More queries about my imported 3ds furnitures

syburn

Hi,

I have imported my 3ds component models messed around getting the orientation and scale correct and filling in the component name etc. A few things I cant solve.

When I save as the component into my componet folder i created, it saves as a skp file but when i oven the file its no longer a component. all the vertices etc are seperate.

When I view the component little picture in the component tab to the right hand side, sometime the picture is back to front, even after I have realighned the axis.

I would include the file but its 38mb as it comprises of 6 furnitures that are heavy!

Simon

Dave R

A saved component is just a SketchUp file. If you open the component's SKP file directly, it won't be a component. If you only want to handle it as a component, only bring it into a model space from the component's browser or import it with File>Import.

If when you drag the component in from the components browser it comes in with the wrong orientation, you didn't set the component's axes correctly in the first place. The component will come into the model space with its axes aligned to the model axes.

syburn

How to save a model as a component that goes into its own file. So I can build up a library of furniture components.

Hieru

@syburn said:

How to save a model as a component that goes into its own file. So I can build up a library of furniture components.

Unless I'm missing something, it's Right Click > Save As...

That's how I save all my components when working within a project.

JQL

You can use component browser too by clicking on the top right black and white arrow/list icon, you open a second browser.

You can create a new Component Library and even make it your favorite;
You can have one browser that is listing the model's components;
On the other browser you can open the library, and then drag and drop from one to the other.

Dave R

You can use either method described by David and JQL.

Before you save the component to your library, make the sure the component origin is located in a logical spot for insertion and the axes are aligned as you need them. As I said before, the origin and axes affect the way the component gets inserted when you bring it in from the library.

syburn

Save as - great!
Axis, check!

How to get a getter picture of my component in the little thumb nail viewer. Sometimes it gives my a crap view I never asked for.
Also Is there a place to reset / overide the old component names cos i very sick of the compnents having names that I did not set.
Also Why is by "unknown" always unknown. I would change it to me or the company I got the model from if i knew how.
Why sometimes do I get files saves as .tmp
If I have 2 identical components but on explorer they are very different model MB size, how to check why?

Cheers - its a lot of questions but i tend to have lots of questions so that i can make sure im doing things right.

syburn

When you get this message below, how to make sure you retain the scale of the model that you have worked very hard to achieve, because the imported model came in a massive scale that was wrong in sketchup?

"The selected component has a non-default scale. Would you like to save the compoenent usung this scale."

Dave R

Fix the scale before saving it. You want to use it at its correct size, don't you?

JQL

Mirroring is also viewed by Sketchup as Scaling. (i.e. you mirror by scaling a direction and hitting -1)

Any flipped along component is also scaled.

Those components are at the right scale but inverted in a given axis.

Think of that dialog as if Sketchup is asking if you want to export the component exactly as you see it or as the original component definition was created.

The original component has the default scale. The instance you are saving as, has the non default scale.

syburn

Hi,

I cant seem to get the correct name to appear on my components area. Sometimes they show a skp-name which I have not asked for, sometimes they show the name I have given. But Actually all the components I have changed the name.
Also how to change by Unknown to that I want it to say?

Thanks

screen shot