Renaming components

Danty · 4 Mar 2012, 16:02

I've started creating an extensive library of 2d plant materials for use in my basic landscape plans.

I normally make a new component while working on a project -- and don't usually remember to give it a proper name at its inception in the component window.

I'm finding it a problem to re-name the component.

I've tried selecting it in the drawing and using the Outliner window to then go to the Entity Info window and re-naming it in the definition field.
No change.

I also tried re-naming it in its root file in the library>application support>Google Sketchup8>Sketchup folder.
Still not luck.

I'm on a Mac if that makes any difference.

Any suggestions?

Danty

TIG · 4 Mar 2012, 16:33

If you rename a component definition in the main SKP [model] that does not affect the original external component file's name, although you could do a save_as on the SKP's component [or on a whole 'collection'] and you would then have it saved externally 'as a duplicate' with the new-name too [you then later delete/move the old-named component from the folder manually].
If you rename an external component file it will not affect the related definition already loaded in the main SKP [model] that's using the old-name, unless you either use that newly named component instead, or exchange [replace selected] any old-named instances for the new-named definition...
You can also 'reload' a component and remap to the new-named component - needed if the old-named one no longer exists...

hellnbak · 4 Mar 2012, 19:54

Maybe I'm over-simplifying this, and I'm not on a Mac, but I've never had a problem renaming a component. Just open the Component window and rename it.

Danty · 5 Mar 2012, 06:14

OK,
I more or less figured it out.

I had the devil of a time accessing Properties until I realized I had to be in the In Model mode.
Once I discovered that I was able to re-name the component and fill-in the description.

At that point I then context-clicked on the component in my model and did a save-as.

I finally had to delete the old file from the Components folder in the SketchUp menu in Application Support.

Thanks TIG and Steve -- you were both right.

Danty

Dave R · 5 Mar 2012, 14:15

You could also drag the renamed components from the In Model library to another library which saves you the step of right clicking and using Save as...