New to DC: topic for my simple questions to the pros

pibuz

Hi all you DCs experts!
I have one silly question: for several reasons, the most complex DCs I have made make themselves unique after a simple copy of the original instance. Given the fact that I have to further investigate why this happens in specific cases, would it be possible to write a plugin which searches all the instances of the same DC and substitutes the identical copies with one single component?

pcmoor

Any DC with nested DC(s) will become unique on a redraw, so I recommend using the definition name as a category rather than an identity, and use the instance name or a custom attribute as the identity. the #number is not considered, the reports "group by" is the instance or custom attribute.

If you simplify a DC so its nested components are not dynamic, then the definition #number will remain, so one could consider a method of simplification via a script as a possible solution depending on the DCs concerned.

Although you could script a swap for same, that "same" would have to be a simple DC with no nested DCs as the uniqueness would only be triggered again if there is a redraw

pibuz

thanks Phil! Completely understood! Thank you!

pibuz

Sorry to bother again...
I have another tricky question: I have issues trying to report attributes assigned to COPIES of the original instance. I mean: the fields areactually correclty compiled but the native reporting tool keeps only the result of the "original" instance.

I attach my component (which I'm particularly proud of, maybe naively...).

You can spot the issue, for example, if you change the size of the main component eg to 150x100cm. In this case I replicate the inner "Riser_strutt.quadrotta", and the copy is resized to 100x50. If you now enter the component you will see that the copy of the original instance has a "COMP_FIN" attribute changed to 50x100 (dimensions of the tile after the copy).
If I generate report using the "8_PRELIEVO" template, I get a quantity of 2 on the string of "quadrotta truciolare Riser", and the "comp_fin" field still reports "100x100".

Is there a way I can make this work? or is it impossible?
In this second case, my solution would be NOT to modify the copy of the original instance but instead include an invisible pre-set 100x50 component, appearing in the right places(s) when needed... Could this work?

THANKS A LOT IN ADVANCE!

pedana Riser struttura.skp

pcmoor

It has been reported that modified DC copies do not list in the writer, however still no fix, probably unlikely now LCs are the flavor, so we wait while they re-event the wheel instead of fixing thats broken or out of round...

https://forums.sketchup.com/t/generate-report-does-not-include-component-copies/80600 (2 years)

@unknownuser said:

n this second case, my solution would be NOT to modify the copy of the original instance but instead include an invisible pre-set 100x50 component, appearing in the right places(s) when needed... Could this work?

I believe this your best option, plus a 50x50

pibuz

Thanks a lot, as usual.
I ask you a personal opinion: do you think that the trimble team will dismiss the Dynamic Component system? I've writtena whole load of them.....

pcmoor

@unknownuser said:

I attach my component (which I'm particularly proud of, maybe naively...).

You should be proud, you have grasp the technical challenges of a relative difficult scripting language and now adding you own spin on it. This is what is going to help you adapt and improve whatever the future changes are.

It is clear that LCs is where the development is, hardwired and web savvy.
DCs will still be around for 5 years but likely, as before, no development'

@unknownuser said:

We intend to launch authoring tools for Live Components sometime next year. Being able to author Live Components is just the beginning though. Those apps/tools will expand over the next several years to offer new ways of modeling in conjunction with SketchUp.

Introducing a new kind of SketchUp object: Live Components

Today, we are extremely pleased to introduce a new type of configurable object for SketchUp: Live Components. Live Components are built on Materia, a new modeling platform that aims to deliver smart 3D content to Trimble…

SketchUp Community (forums.sketchup.com)

I understand they acquired the concept
https://forums.sketchup.com/t/introducing-a-new-kind-of-sketchup-object-live-components/139815/33

I would agree with Dan on the period ahead...

@unknownuser said:

The Dynamic Components extension has not had any new features for many many years, and will (most likely) not get any more. SketchUp team has said this before. There are too many extensions (some Trimble) that now rely upon the DCs to remain as they are.

It has also been like “pulling teeth” to get errors in the Dynamic Components extension fixed. I do hope (and politic) for all existing easily fixed errors in DC code to be fixed, before it is “retired” to an optional extension.

So, it is most likely [speculating] that the Dynamic Components extension would be “frozen” at some version, and thereafter remain as such in the Extension Warehouse as an optional extension. (Ie, it may no longer be distributed as a “default” extension with the SketchUp installer. But [speculating] this is not likely to happen for several major cycles until after Live Components is mature enough.)

LiveComponents vs. DynamicComponents

So far I do not see a big difference between Live Components (LCs) and Dynamic components (DC). DCs can react on a click event, so that when clicked on them, an action is performed on the component and they can be scaled…

SketchUp Community (forums.sketchup.com)

pibuz

Hi again! I've encontered a critical misfunction, I'm posting this in the hope someone can help me figure out how to dodge this.

In the file I attach there's a panel. If I copy the panel, select both copies and change the length, both component react correctly BUT the formulas contained in the last 3 top-level attribute rows are deleted, substituted by their value as fixed number.

What can cause this?

And secondary: is there a way to apply a certain DC configuration to another DC of the same "family"?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT
Found another user's post showing same issue. Seems to be related to the attribute state set to "User can see". Thanks!

auto-erasing formulas.zip

pcmoor

you could use the summary to display the data as the "component info" section is not affected.

I suggest you consider using some ruby scripts with your DCs to help with placement, multiple changes....

auto-erasing formulas.skp

pibuz

Hi all!
Sorry to ask for help again: I'm trying to figure out the simplest way to round a result of a formula to the closest upper value of a list with non constant intervals (e.g. 20,70,180,500)

Do you have any hints for me?

Thanks in advance as usual!

pcmoor

nearest
then test if input > nearest
if so find the next value

example 1: use a string of values and string functions to get the next

next largest.skp

pibuz

I was almost there thanks a lot Phil!

pibuz

Hi! is there a way to select all locked components? a plugin or a one-line snippet maybe?
Thanks in advance!

pibuz

Hi again! I have a new question for Phil

I have a formula which returns a text string which may contain LUCIDO, SEMILUCIDO or OPACO.

I want another attribute to substitute in that exact string the words LUCIDO, SEMILUCIDO or OPACO with GL100, GL60 or GL25 respectively. Is there a way to do that?

Thanks in advance!

pcmoor

Hi Filippo
can use nested SUBSTITUTE

order is important
example attached

SUBSTITUTE.skp

pibuz

So cool! Thanks a lot, I couldn't have made it by myself.

pibuz

Hi again! This is slightly OffTopic but it seems I can't find out a plugin I once saw.
Say we have a DC ("wall") in a model, then we copy it 2 more times and make 3 variations in total, which will be called "wall", "wall#1" and "wall#2". Say we later delete the wall#1 instance, so we have "wall" and "wall#2".

This plugin checks the numbered instances of "wall", and renames the "wall#2" instance to "wall#1" (since "wall#1" is available again after the deletion).

Con any of you guys recall what was the name of this plugin?

Thanks in advance!

pcmoor

Eneroth Decrease Component Number on extension warehouse

pibuz

Wonderful!!! THANKS Phil!

pibuz

Hi again! Happy new year!
I have the need to bulk export the thumbnails of the selected components, I fiddled around in the forums and I discovered this small but effective Ruby code:

mod = Sketchup.active_model # Open model
sel = mod.selection # Current selection
path = mod.path #current path
mypath= File.join(File.dirname(path),'/') #not the model name

sel.each do |sel| # you would have to select all components in the model
compname = sel.name # each component's definition name
thumbnailname = File.join(mypath, compname + '.jpg') # as jpg
sel.definition.save_thumbnail thumbnailname
end

The only issue is that this plugin doesn't work if i have the character "|" in the component instance name. Is there a way to allow the character in the "allowed" characters? Thanks in advance!