to floor plans. With the elevations I don't have to do walls inside except I do put some interior shots inside the same building model sometimes.

Thanks for the welcome Kris M.

Yes, creating elevations in SU is a revelation compared to my old workflow in AutoCAD where I was drawing elevations in the same way that I used draw using pencil and paper (seems like a lifetime ago now). Draw up floor plans, then project construction lines to draw orthographic elevations. I would be loathed to go back to this process now.

Producing elevations is one area where SU and LO really excels. If all you need is external elevations then you just need to create a simplistic (wire frame) model and the faces are created automatically to represent the building envelope. You then have the capability to instantly produce the traditional orthographic views for all elevations and throw in a few perspective views instantly as well. If only I discovered SU a few years back .

Andy

@krism said:

Andy,

It's great to see fully developed drawings coming from SketchUp. I am also a long time Autocad user but after seeing Nick Sonder's videos am working on migrating to SU. While I am principally a timber frame designer, we are doing more architectural design work as part of our process. The difficulty I have is that SU is not particularly friendly with regard to creating the initial floor plans. Maybe this is a result of how I go about things but I would like to hear how other people go about the initial design work. Once the line work exists, creating the model is relatively straightforward but at present I find laying out the initial design, rooms sizes etc. is easier in Autocad. Comments?

Kris

Hi Kris,

I too found it difficult to produce the initial floor plans in SU. Until I made the switch from AutoCAD I was drawing floor plans and sections first and then importing these as DWG or DXF files into SU. As you say, once the linework is in SU, extruding to form the model is relatively straight forward. I did have problems though with this process, in that for some reason wouldnt reliably create faces using just the imported linework. Often I would end up tracing over the imported linework in SU in order to extrude anything. This seemed so pointless to me so instead I began drawing 2d work first in SU. Once I got into the habit of ensuring that I was drawing in a single (horizontal) plane I was finding that the initial 2D drafting could be carried out in less time than it took using ACAD. One tip that helped me was to initially set the camera to 'Top' view with perspective projection switched off. Then I simply drew a rectangle in the horizontal (x,y) plane large enough to draw all of my floor plans onto. I then converted the rectangle to a group. Think of the rectangle as a piece of paper onto which you draw all of your 2d work. It helped reassure me that I was drawing all my lines in the correct plane. After a while I learned to use the shift and arrow keys while drawing, to lock lines to the respective x,y and z axis and relied less on my initial rectangle. There is also a really good plugin called '2D Tools' for this part of the drafting process.

Hope that helps you out somewhat.

All the best

Andy

@olishea said:

Hello from another UK member!

Nice to see complete applications in LO/SU. I tried convincing my previous office to make the step from CAD but were very set in their ways. Looking forward to more of your work.

Hi Oli,

Its great to see that I'm not alone in the UK !

All of the architects and engineers that I meet appear to cling on to AutoCAD or similar variants for dear life! I did mange to convince an engineer friend to give SU a go but he is reluctant to fully adopt it.

Replacing AutoCAD with SU has been a breath of fresh air for me. Although I must admit that I too was set in my ways with AutoCAD. Until recently, most of my drawing work was only 2D anyway, with some limited 3D drawings when required by clients. I never really got to grips with 3D in AutoCAD but that's probably a failing on my part. However, I found SU to be far quicker and intuitive to learn plus I now have the peace of mind knowing that I am able to model anything that could be required for my scope of work.

Now, moving over to LO took a greater leap of faith on my part but the benefits of having the direct link between SU models and LO documents really helped my decision. General scheme designs and planning application drawings are a breeze in SU + LO. I have been able to import all of my standard notes from AutoCAD and just love how LO handles text placement generally.

I am able to produce serviceable (in my view) Working drawings involving sections and details but still need alot more practise and time to come up with an efficient standardised work flow.

It would be interesting to hear how others prepare their detailed drawings and the issues they overcame. The issue for me is reaching a happy medium with the level of detail that I put into the model vs. utilising a greater degree of standard details similar to Nick Sonder's approach.

Although SU Pro has paid for itself already, In the short term I am taking longer to produce detailed working drawings. By choice, I am over detailing models in an attempt complile a fresh library of SU models which can then be saved as construction details. In time, as my library becomes more complete my models can then become less detailed. Plus I will end up with 3D construction details rather than simply importing all of my 2D details from AutoCAD. That's the plan anyway! It's a long road ahead, but I'm looking forward to the journey.

Andy.

@krisidious said:

Welcome Andy... That's some fine work.

Many thanks for your kind words Krisidious.

Hi folks.

I have been lurking around this superb site for some time, picking up some real gems of advice and have been inspired by the examples of Sketchup work that people have been posting.

I've taken a premium membership here by way of saying thank you to all of the members that have 'helped' my learning process and thought it was about time to introduce myself.

I have been working in the UK construction industry as a Building Surveyor for over 20 years and been using AutoCad for around 15 years, mainly for 2D architectural drawings. This site and the videos showcasing Nick Sonder's workflow have helped me on the path to move away from ACAD and use Sketchup for producing all of my drawings. I've recently got to the stage where I feel confident enough to abandon ACAD altogether and start using LO for presenting my drawings. It has taken me about 2 months of playing around with SU and LO in order to get to this stage and I still class my self as a SU Newbie. The more I learn, the more I realise that I have only scratched the surface of SU's capabilities.

Looking forward to continuing on my learning curve and perhaps being able to help other new SO and LO users.

I've attached some pdf drawings that that I produced for a recent project and just wanted to say a big thank you to all those that have inspired my jump to SU.

Andy.