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zowiedawg · 13 Sept 2012, 00:49

Hi,
When I make a thing with 3 components and triple click on one of them, they all highlight. What's the best way to separate them at this stage---the stage where I've already drawn a complex thing that I would like to separate:) Thank you, zowie PS. If you know of a video or instruction page that covers this well, perhaps directing me there would be faster than explaining. Thanks again.

Gaieus · 13 Sept 2012, 00:53

Right click on one of them and "Make unique". This will break the relationship between them.

And welcome to SCF!

zowiedawg · 13 Sept 2012, 04:24

Thanks for the welcoming Gai, good to find you. Ultimately I shift clicked on the sufaces of each thing I needed to be unique and grouped them. I was thinking there was a faster way, but perhaps I need to build it differently so I don't get so many sticky things. I know this isn't very clear, I will probably find my answer as I watch more videos and gain better build methodology. Cheers! zowie

Gaieus · 13 Sept 2012, 04:35

Re-reading your original question, I may have misunderstood you. Were you talking about "component entities " or just used the word as a generic expression for "part" or something?

zowiedawg · 13 Sept 2012, 05:16

I don't really know yet what to call all the parts by yet... Lets say I make a table extruding legs from a surface. If I want to then move a leg to the center of the table, I don't know the easiest way to separate the leg from the surface of the table I extruded it from. I shift selected each side of the leg and made it a group, that seemed to work. If I had triple clicked on the leg, it would have highlighted everything connected. Is there a faster way to select shapes that I extrude from a surface? Thank you very much for taking the time. Zowie

Gaieus · 13 Sept 2012, 08:15

Okay, I see now. "Components" are special entities (you could even call them special groups but folks will kill me here for this). They are actually "embedded mini-SketchUp files" inside your model - but this is a bit more advanced stuff...

They work like groups in many aspects but there is a special thing about them (beside others) which is very essential for even a newbie: i.e. that copies of the same component maintain a relation and once you change an instance of the same component definition, all the others are changed, too.

In your example, I would go about this way (and don't be lazy, delete your existing legs and do this little homework):

draw a rectangle where you want to have a leg of the table.
Immediately afterwards double click on it > right click > make component.
A dialog pops up. Give it a meaningful name (like "leg" or something) and make sure that the "replace selection with component" box at the bottom left is checked. Press create (or what the button says)
Now select your newly created rectangle, grab the Move tool press Ctrl (a small + sign will appear showing you are now making a copy) and copy the rectangle to the next leg's place. Repeat this as many times as needed.
Now edit one of these rectangles (double click on the component) and use (say) the PushPull tool to pull it to a length. Watch all the other instances also "grow" (at the end, click somewhere outside the component to close it).
So this is a component in SketchUp and this is how we make advantage of its features.

Dave R · 13 Sept 2012, 12:23

I did a demonstration video some time ago showing my process for drawing this small table. You might find it helpful to get some ideas about how to draw your project. The video was not created as a basic tutorial so I don't spend a lot of time talking about each step but it should give you a good idea of the work flow.

zowiedawg · 13 Sept 2012, 15:08

Gai! You are most awesome. I assumed I needed to adjust my approach and had imagined either a group or component. I had seen a video on the difference between the two, but your description makes it clear how to use components efficiently. Got it. Thanks very much.

Although I'm a newbie using SU as a productive tool, I've played with it over the years and have been developing designs with Chief Architect--a 3D program for the past 12yrs. I've now decided to learn SU and Revit--at the same time, because I'm tired of using a 2nd rate 3D Architectural program.

I catching on to the SU basics, but because I'm production oriented, I'm yearning for best methodology. I'm combing around for all the videos I can to catch-up, but sometimes I don't know how to define what I'm looking for.

Thanks for clarifying, I really appreciate it. Zowie