All above are correct. The problem you are having is your Layout scene is probably set to "last saved scene", instead of the appropriate saved scene in SU. When you generate a PDF in layout it automatically updates the reference, so if the last saved reference is not a section saved scene, then you get the pdf shown as it was last saved in SU.

1. Set your scene in SU with section, name the scene and save.
2. In layout, in the Sketchup Model dialogue, select the same scene and render.
3. Export PDF and it should show correctly.

Do you need it on high quality? The reason I ask, is that I tested both medium and High printed to 24x36 paper. The high while a little crisper, takes twice as long to export PDF, especially on a 12 page document. If you need the High quality, try printing only 4 pages at a time. I print all my CD's at medium level and they are fine in quality.

Big news! I've been so busy on projects over the past couple weeks I haven't been on here. Since it is out of my hands, I will remain very optimistic since the whole development team is staying along for the ride. That says a lot to me about the direction.

My personal concern only stems from what will happen with LayOut. Will it be further developed or replaced entirely. I have converted all my standards and only use SU/Layout for production of all my CD's now. Feedback from agencies and contractors has been very positive. Heck my first two sets got through the building department with no comments and permits ready to be issued in less than a week (very unheard of here).

I can see Trimbles involvement really focused on the construction industry and really pushing sketchup in the direction I would like with BIM capabilities.

So at this point, I am happy for the change.

@cebolla said:

Thanks, Sonder. You make an excellent point about liability. This is a deck for my parents' house so I wasn't in that mindset, but I should be- anything could happen in the next 10 years...

At some point, however, there must be times when you have to block information from others at a certain scale- do you import it all into SU and bring it in that way?

By the way, this is Lindy from Kings Beach- you can run but you can't hide!

Haha - too funny. The only time that I bring information in is for the topogrpahic survey. That I bring in SU and view it through Layout. I do export ACAD info all the time for structural engineers, but have never had the need to do the reverse.

My workload will be better next week.

Glad you are on here. This is a great site for learning!

If your goal is to get their work on your title block, do the reverse. Export an ACAD file in paper space from Layout and send it to your engineer. This is what I do and it works flawlessly.

As soon as you are coordinating updating information from your engineer, you will be liable if you don't have the most current work. I would never do this.

Components will help. Also layer things so you can turn off and on geometry you aren't modifying. Always work with no shadows or fog. Is your video card set for hardware acceleration?

Other than those items there is no reason your machine should not handle a 12M file with speed. Most of mine are 30M and higher and as long as the model is organized, speed is not an issue at all.

@andybot said:

This is an interesting thread! I have a Bambu that I use for Photoshop, but I've never thought to try it for Sketchup. Might not have the functionality to make it useful, but anyway, makes me think it's worth a try.

@Sonder - so with two hands for the 3d mouse, do you use the keyboard at all? I use keyboard shortcuts constantly, so seems it would be a pain to have to switch back and forth.

I don't use a 3d mouse. My keyboard sits right above my tablet, so switching is extremely easy - no more difficult than it would be with a mouse.

@harnstein said:

I' always open to change my way of working, so may i ask how (roughly) you do work?

The difference between the Intuos4 and 5 is just the optional touch capability (and optional wireless extension), right?
I don't really like the buttons on the side of the tablet, they work but could be better.

Anyway, you have set the buttons on the side to match the mouse buttons i guess? But you need to use two hands to orbit and zoom etc.?

Where do you think is the benefit of using the tablet instead of the mouse (beside no having the pain from using a mouse too long)?

I actually have the Intuous 3 so, I am in need of an upgrade. I set all the buttons to specific key controls and mouse conrols. Yes you use two hands to orbit, one to zoom (slide bar). It feels very natural and the simple fact that the tablet actually matches the screen, there is no scroll/pickup on the mouse. This is a huge difference for speed and accuracy when moving through the model. And while it takes two hands to orbit, you can also orbit and zoom at the same time.

I guess different strokes for different folks. I can't imagine going back to the mouse. I am so much faster with the pen and tablet and the comfort level can't even compare.

Get the Intuous 5 touch large. With this unit, there is no need for a mouse at all unless you want a 3d unit for navigation. I've used my Intuous 3 for more than 5 years now and never have used the mouse that comes with the unit. You will feel great relief in your body from not using a mouse. I was really surprised at the change, especially in the wrist and arm that operates the mouse.

The larger tablet lets you have more precise placement. I am still on the Intuous 3 widescreen which is a little smaller than the Intuous 5 large. I am going to get this same unit as an upgrade and move my Intuous 3 to my other workstation.

Well, thank god for construction industry standards allowing actual built accuracy to be 1/16" in ten feet or greater for different trades!

@caronte01 said:

@richard said:

@caronte01 said:

Hey you checked tones in greyscale as this is always 99% of printing throughout the job!

I did print some elevations in greyscale, to see how they looked. I had to increase contrast a bit. In color, they appeared ok, in bw they looked a bit washed out. Also, elevations looked great with shadows on; sections, I turned them off.

For BW increase brightness along with contrast at the printer level. I only print my color sets for the permit sets, 1 for the owner and 1 for the contractor. The rest are all BW and look really good with both fog and shadows on. Thankfully my printer has it down now, so I just send over the files and order at will. They are really good at making adjustments and testing before final printing.

@seasdes said:

I do not know whether there is a answer to this. However, is it much slower to use Layout for construction drawings compared to CAD?
Sorry if I am pushing in here. But my question relates to construction drawings.
Walter

For me it is faster, but I have developed my whole detail library in SU over the past 5 years. Once you get used to how LO works, I think it is faster. If you are just learning, then count on a learning curve which will be slower at first. The key is setting up all your scrapbooks for standard notation and graphics. Keep you SU models tight and maintain your scenes. I just finished producing 3 sets of construction documents for 3 different custom homes. All three were completed over the last 3-4 months with each set having between 45-55 sheets of architectural drawings. This was my first time utilizing LayOut, so there was some time involved in setting up standards / experimentation.

You can easily achieve this with Layout.

@arcad-uk said:

You might find it quicker and easier to create a reference point in the Sketchup model? I find it quite difficult in layout to lock onto undefined points.

Are you moving the basic center snap on any object in LO? It really is a wonderful ability to set the insertion point of any object anywhere you like. Once I got the hang of this, moving and inserting objects and references in LO is really intuitive, easy and extremely accurate, even when zoomed out.

@mike lucey said:

But when you think about what a 'circle' really is, it can only be a polygon, all be it, in some programs, one with extremely short 'line' segments, a position beside a position, so to speak.

But of course, anyone that knows about CNC work also knows that SU is not the app for this. But I imagine certain commentators have grasped this idiosyncrasy of SU and jumped on the old band wagon

I'm not sold on that. I work directly with a contractor with both a CNC and robotic plasma cutter with my sketchup modeling, and we make some pretty complex structural knife plates for wood to wood and wood to concrete joinery. The end result has been pretty cool.

Looking beautiful Pablo! Very nice work.

@drdb said:

Each time I waste an hour hunting for some incredibly commonplace CAD feature (like Snaps toggles), which SHOULD be just a click or key-stroke away, and which the average drafting/drawing program user reaches for about as often as I use my index finger (although in the last half-hour of reading these posts, my MIDDLE finger has gotten something of a workout…), I end up here, hoping for “Help”.

And each time I end up here, I’m more and more convinced that Google SketchUp is actually a marketing ploy dreamt-up by AutoCAD, to sell more AutoCAD, by frustrating and annoying the absolute BEJEEPERS out of everyone who tries to use Google SketchUp…!

That is because you have been corrupted by ACAD. The sheer complexity of its programming and complete lack of intuitive use has made you to expect other programs to follow. Think outside of what ACAD and other drafting programs have taught you and you will see the light. I can't say enough, that half the problems I read on this site are solely related to people expecting SU to do what ACAD does. I say, thank god it doesn't. SU is by far more user friendly and intuitive. Just let go of the archaic thought process that has been developed on the same path for approaching 30 years. As an aside, I learned ACAD on version 2.0 and have used it up until last summer.

Double click the dimension, set the cursor over the dimension leg snap point that you are moving and enter the increment manually - (0, Xmm) or (Xmm,0) depending on direction. Do you have both object and grid snap off? If you have object snap on, makes sure there is not something that the dim line is snapping towards.

Every object in layout has a basic snap position dead center on the object. To get objects (lines, references, symbols, images etc) you can grab that snap and place it anywhere you like. You can then move the object about that snap reference. As an example, if you highlight a line, it will have a center snap point which you can move or rotate the line about. When you hover over that snap point, you will see that you can reposition that point anywhere you like. Once you get the hang of it, it is extremely powerful in accurately placing objects in Layout.