What's the Future of Dynamic Components?
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Hi All,
As pcmoor confirmed to me in another thread, a number of users have noted that DCs on 3D Warehouse are being emptied of all attributes. The effort seems to be somewhat extensive but not comprehensive.
I am new to DCs (and SketchUp for that matter) so I visited the help pages at help.sketchup.com. Many of the DCs 'emptied' have been from there; such as the DCs linked from Dynamic Components Function Examples. However, Chris Fullmer among others, have been kind enough to send me links to DC examples too; many not authored by SketchUp. However, most of the ones I visited were likewise empty.
My DC exercises (Vertical Blinds and DC Desk), rudimentary as the are, still worked at last check.
Now please don't view this query in the light of some '40s Hollywood starlet, back of the hand to the forehead in a feigned near swoon whilst she cries, "Whatever can this mean? I know we are on the verge of an upgrade. So I wonder if there is a connection. I also wonder if there is a future for DCs in SketchUp or if the DCs on the Warehouse will be updated with new attributes or capabilities. In short, I wonder if I should continue to investigate DCs in their current incarnation or wait for the upgrade to continue?
Anyone have any news or thoughts they can share?
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Interesting that no one else has replied but I will give you my take:
IMHO the future is not necessarily in DC's themselves but rather is in the ability to share your 3D models in an online environment that allows you to do both "walk thru" and object/component animations (i.e. movies, WebGL or one of the 3D viewers - see next paragraph). The drawback that I see (I honestly have not developed one) is that you must be in an environment that allows you to trigger the animation of the object.
I can animate the component like is done with a DC using plugins like SketchyPhysics, Keyframe Animation and SU Animate and then export to a movie. There are also plugins like CL3VER and Spread3D which also give you some of those capabilities. The key to all of these tools is that "I do not have to get me hands dirty coding".
I think the real future for this industry is the ability to view models in an interactive 3D environment. As I said above some of this already exists but I am looking forward to the day when I can build a model that has animated components, provides the ability to "walk thru" the model and stop the "walk thru" and "look around" yet at the same time interact with items in the model (something like your DCs). Again, IMHO, I think we will see these type of tools take over in the next 2 to 3 years. Oh, and without the need to do any "scripting/coding".
It will be interesting to see if any others respond
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@ntxdave said:
Interesting that no one else has replied but I will give you my take:
IMHO the future is not necessarily in DC's themselves but rather is in the ability to share your 3D models in an online environment that allows you to do both "walk thru" and object/component animations (i.e. movies, WebGL or one of the 3D viewers - see next paragraph). The drawback that I see (I honestly have not developed one) is that you must be in an environment that allows you to trigger the animation of the object.
I can animate the component like is done with a DC using plugins like SketchyPhysics, Keyframe Animation and SU Animate and then export to a movie. There are also plugins like CL3VER and Spread3D which also give you some of those capabilities. The key to all of these tools is that "I do not have to get me hands dirty coding".
I think the real future for this industry is the ability to view models in an interactive 3D environment. As I said above some of this already exists but I am looking forward to the day when I can build a model that has animated components, provides the ability to "walk thru" the model and stop the "walk thru" and "look around" yet at the same time interact with items in the model (something like your DCs). Again, IMHO, I think we will see these type of tools take over in the next 2 to 3 years. Oh, and without the need to do any "scripting/coding".
It will be interesting to see if any others respond
Hi ntxdave,
Thanks for the perspective. Short answer, I agree. For DCs to become more than just a novelty that can be moved, morphed or animated, they need some of their limitation to be addressed. They need some added functionality and flexibility.
From the Sketchup user's perspective (that is the person(s) actually creating the models), I think that there is a place for DCs in that area between needing a full blown SketchUp extension to create components and having to draw one from scratch. I think if DCs capabilities were expanded a little, they could fill that niche admirably.
Finding the right component drawing on the 3D Warehouse is difficult. Have you ever tried to find a single piece of hardware, like the correct bolt or screw? This is critical for 3D printing applications, but it's a crap shoot at best. Having to do the research and reproduce a component to spec from scratch is a pain. If DCs were tweaked a little, they could be made to produce the desired results. Imagine a single DC named 'Bolts' instead of hundreds of individual models that are named and categorized in a completely haphazard fashion. See what I'm getting at?
I had envisioned a DC that through user input or web sourced table data, could replicate any bolt, standard or custom, in as many materials, copies and styles as the designer might require. Of the standard threaded bolt, there is a head of varying type (hex, Allen, knurled, slotted, Phillip's, countersunk, etc.), a shoulder of varying type (shaped, round, tined, etc), sometimes a taper between the shoulder and the shaft, a shaft of varying type (threaded [left and right twist, of varying type and pitch], shaped or cylindrical [no threads = a pin], tapered or straight, drilled or not); each portion with specific geometry (I haven't even touched on hardness and the accompanying markings). While that might sound like a lot, they could be represented by as little as four or five basic shapes. Selections could be standardized. Pick one as modify it accordingly. Custom components made from drop-down selections or user input.
I had also played with the idea of the DC creating two types of static swappable components; a low poly placeholder and a detailed, printer or render ready version.
I can't see how this could do anything but help accommodate your vision of the future, the organization of the 3D Warehouse and SketchUp modelers in general. But please keep in mind that I am a noob and don't really understand what would have to happen 'under-the-hood' to make these changes to DCs a reality. It too is just a vision.
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My current DC exercise involves using three sliders to produce a concatenated RGB color number from three X axis values. I am using the scale tool because it triggers the custom attributes to load and process values (after a fashion) based on the X axis of the component I scale.
The problem is that the scale tool doesn't fire the onClick attribute so I can't get the SET() function to apply the color number to the Material attribute of the target group or component. SET() only works in onClick as far as I can tell.
The alternatives are 1) 'clicking' each slider n times to get to the desired color number (up to 765 clicks!) OR 2) resort to a drop-down box, which defeats the purpose of using sliders or dials in the first place.
I want to be able to replicate 'controls' (sliders and knobs) that dynamically control something with a degree of precision. If there is an acceptable work-around, I haven't found it yet.
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@phillip h said:
..."Whatever can this mean?...
Anyone have any news or thoughts they can share?I believe that there was a 'bit of a cockup' updating the preview images for older 3dWareHouse models...
a number of models where converted to kmz format in error and lost all their unique skp properties...
this included simple things like 'smooth edges' , 'double sided faces' and DC 'attributes'...
the updating was halted and 'fix' has been tested and a re-render/repair is expected soon...
so, keep on playing...
have a look into controlling DC's with Ruby via tool observers, there may be some milage in that approach...
have fun
john
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@driven said:
@phillip h said:
..."Whatever can this mean?...
Anyone have any news or thoughts they can share?I believe that there was a 'bit of a cockup' updating the preview images for older 3dWareHouse models...
a number of models where converted to kmz format in error and lost all their unique skp properties...
this included simple things like 'smooth edges' , 'double sided faces' and DC 'attributes'...
the updating was halted and 'fix' has been tested and a re-render/repair is expected soon...
so, keep on playing...
have a look into controlling DC's with Ruby via tool observers, there may be some milage in that approach...
have fun
john
Whoo hoo! Thanks for the update John! And thanks for the suggestion! Hope springs...
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