Auto rotate / align when copy
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hi, im working with an already created roller coaster track but am wanting to add extra details, these details are some track connecting nuts, which i can model on 1 cross tie but there are a lot that need the same detail adding... the way im sure a lot of people will think to have done it would be use components but the track was created by a different program and has already been worked with so there are no longer component able parts to it... the other way which is what i want to avoid doing due to how long it will take is just copy the whole tie and then rotate around 1 connected point 3 times (each axis) then delet the tie itself so just the nuts are left, but this would be very time consuming and id like to hope there is an easier way to do this?
this image shows 2 of what i want to do alonge the whole track...
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Why not make the collection of bolts/nuts a nested component with gluing properties so it'll glue to the faces. Place the component's origin at a location that makes it easy to place on the face.
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thanks for the tip, i tried the component with glue but couldnt seem to get it to rotate the right way when placing it again, also it wouldnt let me place the group when trying to connect to an edge of the tracks group... the idea was there but i guess i didnt get it to work right
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With the right setup and insertion point, you should be able to make it work. I expect it'll depend upon the existing model which may have issues considering how the track model was built. We really haven't got much useful information to go on though with your one image as a reference.
It might be worth studying up on how to properly set up gluing properties for components.
You might also find in the future that you could save yourself a lot of work by making track components and using them. When you have to go back and add details, a little planning up front can save you a lot of problems later.
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ok thats fair enough, i didnt really supply enough information to really get much help... so... the track is made using 2 other programs that dont have the option to create advanced model details like the nuts that i am applying... the track comes as can be seen in the pics, just without anything on it... what i want to do is apply one of these
to one of these
but the only way i can do it, which is very time consuming is attatch at 1 corner like this
then rotate it many times around that point so it lines up and looks like this
so i tried the glue component feature but im assuming im not getting how to set up the axis and stuff... i dont know if it is due to the fact every track piece is rotating, and has no direct axis point to which i want to connect it to or i dont know.... i get how the feature works when placing windows on walls (vid tutorial i found) but thats when all faces are orientated the same way... i dont understand how to set it so the faces always line up with each other as its rotating and changing angles and stuff...
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iv sorted it all now either way... just did it the manual way... although id rather not do it all over again, is there a way to make a script or something that allows me to export from sketchup into a specific file for a different program?
the program i want to convert a sketchup file into is called objectcreator which is for No Limits coaster... it creates files *.ocobject which can be used in the program that was made to convert no limits tracks into 3DS... is there some way to make a convertor or i dont know....
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Just a suggestion, instead of doing the "rotate it many times around that point" manual way.
Try D,burs Align plugin:DBUR_Align_v1.0.1_5.rbz it's a lot faster.
Find at extension warehouse here:
http://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/alignI used it to make this sample:
Just had to right click on the bolt plate and select Align component/group and align the red &green axis on the part you want the bolts on and it would copy and rotate it into place.
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