Hi mgfranz!

You might like to take a look at a tutorial by Justin Geis which shows you how to create an exploded view animation using Animator. Around about the 5:30 mark, Justin shows you how to reverse the explosion so that might give you some idea of how to achieve the effect you want.

The tutorial can be found at:

Let us know how you get on.

NF

Hi jgb,

Thanks for your reply to my previous post.

On 16 August 2017 you said that you were doing a step-by-step self tutorial based on the words and videos at the top of this thread and that you would document your steps for potentially a detailed written tutorial.

I'm considering doing something similar myself - to help me learn more about how to use Animator - and wonder if you are still intending to publish a written tutorial?

Before getting started I downloaded and installed the Animator plugin from https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=Animator and the LibFredo6 shared plugin library from https://sketchucation.com/plugin/903-libfredo6.

Starting with 'Animator Beta - Tutorial 1 - Preparing a Model' and fredo6's advice, here are the steps I've followed so far:

(1) download Burkhard Heimlich's original model from https://sketchucation.com/forums/download/file.php?id=139360

(2) download fredo6's model with animation from https://sketchucation.com/forums/download/file.php?id=139359

(3) copy and rebuild Burkhard's model - i.e. grouping objects (components and groups); naming objects; and assigning objects to layers

(4) reduce the scale of my rebuilt model by a factor of 0.4 and upload it to 3D Warehouse at https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/329bb204-84c8-421e-a77c-fe863782d9e1/Forklift-Truck

(5) save the original position of the model.

The next thing I'm going to do is copy and rescale the pallet, boxes and "tarmac" from fredo6's model and then I shall move on to 'Animator Beta - Tutorial 2 - Creating a First Animation'.

I should appreciate any comments and advice on this procedure.

NF

Hi Everyone!

As Fredo hasn't created a playlist of his Animator videos on YouTube, I've taken the liberty of creating one. You can find it at:

I hope it proves useful.

NF

Thank you for this very useful plugin.