What it means is you need to be able to define where you want your DCs to go using a formula like y=x^2, or z=x^2. the attached file puts the oblongs on the curve y=x^2 (plus a few constants to stretch it nicely.) dc copy along curve.skp

I tihnk you have to use nested functions to do it in DCs, so it'll look something like this: if("x"=y,do_this,(if("x"=z,do_that,do_theother)))

Thanks Markozeta for your replies, and quick too. I would have responded sooner, but had a time of it logging on. But the info helped and I am on my way. Thanks, Brian

Alright, did the matrix math for ya. Ready? Your complete rotation matrix for your system is: (C_C)(C_B)+(S_A)(S_C)(S_B); (S_A)(S_C)(C_B)-(S_B)(C_C); (C_A)(S_C);; (C_A)(S_B); (C_A)(C_B); -(S_A);; (S_A)(S_B)(C_C)-(C_B)(S_C); (S_A)(C_B)(C_C)+(S_B)(S_C); (C_A)(C_C);;; WHERE: S_ represents sine, C_ represents cosine A is first angle (rotation about global/local X) - doesn't matter which since global is local for first rotation. B is second angle (rotation about global Z) C is final angle (rotation about local Y) So, you need to make the .to_a matrix of your rotation be equal to this matrix (after normalizing the axis vectors), then solve for A, B, and C. This matrix is very similar to rotation of Z, then X, then Y, but still different.

@thomthom said: What are the problems you're having with the attributes? Example? Well, I opened up the Sketchup Attribute Manager. http://code.google.com/p/sketchupattributemanager/wiki/Welcome. Using this, I made a simple dynamic component. When I loaded the attributes X, Y, Z onto the component, they showed up on the attribute manager. Then when I moved the block, reloaded the attribute manager, the new coordinates were not updated. This same issue happened when I scales and rotated the component, compelling me to believe the problem was most likely with the attribute manager not reading the dc (even after I hit redraw). I don't know of something similar to the attribute manager that will work with DC's, and that' my real difficulty. Without it, debugging this idea will be difficult without knowing exactly the formatting of the current functions.

This feature of DCs is not ideal as you've found out..... It would be great if you could just move them about somehow. ...... Until this time / Google fixes this feature, you could try this .... I start all attribute names with a1_ , a2_, etc then b1_, b2_ etc All the "a's" are related, all the "b's" are related etc ( a way of grouping them). ............ See http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=289&t=18545 and http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=289&t=21350 ......... Hope this helps Howard L'

Class of '07 man! Spent most of my time in Building 17, learning about forces this, energy that... I should go back for my masters but I needed a job...

Hi Markozeta, My previous post wasn't a request just a query, but thanks for taking the time to actually sort it out. It works brilliantly, well done. Now to make a square peg to fit in the round hole

Sorry, I don't know off the top of my head. But I do know that somewhere there was a post or a blog entry or something that Scott Lininger started to go into some quick explanation of this. I'll try to dig around and see if I can find what I am thinking of. Chris

The components can talk to each other - but it's a bit different. Click on the block with a hole in this example with the interact tool to see how I made it work. Set the onclick attribute of the switch to the following: Animate("Switch_RotZ", angle1, angle2); Animate("Light!Material", Material1, Material2). Doing this will work, even if the light is not in the component with the switch. The problem becomes importing and adding extra copies, but it is doable. Mark It's the game of telephone! Except this time the message isn't a bad name about the teacher...

Hi, Thanks for the explanation/tutorial on how you achieved this DC. Makes for very interesting reading and deserves a bit more attention than it is currently getting. I hope more users check this post out to see how much work goes into such a simple concept.

Aha, I found the example I was thinking of. This is from PITRAK on the PushpullbarII forum in this thread: http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/sketchup/10076-dynamic-components-test.html See if that one helps. I don't remember what id does differently or how it works, but it randonly chooses between 3 different options. Chris DC random wall.skp

Perhaps you could use an if() to identify what the users put in? certainly wouldnt be fool proof, though.

I found out from the source that the issue is by design. It has to do for when there are imperial and metric components mixed together under one parent shell. It had to be one or the other, and imperial won. So to answer my question and anyone else who stumbles across this... If your DC is in metric and you want to use this common trick to snap to increments =largest(100,round(current("LenX")/100)*100) You will need to apply an "inch to cm" multiplier of 2.54 to the current() function to avoid general screwiness when scaling. =largest(100,round((current("LenX")*2.54)/100)*100)

Unfortunately it would have to be installed on each machine. That's why I think you should tackle the math in that pdf I linked to Matt. Your method would be do-able inside a DC, without loading any scripts. Chris

Thanks heaps Jim, I will be sure to have a look tonight.

@shotster said: Thanks for the info. They are interesting products, but they don't appear to do exactly what I need. Not only that, but I'm on a Mac, and they're Windows-only. Thanks though. -Steve Hi Steve, You should look into iShowU. There is an option to record without recording the cursor. It's a little bit of a hack, but it works. I am using the $60 pro version, but I believe the $30 standard version has the same ability to not record the cursor. Here is an example: [flash=640,505:3qwjvdou]http://www.youtube.com/v/FoUdz3c5uU8&hl=en&fs=1[/flash:3qwjvdou]

Cool, good luck Pat. Let me know if you have questions. Chris

Hi Eric, This is not what I "was" looking for and by was I mean that I don't think it is possible. I was trying to find a way to add dynamically new options in the component options panel with another option triggering it. Thanks anyway... By the way your model looks really interesting, I will look more into it later. the functions combo in your parent component, lenx=nearest(current("lenX"),... looks awesome! I still have hard time understanding the current function. Jerome

Its fixed. My error. I hate when that happens. For those of you playing at home, I have attached the fixed version. On to the hairy part skyfish