Learn how to keep your SketchUp model organized with a handy plugin.

Software Required: SketchUp, Layers Panel Plugin

I’ve begun to do a lot of architectural modeling in SketchUp lately, and I’ve found that the built-in layer tools weren’t good enough to keep my workflow organized. The problem is that layers cannot be grouped together, for easy toggling of visibility. I am aware of using layers and the outliner to get a similar result, but I was looking for something different. That’s where the extension Layers Panel comes into hand. It functions similar to how layers can be grouped in Photoshop, so it was a seamless transition for me.

It the time of writing this post, I’m modeling a 2 story house in SketchUp, and wanted to be able to group layers on the same floor, so I could toggle individual floors on and off for easy editing. In addition to floors, each component in the floor would be on it’s own layer, again for maximum editability later on in the design process. The list below illustrates the naming convention I’m using for this model, but you can use any sort of number or letter abbreviations to keep your layers organized. Foundation and second floor follow a similar structure to the first floor layer structure.

• 000 Foundation (refer to 100 floor for sub layers)
• 100 Floor
  • 110 Walls & Floor
    • 111 Floor
    • 112 Walls
  • 120 Structural
    • 121 Columns
    • 122 Beams & Joists
  • 130 Wall Components
    • 131 Windows
    • 132 Doors
  • 140 Stairs
    • 141 Stair Assembly
    • 142 Railings
  • 150 Furniture
  • 160 Porch & Deck
• 200 Floor (refer to 100 floor)
• 300 Floor
• 400 Misc
  • 410 Chimney
  • 420 Trim
  • 430 Steps
• 500 Drawings (imported 2d cad drawings)
  • 510 Plans
  • 520 Elevations
  • 530 Sections
  • 540 Details
• 600 Terrain
  • Original Google Earth Terrain
    • Google Earth Terrain
    • Google Earth Snapshot
  • Topography
    • Topo-Original
    • Topo with Pad-Original
    • Topo-Modified
    • Google Earth Terrain-merged with topo
  • Site Plan
    • Site Plan
    • Topo Lines
    • Retaining Wall
    • Extruded Road