FlexTools Updates

halroach · 4 Feb 2019, 12:08

You can now produce 45(+) different Dynamic Doors, thanks to Mr. pcmoor and his extremely useful Multi Dynamic Door Panel.

How? By combining it with FlexDoor

We've known about this multi door panel component for quite some time now, but it had a catch. The minute you made a copy of it, and altered one of the copies, both DCs would jumble up with sub-components flying all around your model. The only solution was to delve deep into each component and make all of it's sub-components unique - A very time intensive process. So... we decided to develop a tool just for this called 'Make Totally Unique'. After applying this tool to your new door variations, the door and all of it's sub-components will instantly become unique and they will all behave just right.

See more details in this FlexBlog post.

porschegt2 · 4 Feb 2019, 18:05

Hi all,

Iam using the flextools pro but i cant Access to parameters from Windows and doors… anyone can help me out solve this issue?

thanks a lot

carlos

juju · 4 Feb 2019, 18:43

click into them a level or so to access more DC options

halroach · 5 Feb 2019, 04:41

@porschegt2 said:

Hi all,

Iam using the flextools pro but i cant Access to parameters from Windows and doors… anyone can help me out solve this issue?

thanks a lot

carlos

Hi Carlos,
I just replied to your email about this issue. If you still can't get to the parameters, please post a screenshot/video.

*** Edit for reference:**
The issue had to do with a crazy DC plugin bug - '/u' was appearing in the folder path where the SKP file was being saved to which would then cause the DC plugin to fail with errors.
More about this issue at: https://forums.sketchup.com/t/error-on-component-options-window-when-downloading-in-window/19991/21

Ivan K · 27 Feb 2019, 14:15

Just came to say a very big thank you to you all for including the hidden door!

I was designing an interior renovation with "EZY Jamb" details and you showed up just in time!!!!

Thank you!

juju · 28 Feb 2019, 19:10

Yoni, can you look into incorporating the PCMoor DC door as well?

halroach · 1 Mar 2019, 05:17

@juju said:

Yoni, can you look into incorporating the PCMoor DC door as well?

Hey Juju,
I'm unaware of this DC door. Can you send a link?
When you say to incorporate, do you mean to get it to work as a wall cutting component?

halroach · 1 Mar 2019, 06:06

We’ve had a chance to visit a manufacturer of beautiful high quality hidden doors called Minimal Doors.

Now we’re happy to share with you their elegant, hidden, very minimal (now flex) doors, and a new WallCutter feature ‘Hide Cut Edges’.

Learn more about how to hide frames in this FlexBlog post.

juju · 1 Mar 2019, 08:59

@halroach said:

@juju said:

Yoni, can you look into incorporating the PCMoor DC door as well?

Hey Juju,
I'm unaware of this DC door. Can you send a link?
When you say to incorporate, do you mean to get it to work as a wall cutting component?

Man, you guys must be real busy...

See your BlogPost & mail comms of 01 February 2019.

halroach · 1 Mar 2019, 09:24

@juju said:

Man, you guys must be real busy...

See your BlogPost & mail comms of 01 February 2019.

Hah
Well... we are crazy busy, that's true!

I thought you were referring to a different (complete) door component that I haven't seen in the 3D warehouse, and not to the dynamic panel.

The blog post/video basically show how to insert the door panel into FlexDoor, and you can always save it aside with Component Finder for later use.

We could theoretically incorporate it into one of our components by default... but should we?

It's a cool panel, though the workflow with it - the need to use the 'make totally unique' tool, isn't a straight forward process. I think it would confuse and frustrate sketchuppers who first install flextools. They would copy the door around and then find that things are acting really weird with components flying around, and they wouldn't know why. It's also a bit heavy/slow in larger models. I think it would be problematic.

halroach · 28 Mar 2019, 03:46

New Flex Casement Double Window with 20 window style presets is released!

See more details in the FlexBlog: https://flextools.cc/blog/flex-casement-double-window/

halroach · 5 Apr 2019, 06:53

A new video by Justin from The Sketchup Essentials shows how to build a house in no time using FlexTools and Tig Roof.

pbacot · 5 Apr 2019, 16:07

Nice video. Congrats. Windows are almost always set according to the head height not the sill height.

halroach · 22 Apr 2019, 06:08

3 New Flex Windows released!

Dynamic Hopper-Awning, Casement Single and a Fixed Window are now available.
They can also be combined into new types of windows!

Learn more in the FlexBlog.

halroach · 23 Apr 2019, 10:32

With this new Flex Window, you can create a simple Hopper.

Change one setting and it's an Awning!

Change another setting and it's flipped inside out!

Double Click into it and you have the same 20 presets and full customization like with the previously released Casement-Double.

halroach · 24 Apr 2019, 14:37

Casement-Single Flex Window

It’s just like the recently released Casement-Double, but single!

pbacot · 24 Apr 2019, 14:46

Looks great. Are you sure about the handle placement for hoppers and awnings? Can the handle be omitted?

halroach · 25 Apr 2019, 06:25

@pbacot said:

Looks great. Are you sure about the handle placement for hoppers and awnings? Can the handle be omitted?

Hi pbacot,

The handle in the hoppers and awnings (and in the casements too) are placed by default like in a tilt and turn window, but they aren't tilt AND turns, rather just tilt, OR Turn... So you have a good point!

I'll add an option to center the handle on the lower rail for it to suit tilt OR turn windows!

The handle's placement, visibility and rotation can be easily changed. Double click into the component and select it:

You can choose to hide it completely.
You can have it visible on one side of the window or the other.
(It may sound weird to have the handle on the outside, but it makes sense when you start flipping the window in and out and if you happen to like placing windows from the interior rather than from the exterior, or if you'd like to use the casement windows as doors...)

You can also delete the handle all together if it bothers you - no harm will be done, everything else will continue working.

You can also swap the handle with others or customize the handle manually to any handle you choose following the instructions here: https://flextools.cc/learn/flexdoor/hardware/
It may look daunting, but once you get the hang of it, making your own dynamic handle is a matter of minutes.

I hope that all makes sense.

halroach · 27 Apr 2019, 12:33

A Fixed Flex Window

It's similar to the original FlexWindow, but it is a lot simpler.

Read more details in the FlexBlog: https://flextools.cc/blog/3-new-flex-windows/

halroach · 30 Apr 2019, 10:09

We started working on FlexStairs!

Here is a work-in-progress video:

The stairs are recalculated while scaling according to the restrictions you enter (based on Blondel's Rule).
The top step can be hidden.
You can set a minimum riser height.
You can also set a fixed tread length.

To be continued...