How to do copy all nested components

xtov · 2 Apr 2021, 10:18

I have a Component#1 containing a nested Component#2.
I would like to select all Component#2 and copy them outside.
How can you do that ?
The only way i figured is to copy all Component#1 in place, open them and delete all geometry except Component#2... weird because this only a test case. In real project my components are nested very deeper...

[attachment=0:2mtafjcm]Clipboard01.jpg[/attachment:2mtafjcm]

regards,
xtov

TIG · 2 Apr 2021, 12:11

Edit Component#1
Select all of the instances of Component#2***
Edit>Copy
Exit the edit-model back into the model [or go into another edit-context if desired]
Edit>Past-in-Place
The instances are replicated outside of Component#1

If you prefer Edit>Paste will initially attached the copied-selection onto you cursor to manually snap it where you want...

***Selecting the instances of Component#2 can be done in several ways...
Manually picking each one is unlikely to be the best...
One simple way is while you are editing Component#1 open the Component Browser's model-tab and hover over the entry for Component#2, right-click context-menu > Select all instances. All instances in the current context are now highlighted - if there are other instances in other contexts they will not be selected...

To move the instances into another context use Edit>Cut, instead... pasting into the other context...

cotty · 2 Apr 2021, 12:18

This is kind of the other way around... you can paste a component to other components OUTSIDE the component...

https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=53304

xtov · 2 Apr 2021, 13:31

Thank you Tig and Cotty for your fast answers.

Tig, the problem is exactly that I can not select all instances. If B is nested in A, when I open A and select B, it highlights all B components but only one is really selected. Same in the outliner, all B components are higlighted but only one is selected and I can not CTRL+click another one to add to the selection

Cotty, i will investigate Curic plugin but i think is doing the opposite as my request (it adds a component in a component).

regards,
xtov

TIG · 2 Apr 2021, 13:48

Select all of the nested component#1 instances - by fence, or using the Component Browser trick...
Move + Ctrl and copy then all a set distance away.
While they are still highlighted right-click > context-menu > Make Unique - they are now not linked to component#1 - named component#NNN [incremented to suit]
Now edit one of its instances and delete everything but component#2.
All instances of component#NNN will now contain just component#2
Next select all of the instances of component#NNN using the Component Browser trick...
Right-click > context-menu > Explode - the instances of component#2 are now relocated into the expected context.
They are highlighted so you can move them etc as desired...

If you want to actually 'move' component#2 outside of component#1 then move it's still selected instances back in place, snapping over component#1, next edit an instance of component#1 and delete component#2 within it - it should all vanish from that context...

To tidy up Purge unused components - or simply delete component#NNN in the Component Browser as it's no longer used...

xtov · 2 Apr 2021, 14:11

Yes, it works! Great. But it is quite complicated.
And with deeper nested components you will need to explode root component multiples times...
I guess there is no easy solution, even with code.

Thank you very much anyway.

Regards,
Xtov

@tig said:

Select all of the nested component#1 instances - by fence, or using the Component Browser trick...
Move + Ctrl and copy then all a set distance away.
While they are still highlighted right-click > context-menu > Make Unique - they are now not linked to component#1 - named component#NNN [incremented to suit]
Now edit one of its instances and delete everything but component#2.
All instances of component#NNN will now contain just component#2
Next select all of the instances of component#NNN using the Component Browser trick...
Right-click > context-menu > Explode - the instances of component#2 are now relocated into the expected context.
They are highlighted so you can move them etc as desired...

If you want to actually 'move' component#2 outside of component#1 then move it's still selected instances back in place, snapping over component#1, next edit an instance of component#1 and delete component#2 within it - it should all vanish from that context...

To tidy up Purge unused components - or simply delete component#NNN in the Component Browser as it's no longer used...

rv1974 · 2 Apr 2021, 14:31

I have an old free and super useful plugin made by Jim (based on my private request, he never published it I guess it wasn't too important for him). It does what you need with 2 clicks BUT I'm not sure I can share publicly.

xtov · 2 Apr 2021, 14:44

Thank you rv1974
If you are able to ask him if it can be published (even as is, as a snippet code) this would be great. It could help me and all the community

regards,
Xtov

@rv1974 said:

I have an old free and super useful plugin made by Jim (based on my private request, he never published it I guess it wasn't too important for him). It does what you need with 2 clicks BUT I'm not sure I can share publicly.

rv1974 · 2 Apr 2021, 16:07

He left SU plugins scene and deleted all his plugins from web. This clearly demonstrate s his attitude. But if you'd get his OK I'd gladly post it here

xtov · 2 Apr 2021, 17:18

Yes, i searched and can see that he has left and removed all his plugins. Maybe he has other plans or turned the page... I will not bother him with that.
Thank you for your time.
I will try to code it myself (good training) or maybe other SU guru's will take a look at it.

regards,
xtove

@rv1974 said:

He left SU plugins scene and deleted all his plugins from web. This clearly demonstrate s his attitude. But if you'd get his OK I'd gladly post it here

rv1974 · 2 Apr 2021, 17:44

basically the first part of his plugin saves the selected component in the separate skp file right next to the file you are currently in. PLUS it creates text file with coordinates of all its instances. In the second stage you just select this newly created skp file and the script would put (context free!) the component instances based on coordinates listed in txt file. If you could unify 2 stages in a singe operation it'd improve things even further.

xtov · 3 Apr 2021, 08:21

Ah, interesting! I would rather have tried TIG's workflow but i can see tricky traps: exploding components anywhere could merge lonely geometry (yes, that's bad but it happens), cleaning all unique components afterwards can be akward too...
But creating a side SKP file can also be weird...( especially when working on networked shares or Onedrive directories... Windows related problems almost impossible to solve)...

Xtov

@rv1974 said:

basically the first part of his plugin saves the selected component in the separate skp file right next to the file you are currently in. PLUS it creates text file with coordinates of all its instances. In the second stage you just select this newly created skp file and the script would put (context free!) the component instances based on coordinates listed in txt file. If you could unify 2 stages in a singe operation it'd improve things even further.

rv1974 · 3 Apr 2021, 13:48

Maybe my description is too complicated, but It's rather simple idea under the hood, hence it never failed. I use it on constantly.
PS Check PM