Aligning two objects/components to each other
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Two objects/components that do not share any axis in common. How to fix that? How to reset them both to occupy the same xyz. Anchoring one point and then using the rotate tool does not work for me in most instances. If you can show me how you used this method on the attachments below I'd be grateful.
I'm just going to start fresh here and hope for the best.
Here is a very simple example.
In this particular case it seems complicated by the object being out of alignment with its wireframe. Don't know how that happens. But it throws a wrench into a few of the instructions presented in past posts here on the topic. No matter what I do, explode it, regroup it, single/double/triple click it... I cannot get the context menu to display any "align" options. So to begin with, how to correct this if it's even necessary.
But even with a fresh slate, so to speak, when I have two very simple objects that eventually get out of line I'm yet unable to realign them anyway.I have tried half a dozen plugins to no avail. I've followed at least a dozen videos online but none seem to address what I'm talking about... astonishingly, since I'd have sworn that this was a need most users would run into on a daily basis.
There are two .skp files below.
Would someone please reorient the single speaker component in the attachment so that it correctly occupies a flat plane as if sitting on a tabletop with the cone upward (blue axis pointing up out of the center of the cone). Please explain step by step how you did this. If it is not a simple procedure I will probably just gloss over it and go on to the next post. I'm looking for something intuitive, quick, and error free. Grabbing at corners and rotating is fraught with all but invisible micro errors that tend to crop up and bite you much later on in the drawing.With the second attached image, please place the speaker flat on the nearest face of the rectangular box. Please describe how you did it.
Anyone who participated in my older posts I hope you will allow me a fresh start here. I apologize if I was unable to follow a couple of your suggestions. I followed to the letter and came up empty each time. If you'd care to reiterate more clearly, bearing in mind this is the newbie section, I'd be happy to try again. I did not ignore any earlier suggestions, I just couldn't get anywhere with them.
If you do know of plugins appropriate for this, PLEASE tell me the names. I've searched and installed half a dozen of them.
Thanks so much.
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I made a component that will position to any surface.
It now will position on any surface
look here
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79%26amp;t=53225
http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/41609/component-insertion
http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/41850/exchanging-components
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Thank you very much for that Tech Dave 2.
I'm wondering if after all I should enroll in some CC course in CAD to get a few basics down. I literally cannot follow the recommendations here because so many rudiments are presupposed in the posts. Very often directions begin half a dozen steps into the user interface files with the assumption that the poster knows at least this much about his question. I often do not so I have to leave the thread midway and head off to google or sketchup help files. Often I still cannot find those rudiments. That's been a steady refrain of mine here.
In one of the links you sent Gaieus starts out explaining
@unknownuser said:
Here is where you find the edit component options on a PC after you go to the In model library and select one of the components:
This is supposed to bring up one of the screens you've shown. I tried every angle to determine what he was describing. I never was able to navigate to such a panel. I haven't the foggiest idea how you were able to rotate that speaker in line with the plane of one side of the rectanglular box. And I read your other woodworking posts as well. But finding those submenu panels, either by toolbar, top menu, or context menu, just escaped me.
This is near the point in other threads where others get frustrated with my obtuseness, irritation, and inability to follow instructions. But I've really promised myself to keep calm.
I really do enjoy playing and working with sketchup. I've been doing so on and off, I guess like others might play a video game for entertainment for over six years now. I like to draw semi complex models before attempting them, much the same as the woodworking community does. I've build a number of home theater speakers, installed my furnace, added a large gazebo, redesigned the garage, and dozens of other small things.
I genuinely do not believe that I lack the capacity for this. I lack a bit of patience at times. But this matter of trying to align two objects on the same screen/file seems like a mind bending oversight in Sketchup. Six users should not be speaking at often cross purposes to describe their 'favorite', and generally needlessly complex, method of doing this simple simple simple and common common common task. It ought to be a tool icon in the large tool set whereby one just joins two objects at desired point and then clicks/moves four more times to establish points adjoined in the remaining axes. The fourth click would simply join both components exactly where you wish, perfectly aligned, without a lot of fudging.
Hopefully I will find the panels/gui you're describing and go from there.
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Seems align tool by Didier Bur makes that you want ?
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There are plugins for aligning things but unless you understand how the orientation of geometry works the plugins will probably only confuse you more.
This little video shows you how to align the axis of components so they work within the global axis of the model. It also shows you where the edit box is that you mention above.
You haven't told us in your profile either your operating system or SU version. This is SU2013 on windows. If you have an earlier version the icons will look slightly different, and if you have mac it will be slightly different too.
[screenr:2ulqozai]TCIH[/screenr:2ulqozai] -
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Here is one of the simplest alignment tools. Two clicks and the faces or edges you choose join together. You still need to use groups or components to to make whole piece align as it will just move faces or edges individually.
In the very short vid you will see me group your woofer, then align the base of the magnet to the box face, then change that to align the frame of the speaker.
You'll find this plugin called s4u_AlignTool by clicking this link http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323%26amp;t=53715, or downloadable directly within sketchup via the sketchucation store plugin.
[screenr:3jj0w124]KcIH[/screenr:3jj0w124]
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