Yes it did help and no, there are still some questions.
I had two attachments, and only one showed up.
Here is the other one.
I asked the question, if I have "on every page" set as visible and active, can I modify it (in this case the title block) unique to THAT page, i.e. have a distinct number?
and lock it for That page on each page or is it just "global" all the time?
and what would be the difference / application for having a template (in this case a title block) vs having the title block "on every page"
what I found with the template was that when I clicked "additional page" within my title block template, I got the right sized paper but my title block did not carry over.
What am I doing wrong here?
Once again I see the "light at the end of the tunnel" only to meet a train coming the other way it seems.
thanks
red

The logic of the Layer system in LayOut is currently confusing to me.
Old dawg, new tricks.
I see the potential and power but still working on getting my head straight on the logic of the layer icon / symbols and how to effectively use them.
(See questions within Attachments)
It would seem to me best / logical if the "on every page" was just that ... plus the option of "unlocking, making changes specific to that page, locking it again" and creating a "titled(on every page) yet make modifications to that title block to make it "unique" to that page. Is this how you do this?
I do not seem to be able to get that to work correctly.
Also, it would seem that layers should be given the option to "migrate" to a new page, i.e. "duplicate page" could conceivably carry duplicate "noted layers" but not layers specific to that page, i.e comments specific to that page, I have comments to my structural engineer that I can put on a layer, send him a PDF file, and then when I make the necessary corrections, turn that layer off, but have it for my notes.. is this possible without that layer now showing up on ALL other pages of this layout document?
Insights appreciated.
aloha
red

Chris,
thanks for the reply,
and I will look into that on the LayOut end,
but even more basic, is this scenes process, I find that I still do not fully understand how to have scenes locked. i.e. I get a scene as I want it, let's say it is an elevation without any section cuts or planes, then I have another scene that has section cuts.
I seem to have it all working, then I find that the first scene, now has section cuts in it, (the section cuts menu item is checked, it I turn off section cuts, then the other scene does not have section cuts either..
I think I have tried it both ways, with the active section planes box checked in the scenes dialogue box, and with the section planes, not checked in that "update" box...
what am I missing here?
How do I set scenes to say as I want them and be able to update them as necessary but not be uncontrollable...
thanks
aloha
red.

Got a problem with a scene rendering in Layout that is not correcting.
Here are the examples, my section cuts and planes show up even though the scene has been updated, the model saved, the link from LO to SU renewed and the LayOut page model has been rendered, and re rendered with no change happening, I thought it might have been because the Layer was Locked (in LO) but not that either.
any experienced perspectives?
and while I am in LayOut,
how do I keep the template, in this case the title block to show up on each page of a LayOut doc?
and
anyone got the page numbering option figured out too?
thanks
aloha
red

I find the outliner most helpful in organizing my work.
And I find that on a recent model that when I converted some groups into components that the outliner became very different and difficult,
i.e. when I clicked on a component or group within the outliner, it would collapse that group or component, where as when everything was in just groups the outliner worked quite well.
any thoughts and or experience on this?
thanks,
aloha
red

Hugo's 3-10.skp

I have someone modeling an architectural project for me and they are on a PC, I am on a Mac,
the file sent was not layout or sketchup file, it came to me in an xtml, (or some series of letter like that) file that I could not open... any insights?
thanks
red

From my limited experience, the potential of keeping all of the modeling and 2d drawing in one program would be best, specifically for changes that seem to always happen between schematic design, cost estimates, working drawings, permitting and beginning of construction.
SU/LO can handle that well, but there are no "links" to schedules, detail notes, warehouse components and symbols libraries. And not any real BIM info/links either.
There could be, there should be some sort of ruby to do this,
and I agree with the last post, it can be done but seems at this point not time efficient or cost effective.
I welcome any insights or perspectives on how this might work better, as I do not want the time or cost expense of learning yet another software, particularly one inferior at modeling as SU...

aloha
red

Chris,
I think it an innovative concept, worthy of more efforts to make happen AND I gotta get a building permit for the project and the BD wants ORTHOGRAPHIC drawings only, not perspective drawings or "illustrated instructions". That is the big hang up.
aloha
red

any tips, tricks, insights, perspectives, that you can share,
as these presentation images really work,
aloha
red

I know little to nothing about rubies, but it seems there is a need and maybe there is a way to create rubies for door and window schedules, note keys, lots of useful tools for the creation of working drawings in SU/LO.
is it possible, is it practical,
who knows rubies well enough to understand the issue?
aloha
red

And, they both are PC only, with no Mac versions yet.
So, I was not clear were these done in MicroGDS or Spirit and SU or just SU/LO
and
did you go to the working drawings with these renderings, if so which platform.
aloha
red

Andrew

thanks for your experienced perspective
and,
Spirit is on a PC, I spent 1/2 hour with one of the Spirit reps trying to understand which version of Windows to download and eventually we both gave up.
Just what I want, a pig in a horse race.
I keep looking
aloha
red

I do architectural design and drafting.
I do planning, drawings for permitting and construction, typically residential.
I have enjoyed the 3d modeling potential of SketchUp, and am beginning to use these models to show clients the "proposed" construction.
Typical to most residential work, there are competing needs and issues.
Budget, schedules, and scope and quality of work, the usual. But also, the "need to know" issues, the client wants to know what it will look like, the building department wants a "record of construction" typically 2d only, the contractor wants to know how to build it, and usually has some ideas of their own.
All of this creates slightly different outputs. i.e. a 3d perspective model, 2d orthographic plans, and details of construction perspectives and animations.

I spend all of this time creating the 3d model, and this model can (mostly) create the basis for the 2d drawings, and does the detail perspectives and animations well (with adequate detail / time invested), and I end up with "live" modifiable, adaptive to changes / feedback model. This model, because the base software is free, can be sent to clients, engineers, contractors, interior designers...and be done via the web.

I thought, this is the ticket.
This is what would really work, and then you link it into Google earth and it can go anywhere....

but alas...I am stuck having to learn yet another software to produce "dead" 2d lines on paper or migrate to an expensive 3d "architectural drafting package' that renders poorly or has a huge learning curve, or a library 1/10th the size of SU.

The big dream.. is to say to clients, this model will grow with not only the project but the finished product and will be there as a reference for many purposes in the future instead of some dusty old plans that "who knows where they are" when the plumber needs to visit, or you are away on a trip and you need to communicate with the handyman which window screen needs repair....
or a few years down the road, you want to add on...

anyone else see this potential?
aloha
red

Yes, I agree, the program can influence the way you design.
That is why SketchUp is so interesting to me, in that it really causes you to "build" the project.
And that is why it is frustrating that once it is "built" in the computer there is a missing 20% to create workable construction docs.
I am looking into working with someone that might be able to make ruby scripts to have links to door and window schedules and detail notes.
Dimensioning in LayOut, that is another thing.
An I would hope to collaborate, with interested parties, in creating an "architect directed work flow diagram" to aid in the understanding of how best to design and draw residential and light commercial projects from schematics to construction docs....
would anyone be interested in collaborating on this project?
aloha
red

Tim
the drawings are coming along great,
I was wondering, is there anyone out there that knows how to do a ruby script for creating a linked(to a list / spreadsheet) door and window schedules, and to do page linked(number to page number)?
this would go a long way to making LO closer to being a realistic platform for smaller scale working drawings.
any ideas?
aloha
red

Anyone tried that combo to do architectural construction docs?

Yes, the NZ reseller has the software and...
here is the link,
http://www.softtech.com/
to the home site.
The software does NOT run on a Mac, to bad.
But the software is geared for residential / light commercial work, so supposedly an easy learning curve.
And supposed to work with SU very well.
I welcome insights, feedback, perspectives, I need / want a 2d drafting program that complements the SU 3d modeling.
I get 80-90% of the way to working drawings within SU/LO but fail miserably in the last stretch...so I am desperately looking for the "bridge" software that will get me the WD/CD set that I need.
Any insights most appreciated
aloha
red

Anyone looked into this combo?
Reputed to be very good.
any feedback?
aloha
red

Yes,
this "when and where" to use SU work flow is the issue.
I am assuming that these drawings were NOT done in SU/LO
if so, this is what I would like to emulate, and do the detail key numbers "limk" to other locations on the model?
aloha
red

Rabbit,
Thanks for the suggestion,
I will give it a try, if they accept my app.
aloha
red