Layers vs. Groups

I started using Layers once I started building some bigger models, and I found them to be quite useful in order to break things up (basically to hide, en masse, the same areas) allowing me to focus on one particular area or another.

Then as I used more components, I noticed the group functionality, and at first I was confused about the relative uses of layers, groups and components. Why did the Sketchup team include all three ways of linking together elements?

Then I was introduced to the Outliner, which I consistently but mistakenly refer to as the organizer, because that is what it does so well (see last week’s post). At first, once I discovered groups, I completely eliminated the use of layers.

Now I feel like I have come up with a good division of labor between groups and layers (and components). In the screen shot shown, you can see how I use the three. You can see that the master bath is a group (highlighted in blue). Then, for houses, I always have the same four layers: Layer0, Lot, Fixtures and Furniture. 'Layer0' (white) is the default for anything I hand draw. 'Lot' is for the earth and terrain that surround the house (not shown; for many people the lot would simply be a flat rectangle representing the garden or "lawn"). Then I have 'Fixtures' (red) and 'Furniture' (green), both of which include the components I've used. (Components assigned to the Fixture layer stay put, and those in the Furniture layer can be rearranged).

The advantage of relegating the lot and the components to their own layers is that when making macro changes to the structure of your house, with a few clicks you can quickly clear the clutter away. With them hidden it also really helps with performance because it reduces the slow orbiting and panning that occurs in large and complex models.

In summary:

Layers - Use these to hide elements that you don't need to see all the time
Groups - Use these to organize your model, breaking it up into smaller pieces
Components - Use these for items that you reuse repeatedly in your model, like chairs or toilets