Creating and Inserting custom components???

randallwise

I've created a door/window component for a commercial building but two things happen when I try to insert to a wall; 1) component lies flat on the x plain instead of vertical (see other window components in the Arch category). and 2) it doesn't cut the wall plane.

How can I have my component show in the component window vertically, attach to the wall vertically, and then cut the surface?

I have Glue to Any Plane (and tried Vert) and Cut Openings selected...

Thanks

RSW

P: randallwise

Gaieus

RSW,

You don't only need to check "cut opening" and "glue to any" but within the component also need to define that gluing plane on one hand and either delete the face or make it transparent (like a window).

That is, your component (most probably) has its gluing plane improperly set and though you set it to cut the face (and it most probably does), the face of the component replaces the cut face on the wall.

To see how the gluing plane is defined, right click on the component and choose "change axes". It will show the red and blue axes plus a blue X sign. You need to change these so that the red and green axes define the plane to glue and cut the hole.

I know firts it does not seem easy so (to begin with) try this:

make a wall face
draw a rectangle onto this face
select the rectangle (double click somewhere inside)
create the component with the "glue to..." and "cut opening..." parametres (make sure to check the "replace selection..." box)
edit the component and either delete the inside face (be careful not to delete its edges) or make it transparent
now see how it works.

This way (creating it on an already existing face) you can make sure that the gluing / cutting plane is set correctly. I actually try to tend to create my (such) components this way to make it faster and safer. Sometimes I'm too lazy to do so (setting up a wall-face) though...

randallwise

Thanks for the quick response. I didn't build it on a wall to begin with, that could be a problem. Now, if I want this component to show in the Component library, how do I get it to display vertically (right now it just shows the bottom of the window).

RSW

P: randallwise

Gaieus

I guess you mean the thumbnail of it...
Well, the thumbnail is created by the actual view within the model (what you see). So when you create the component, try to have a view that is the most characteristic of it.
In this case (as you already have the component), you can

either explode it and then make a new one of it
or (more convenient) orbit to a good view, right click and choose "make unique". This then would make a copy of it in the component library with an additional #1 renaming.
elete the original and rename this.

(I haven't checked this latter way - just guesed - so try it I'm not sure it works... )

randallwise

'Make Unique' isn't an option available.

Another question, how can I resize a rectangle? I used the resize w/ the tape measure tool, but what I need is to resize my door frame. It's 12'2 x 13' and I drew along the wrong sides.

Does that make sense?

RSW

P: randallwise

Gaieus

Yes it is - it's just greyed out. I forgot to add that you need to have at least two instances of the same component in a model to make one of them unique
Sorry about that!

As for resizing some parts of a component, don't use the scale tool or the tape measure because they resize everything.

Enter the component's context (edit: double click) then slect whatever you want to "stretch" somewhere (only that geometry) and use the move tool to make distances between certain elements smaller or larger.

To understand what I mean by this, practise a little bit first like this:

draw a box (rectangle tool... Push/Pull up etc...)
now there are two ways to enlarge it vertically (besides the scale tool):
2/a) use the P/P tool again (but this won't work with a door frame)
2/b) select the top face, click on it with the move tool (but before moving) hit the top arrow key (to lock the move on the z (blue - vertical) axis and start moving.

Use the same method but carefully select all the horizontal top edges of yopur door frame when moving up - or the vertical edges when moving bak/forth - left/right (the left arrow key lock in the green while the right arrow key locks in the red direction when moving).

Now I have a beer before clicking to see some more new posts;
cheers!

randallwise

Thanks

Placing the component on an already built wall made all the difference. Why, though, do some of my compononents have two sides completed and others do not? Is there something I'm doing incorrectly?

RSW

P: randallwise

Gaieus

@randallwise said:

...Why, though, do some of my compononents have two sides completed and others do not? Is there something I'm doing incorrectly?

RSW

I don't know without seeing your components.

My components usually have several sides (why just one or two?)