[Plugin] Explode2Groups

bagatelo

Does exist some plugin that just transforms components in groups and groups in components?

Chris Fullmer

Nope. What would need such a thing for?

bagatelo

Because at this time, I'm importing things from 3dsMAX to Sketchup, and all subobjects are components, always. I don't like that, I like groups for subobjects, because it doesn't pollute the components browser.

pbacot

@chris fullmer said:

Nope. What would need such a thing for?

To place multiple components then turn each instance into a group for different modifications, without having to select each one and explode, then group, separately? Still this tool can be used to help in that case.

yvani

does this plugin work with SU 2017? I don't succeed ....

TIG

This tool does not work in v2017.
Trimble changed the way SketchUp keeps references to entities during exploding etc, so this tool now fails.

Sorry, but it is 10 years old.

Search for other similar tools which might have been update-able...

TIG

You are in luck !
I checked the code and it was a relatively simple fix to make it v2017 compatible !
Here's v2.0
https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=Explode2Groups

designerbursa

Hi TIG
Thanks this plugin! ..
Selecting each group one by one detonates. Can the whole group or components make a single selection?

I want all drawings in the file to be a single group or component when I run the plug-in

TIG

Why not just Explode everything that's selected [right-click context-menu], the results stay selected, now use context-menu Make Group or Make Component ?

TIG

I'm not sue that this plugin does what you want.
However, I am unclear about what it is you want to do exactly...

The way this tool works...
Select a group, it is exploded, and then any nested geometry within it is made into separate 'connected' groups.

From your earlier description you seemed to want to take selected groups, and then combine them into a new single group.
My description explained how to do that by using the native tools...

Pleas explain step by step what you want to do.
No video is needed [indeed yours just confused me!]
Just say what you start with and what you want to have at the end, with any intermediate steps for clarity...

designerbursa

Thank you for your interest in TIG.
I don't know if I got it right, but I haven't.
I am using Sketchup 2018 version

designerbursa

It would be nice if there was a plug-in to create single groups when all nested groups explode.

TIG

But as I said before...
If you select all of the required groups [and or component-instances] and use Explode from the built-in right-click context-menu item, the result remains selected, so then you can immediately use the built-in right-click context-menu again to Make Group...

Even if there were a tool to do what you wish you'd need to preselect the groups to process and then run the tool to group them and explode them, so the amount of work you'd have to do is about the same either way.
So making a script to do this is duplicating what's already available to you ??

designerbursa

@tig said:

But as I said before...
If you select all of the required groups [and or component-instances] and use Explode from the built-in right-click context-menu item, the result remains selected, so then you can immediately use the built-in right-click context-menu again to Make Group...

Even if there were a tool to do what you wish you'd need to preselect the groups to process and then run the tool to group them and explode them, so the amount of work you'd have to do is about the same either way.
So making a script to do this is duplicating what's already available to you ??

"expode2component"

Can you make such a plugin?

TIG

@designerbursa said:

"expode2component"

Can you make such a plugin?

It's easy to do...
At the end of the part that make a group out of some entities you add something like -
compoi = group.to_component
You can then choose to use methods like compod=compoi.definition; compod.name="Compo#1" to rename the definition as desired.

But if this relates to the parallel question once you have all exploded entities, still selected, there is a right-click > context-menu native-item "Make Component...", which makes the Selection into a Component rather than into a Group like with "Make Group" - the resultant dialog lets you name the component etc...

If you already have a Group then the context-menu item "Make Component..." can also make that selected Group into a Component etc...

designerbursa

@unknownuser said:

It's easy to do...
At the end of the part that make a group out of some entities you add something like -
compoi = group.to_component
You can then choose to use methods like compod=compoi.definition; compod.name="Compo#1" to rename the definition as desired.

But if this relates to the parallel question once you have all exploded entities, still selected, there is a right-click > context-menu native-item "Make Component...", which makes the Selection into a Component rather than into a Group like with "Make Group" - the resultant dialog lets you name the component etc...

If you already have a Group then the context-menu item "Make Component..." can also make that selected Group into a Component etc...

This is very hard for amateurs like me

TIG

The native methods are available to all - with no need for coding skills...

To simply edit ../Plugins/Explode2groups.rb to finally make components rather than groups...
Edit that RB file using a plain-text editor [e.g. Notepad++ on PC, or TextWrangler on MAC]
Find line #43
all.each{|a| aents.add_group(a) }
Change it to read
all.each{|a| **gp=**aents.add_group(a)**;ci=gp.to_component;ci.definition.name="Compo#1"** }
The default component's name - Compo#1 - increments for each new definition...

juju

at "designerbursa"

There are some paid extensions you might want to take a look at as well:

designerbursa

@tig said:

The native methods are available to all - with no need for coding skills...

To simply edit ../Plugins/Explode2groups.rb to finally make components rather than groups...
Edit that RB file using a plain-text editor [e.g. Notepad++ on PC, or TextWrangler on MAC]
Find line #43
all.each{|a| aents.add_group(a) }
Change it to read
all.each{|a| **gp=**aents.add_group(a)**;ci=gp.to_component;ci.definition.name="Compo#1"** }
The default component's name - Compo#1 - increments for each new definition...

I tried, it works. But you misunderstood me. I want the components to use the same process. to separate nested components. or is there such a plugin? easy and simple plugin! ..

TIG

If you explode a group [or component-instance] which contains nested groups or component-instances then these are then made separated things. Any geometry is then loose. Explode2Groups takes the loose geometry and regroups it depending on 'connected-ness', the other nested objects are then in the selected group's 'parent' context.

After using the tool you can use the Outliner to select any of these...

Another way to achieve your goal would be to use the Outliner, and within it select the nested instances and drag them, still within the Outliner, into another context other than their 'parent' - they will then 'move' into that context...