Hi Red- The LayOut autosave files are now in a different location: when I run v3.0.16845, the autosave files are placed in /var/folders/x4/q40x3v7d23j7d3vywjt6cb65mkwh3m/T/com.google.LayOut.mdurant/ and each file has a directory name of the form LAYOUT.bG3O7S. Obviously the name of the "q40x3v7d23j7d3vywjt6cb65mkwh3m" folder is likely to be different on your machine! However, in theory you shouldn't have to manually recover these files from the temporary location - they should appear in the "Recover" tab of the "New File" dialog when you start LayOut. If the "Recover" tab isn't visible (just "New" and "Recent") then LayOut hasn't found any recoverable files. Is this happening to you? thanks, Marc

Try opening the Layout program, not by selecting a layout file, but by opening from scratch. Typically when you do this layout will give you an option to recover crashed files. I haven't had Layout crash in a long time now, so I'm sorry, I can't answer your specific question. Nick

Redinhawaii Your example needs NO Plugins at all to punch a simple hole through an object! Make sure that the 'punching-face' is in the same 'context' as the object that's to be punched, and therefore it is 'on' the 'front' face of the object. Then just PushPull the 'punching-face' though the block to make the desired hole, stopping the extrusion on the back-face by a pick or by 'sensing' the inference to the back face-plane [z-fighting]. If the back-face of the block is NOT parallel with the front-face [although it does look like it is is your example!] then make the extrusion so it stops beyond the back-face, then select the new faces made in the extrusion and use 'intersect' [context-menu] to cut that extrusion at the plane of the back-face; then erase the unwanted parts or the extrusion. Done. NO PLUGINS NEEDED AT ALL. You can do everything you have asked about... manually AND more easily than with a 'tool'... [This was a heart-felt message from Plugin Developer ! Please learn the basics...]

Just making the Fonts box larger made the fonts appear?

Wow, you guys are great, thanks for the quick, insightful replies. I keep seeing light at the end of the tunnel only to be smashed by the falling debris... Something that would have taken me 4 days max drawing by hand has taken me 2 weeks, and still not done... but my clients look at the model NOT the orthographic drawings in the end... so I gotta figure a way thru this... just not cost effective currently. I have evolved into the main model, the framing model, the parts models and the "assemblies" i.e. bits and pieces that show how things are to be constructed, like layers of the roofing assembly, plywood, roofing felt, flashing, drip edge, roofing, etc. Biggest challenge is how to "keep it simple" when in fact buildings are getting more and more complex and the building department wants more detail, particularly hold downs and connectors... I will endeavor to post more of my work, on my 4th full set of working drawings... and want to work on a list of "what I have learned and what I seek to learn" regarding best practices... till now... this has been a very long tunnel.. thanks again aloha red

You guys are GREAT, thanks for the replies, I will try them all and find out what I am doing wrong and then report my findings. aloha red

TIG's right; House builder is the only one that comes to mind. Or seing you use GOH's 1001Bit tools why not just use the "create rafters or joists on selected face' tool. Only difference is you're selecting a vertical face with a bit of clean up.....

A ruby API would be AMAZING!!

Have you tried a permissions repair, logging out, then restarting? How about reinstalling your font book? Or reinstall from the disc that comes with your pc?

I know red is a serious LO user, as am I. WOW! .... 3 months has passed ... still no answer. One would think the guy developing LO would stick his or her nose into this forum now and then, to see how the latest beta 3 version is working in the real world! I guess the 80,000 members of this forum is not enough to get his or her attention yet: thumbd:

Turn on File->Document Setup->Paper->Margins (check the box) and see in this case if your margins are clipping here. b

Yeah, I tried ishowu as well; I can't remember why I went with Screenium instead. Thanks for the info. ***thread hijack off ***

This could happen if you did worked on two monitors; that menu window could be displaying on the second monitor.

I make a sketchup file layer in layout and lock it. That way the view port cant move. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YAiDatANQo&feature=related

How about simply deleting the specific view and making a new one and linking in the new model? If it's just the one or two places it won't take more than a couple of minutes.

i discover save as ....

Layout works with scenes and styles. So try to make a scene updated with hidden section planes and it should work.

This video might help you, let it play all the way through and I think it will answer your questions.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaQFpCQS_y4