When importing AutoCAD/DWG files, I'd like to see some additional import options, including the ability to choose whether existing geometry is imported as Components or as Groups. I'm currently struggling with a highly detailed 3D DWG file that imports nicely, EXCEPT for the fact that it comes into SU with over 8000 components, which slows the SAVE process to a crawl and prohibits me from even viewing the Components Palette without freezing the program. Every plugin I've found that converts Components to Groups, or otherwise is designed to replace components just hangs up, due to the sheer number of components.

In addition, it'd be nice to be able to preserve or ignore existing layers during import.

If I'm missing something, or if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

Cheers!

Steven

I'd have no problem is SU would simply interpret the DWG geometry as groups instead of components. I sent a PM to TIG to see if he had any thoughts on the topic. I believe that once upon a time SU did in fact treat DWG geometry as groups.

I appreciate the feedback. I'll play around. Just so you can have a better idea of what I'm dealing with, the model is of all the structural steel elements of a building, so we've got a few hundred beams (of various sizes) and several hundred bolts (of various types) and other tiny details--each being treated as a single, unique component. Going through one item at a time isn't a reasonable option, unfortunately.

When we consider that what makes a component a component is an association, you'd think there'd be a relatively straight-forward way to just remove that association while keeping the geometry.

Anyway, thanks again!

Even just viewing the Components palette with that many components in a model can take forever--long enough that in this case I just give up and end the program.

@dave r said:

There is a plugin that makes components from groups but I'm not finding one that goes the other way. I don't think you would see any improvement in performance by converting the components to groups.

Thanks for the reply. As the number of components increases, the Save time increases, and when you get into the hundreds of components, that can be a quite a long time. Not to mention I'd prefer not to have 800+ components in my palette.

I couldn't find a plugin to accomplish this either, which is what made me start to think I'm missing something obvious.

Cheers!

I'm sure this has probably been addressed before, so point me in the right direction if necessary. I've been working with SketchUp for years and I feel like there should be an easy way to do this.

I've imported a very complex 3D CAD file (into SketchUp 2014). It imports nicely, except for the fact that it is consists of nearly 800 components (it appears that every individual instance of every given block is being interpreted by SketchUp as a unique component), which I do not need, and affects performance dramatically. I know I could explode everything into lines and faces if necessary, but I'd prefer to keep the various elements grouped.

Is there a way (or a plugin that provides a way) to select a large number of components and convert them all to groups?

Or perhaps I'm thinking in the wrong direction entirely?

Thanks!

Steven D.