Dunno why, but the SU crashed...? Before that, I could not save the thing as a Jpeg....
On the mac you do not get a jpeg doing a "Save-As". You get a Jpeg by selecting "File -> Export -> 2D Graphic". Is it different on the Windows version?
The component thing, yeah, I'm learning that!!
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I'll start over with the actual dimension of the L shop, I DO have the blueprints here
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Lots to learn, but I think I might be at a tipping point, where I'm not TOTALLY intimidated by it all!!
Agree with the others: use Components.
But you also will be happy with learning about
Layers. Right now your SU file is all on one layer, and you have no components. So if you triple-click on something, it selects EVERYTHING, which would certainly frustrate me.
I'm still in many ways a SU beginner, I think. However, to me the two things that I've learned that make SU much much more useful is to
use components and layers.
I make everything a component. And I group things and put them in layers.
For instance, if I was doing your shop I'd start by drawing a floor. Then right-click on it, and make it a component, named FLOOR. Then I'd make a wall, and again make it a component, repeat for all the walls.
THEN, make a layer called "Walls" and select each of the wall components and put it on that layer. Later on if I'm working on something and the walls are in the way, I just open the layers window, and click the button that hides the ENTIRE layer. Now they aren't in the way when I want to work on something, but they're still there.
I agree with Jeff that making walls transparent is useful, but it is even more useful to put them on a layer so you can hide them as needed.
I'd repeat this for the various cabinets, making components, and grouping parts onto layers.
For your shop, if I'm mostly just doing this for layout and ideas, I would keep the cabinets as just simple boxes, maybe with some lines and indentations. I would NOT bother building them up out of individual components of sides, backs, shelves, doors, etc.
Also, since you're planning a rearrangement, a layer helps you out with that. For instance have a layer named "current checkout counter" with the current setup of checkout cabinets in it. Make another layer called "checkout option 1" and put together some new cabinets. Repeat with option 2 or option 3.
Then you can just hide and unhide different layers to see what different layouts would look like, without having to duplicate things.
Of course, using components, duplicating things opens up another world of options. Say you have 3 identical shelving units. Make one, make it a component, then duplicate it. (On the mac, if you hold the option key while moving an item with the move/copy tool, it duplicates it.) These duplicates are NOT unique. So if you change one of the shelving units, all 3 are automatically changed. This is great for a shop like this, as you probably have lots of near-identical storage units.
Well I've nattered on enough.
have fun, and keep posting ideas!
...art