Replacing components

sketchymick

Hi sketchers,

OK, sorry for all the questions, and heaps of thanks to those who have helped me with my almost daily queries. I hope you get as much out of this forum as I do.

For today's question.... I'm thinking about how to set up my next model. It's visualising an engineering structure (a fishway for a dam) which will have a series of repeated (say 30) elements (fishway cells) that I plan to draw up as components. There are a number of available options for the design of the fishway cells, and I would like to be able to show these components as scenes for option a) option b) etc. (say 5 options in total). All the components would have the same footprint (say a 3x3m rectangle).

I know I could have different components overlaying each other and use layers to turn them on and off, but there is a possibility that the spacing or arrangement of the components would need to be modified, so I don't want to be adjusting position, etc for 5 different sets of components.

How would you guys manage this problem?

For instance, is it possible to replace all instances of 1 component with another? then replace with another, and another as required? Will the replacement components take on the position/orientation/scaling etc. of the originals?

thanks

Mick

pilou

Take a look at this crazzy Plug : Random replacement of components by Sdmitch

If you don't take differents "start components" that can resolve some of your problems!

gilles

Go to window/component.
In component window, right-click the component to change choose select copies
In component window, right-click the component you want choose replace selected.

For the position adjust components axis to fit.

Dave R

One thing you'll want to do to make exchanging the components as easy as possible is set their origins in the same relative position. For example if you want to place them by their centers, you should place the origin there. See this for more on this process. I do this on a smaller scale for things like door/drawer pulls and even cabinet doors of different styles.

sketchymick

Gilles thanks heaps - I knew they'd be a way !

and Dave R thanks for pointing out the subtleties that are needed to make it work.

@ Pilou - this is definitely a trippy plugin, I couldn't get it to do what I needed, but I got some interesting results with randomising the components.

Regards

Mick