You can show hidden geometry and objects in SketchUp by using options available in the 'View' and 'Edit' menus, allowing you to reveal individual elements or all hidden items in your model.
In SketchUp, when you refer to "hidden planes," you are typically referring to hidden faces or entire objects (groups and components) that make up your 3D model. SketchUp provides clear methods to reveal these hidden elements.
Revealing Hidden Geometry (Faces and Edges)
Individual faces and edges in your model can be hidden to simplify views or work on complex interiors. To make these hidden elements visible, you need to enable the Hidden Geometry display mode.
How to Show Hidden Geometry:
- Access the View Menu: Navigate to the top menu bar and click on View.
- Toggle Hidden Geometry: From the dropdown menu, select Hidden Geometry.
- When activated, all hidden faces and edges will appear as dashed lines, indicating their presence without fully unhiding them yet. This allows you to select them.
Once hidden geometry is visible, you can then selectively unhide specific elements:
- Select Hidden Elements: Use the Select tool (the arrow cursor) to click and select the dashed lines representing the hidden faces or edges you wish to unhide.
- Unhide Selected: Right-click on the selected hidden geometry.
- Choose Unhide: From the context menu, select Unhide > Selected (or Unhide > All if multiple hidden elements are selected). The selected geometry will now appear solid.
Unhiding Hidden Objects (Groups and Components) and All Hidden Elements
Entire groups or components can also be hidden. These disappear completely from view when hidden. SketchUp offers a straightforward way to unhide all hidden objects and geometry simultaneously.
Using the 'Unhide All' Feature:
To quickly reveal all hidden objects and geometry in your current workspace, follow these steps:
- Go to the Edit Menu: Navigate to the top menu bar and click on Edit.
- Select Unhide > All: In the dropdown menu, you will find the option Unhide followed by All. Selecting this will reveal all hidden objects and geometry within your current workspace, making them fully visible and editable.
Unhiding Specific Hidden Objects:
If you know the approximate location of a hidden group or component:
- Right-Click in the Area: Right-click in the area where you believe the hidden object is located.
- Choose Unhide: From the context menu, if a hidden object is present under your cursor, you will see an Unhide option, often followed by the name of the object. Select it to make that specific object visible.
Practical Insights:
- When to use Hidden Geometry: This is ideal when you need to work on the inside of a complex model, such as detailing an interior wall or modifying a hidden face within a larger structure. It allows precision without clutter.
- When to use Unhide All: Use this when you've finished detailed work and need to see your complete model, or if you've accidentally hidden multiple elements and want to bring everything back into view.
- Why Hide Elements? Hiding geometry or objects helps manage complex models, improves performance by reducing the number of visible elements, and allows for easier access to internal parts of your design.
By understanding these methods, you can efficiently manage the visibility of your model's elements, ensuring a smoother and more productive workflow in SketchUp.
Summary of Hiding and Unhiding Methods
| Action | Method | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Hide Selected | Select geometry/object > Right-click > Hide | Temporarily remove selected elements from view. |
| Show Hidden Geometry | View > Hidden Geometry | Display hidden faces and edges as dashed lines for selection. |
| Unhide Selected | (While Hidden Geometry is on) Select dashed lines > Right-click > Unhide > Selected | Make specific hidden faces/edges solid again. |
| Unhide All | Edit > Unhide > All | Reveal all hidden geometry and objects in the model. |
| Unhide Specific Object | Right-click in model > Unhide > [Object Name] | Reveal a particular hidden group or component. |
