Bob, as we discussed last night, you can test the gluing properties of your components after you've changed them by inserting a new instance of the component in your model. Also, as I tried to tell you before our connection was cut, I don't think gluing is going to solve the "instability" issue you've been experiencing. That's not what SketchUp's gluing is for.

Gluing is used as an aid for positioning components on faces but it doesn't prevent them from being moved after they've been placed. For that you need to lock them or at least avoid them with the Move and/or Rotate tools.

As I told you last night when we were chatting, I would like to help you sort out what is happening in your drawing process that causes what you describe as instability. I'm convinced there's something fairly fundamental that can be fixed.

@bob-designer said:

I have reviewed all the imformation provided and fail to see anything that indicates how to change the "Glue to" condition from "none" and make it possible to select horizontal, vertical, any or sloped glue to condition.....

The components browser lets you change properties to 'Glue to' etc. This is for instances not yet in the model. Existing 'In Model' unglued instances will not change their current unglued situation. Not that useful to you, I guess.
Try both next plugins. I'm not sure if ThomThom's plugin does that job to components in the model, but if I'm not mistaken, TIG's plugin changes unglued instances in use. I don't have them installed.

ThomThom’s Component properties plugin:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35667

Tig’s Reglue plugin:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=39566

If you are applying flat components onto faces then you will get 'z-fighting'.
Give the component correctly oriented axes and gluing/cutting behavior - it them 'removes' the face behind it, even as you move the instance...
If you are applying it onto a face that is inside another component or group it cannot cut, so 'z-fighting' reappears.
An Image never 'z-fights' even when applied onto another face directly.
Depending on your object could a rectangular image be used inside the component definition ?

you're showing hidden geometry.. turn it off via View->Hidden Geometry (toggle)

As Rich says - provided the RBZ comes from a 'reliable' source [like SketchUcation, Smustard, Trimble etc] then you should be able to trust its 'integrity' and install it without worrying one iota.

All installed plugins RB/RBS files will have the ability to access files and folders on your computer, and even add/change/delete data - but that's just how plugins work !

SketchUp is covering its back with this message, which effective says, "Because you are adding this Plugin using our installer, please be aware that it will have the potential to do things to your computer..." - so it's then your informed choice... not theirs.

So unless your RBZ is from a 'suspect source' don't worry about it.
Downloading plugins from an Aryan-Race or Muslim-Brotherhood web-site is not recommended...
Just be sensible in what you do...

Indeed, I could write a simple .RBS plugin in a few minutes, that you could download and install manually [and therefore without the RBZ installer warnings], which will then do some legitimate task day-in day-out, but which also acts like a Trojan - deleting all of your plugin-files [and itself] [or even worse!] every Friday 13th! BUT of course I don't, and neither will any of the dedicated group of plugin-authors, who give much of there work to you freely or at least inexpensively...
We must trust in people's overwhelmingly good nature and honesty in such situations - we can't be paranoid [even when 'they' are out to get us 😉 ] - it is the way to a world I don't want to be part of...

Is there some specific NPR style you're trying to emulate? There are tutorials out there but your request is a bit vague.

@bob-designer said:

If I delete components of make changes to Outliner in .skp file "A", cause deletions or changes to Outliner in .skp file "B"?

No. It shouldn't. The Outliner is specific to the current or active SKP file and has nothing to do with other SKP files.

@bob-designer said:

If I delete components or make changes to the Component browser in .skp file "A", cause deletions and changes to the Component browser in .skp file "B"?

Thank you for your help, Bob

Again, no, it shouldn't. IF you are looking at and manipulating the In Model components library.

@sonder said:

I've used the Wacom Intuous 3 for years. Absolutely love it. I just bought the new Intuous 5 touch and love it even more. They work really well with SU.

I agree with you, Wacom graphics tablets are simply superb. I myself am a user of one and am very pleased. And when drawing illustrations, I use the service https://create.vista.com/colors/palettes/easter-color-palette/ to find the right color palettes, there are a huge number of them and are often useful. Enjoy.

Use a text editor and comment out the offending lines.

Try it on a copy first to see what's involved.

As Peter said, if what you are making are groups, you can edit one without affecting other copies no matter what the name is. You won't get an option for Make Unique if the thing you have selected is a group. That's a component thing only.

I just made a test file and had no problem changing the name of a copy of a nested group to something else. Are you trying to type the new name in Outliner or in Entity Info? You can't do it in Outliner so if that's where you are trying to do it, it's no wonder it doesn't work.

If that's not it, you'll have to provide more information. The SKP file, screenshots, something.

Hi Bob, hi folks.

To create a screen shot:

On a PC:

1 - Press the Print Screen button on the keyboard.

2 - Open the Paint program (an acessory that comes with Windows).

3 - Paste (CTRL-V).

4 - Save as jpgfile.

5 - Attach to a post here.

On a Mac, there is a free application that comes with the OS that is called Grab.

Once the picture is grabbed, it is automatically saved to your hard disk, ready to be uploaded as an attachment to a post here.

Just ideas.

Or here: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/36-intermediate/115-internal-external-components#external-components

(Indeed, "expand" the external component view to see the nested child components)

CAMERA STAND-1607.png

Is this what you're after? I did do it with Follow Me but I started with it scaled up by 100 instead of 10. Actually I redrew the knob to make it smoother. After running Follow Me you will wind up with a bunch of excess geometry. It's a bit like trying to fold a piece of wrapping paper flat on the top of a cylinder. Instead of folding those excess bits flat as you would in paper, you'll need to select the geometry and then run Intersect Faces. After that you just go around and delete the unwanted bits.
Knob.png
I had a little play with your knob.

CAMERA STAND-1607.skp

Hi Bob,

Your last post is really confusing, at least to me, after all the good replies plus a lot of extra's you got.
Back to the original:

@bob-designer said:

The component is named correctly in Outliner list. The problem is that it is named twice (repeated) on the same line, with the < > marks also repeated correctly. How do I correct this and how do I keep it from happening again?.....

The questions are clear.
a) You may at some point have copied the < > manually. It's hard to tell afterwards. Anyway, at least they shouldn't be on the same line.
The first <> is plain text, Could be %$#@<**) etc. The second <> indicates a component definition within it.
b) You can correct any text in name, definition and description later by just retyping at the correct location. For instance in the 'Entity Info' dialog. Or in the components browser when editing the properties.
c) You can keep this from happening again by filling in proper text at in the right fields at the time of creating the components (and groups).

Confusion starts by SU itself. SU does NOT show the right field text in the 'Create Component' dialog box. Here 'Name' should be read as 'Definition Name'. But even this has been said before, I think by Gaieus.
I hope one day the programmers will correct this.

@irwanwr said:

that is what those links Dave provided are all about, isn't it?

Yes but I thought it would be helpful to flag the use of the component browser capability also.

Bob, as I wrote in my previous post, the plugin appears in the context menu. It'll only be there if you right click on a component.

It looks to be just that everything is a bit too small. SU has problems creating small or really big faces. I scaled it all up by a factor of 10 and it works fine, you can scale down afterwards and the faces will remain.

Corners.JPG

I have used the "Save As" command many times in the past, without problems. I have made about 15 incremental copies of File-1, in order to make design changes to the model; that way I can fall back to the saved copy, if needed. The only difference with File-2, is that I "moved" the groups back to layer0. I did this to purge and clean up the model before starting the rendering process. I have not started the purge and file cleaning process, however, I did explode the whole model once it was on layer0. I have a problem with posting the 3d design model file; because the model is a house design that will be for sale. Intellectural property (copyright)thing. If there is a way of posting my designs on the forum without losing my rights to the design; I would love to share then with the members. TIA, Bob