Component Placement

anglosaxon

Hi All,
As a recent newbie to Sketchup 8 I have just created a new window component. My problem is that when I apply the component to a 250mm thick wall I need it to be set in 90mm from the face of the wall, not flush with wall. I know I can pull the wall out and that works but surely there must be an easier way to set the window back. Hope someone can help. Thanks in advance.

John

TIG

A 'gluing' window-component sticks onto a face at its origin, with the component-definition's z-axis [blue] perpendicular to the face [i.e. it matches the face.normal].
If it also 'cuts' then any loop of edges on the face.plane will form a 'hole'.
So edit the window component.
Select and Move all of its geometry down in its z-axis [blue] 90mm and then reselect just the edges you want to form the cutting loop[s] and use Move+Ctrl to copy them up 90mm in the z-axis [blue].
This will now cut a hole in the face on which it is glued, and the main window geometry will be inset 90mm...
You have probably spotted one issue... the 'reveals' of the wall's opening are missing.
You can create those inside the window-component by drawing in the faces from the window frame to the cutting loop's edges.
The final thing is to decide what materials to apply.
I suggest you make 'Window-Frame' and 'Window-Glass' and leave the reveals in the default material.
Then you can paint the window-components with the walls' materials so the reveals match the main wall.
Change the 'Window-Frame' color as desired so all windows change en mass...
Alternatively, if you want different colored windows you can use 'Make Unique' on some so you can edit the material for just those instances, or you can leave the frame's faces in the default material and apply a 'Wall' material to the reveals - then you can paint various instances of the same definition in whatever colors you want... How you do this depends on the number of frame materials and the number of wall materials you expect to use...

Gaieus

Incidentally, I have made two tutorials on components (windows) gluing to faces and cutting holes.
A "simple" one: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/37-beginner/317-window-cut-oopening-on-face
and a "more advanced" one: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/36-intermediate/321-window-cut-hole-thick-wall

What TIG says: it's up to the component, more exactly its axes and origin whether it glues and cuts a hole properly. It should be an easy thing to modify your component to glue properly.

You could also attach the component so that we can have a look.