@tig said: This alternative one-liner will process all selected component-instances, making those instances take the material of the first face found within the component's definition. ms=[];mod=Sketchup.active_model;mod.selection.grep(Sketchup;;ComponentInstance).each{|i|d=i.definition;d.entities.grep(Sketchup;;Face).each{|f|ms<<f.material};m=ms.compact[0];i.material=m}; To make a menu item of such simple commands you can try the following. It's not difficult - just take care... Use a plain-text editor, like Notepad++ [or TextWrangler on a MAC], and add a new file into your Plugins folder*** named say 'MyOneLiners.rb' - ensure that its encoding is set to UTF-8. Add this line to the very start of the file to be on the safe side: # encoding: UTF-8 Then add the following line for each 'one-liner'... UI.menu("Plugins").add_item("TITLE"){CODE} Substituting your desired 'name' for your command in place of TITLE [keeping the paired ""], and also copy and paste the full code into where it says CODE [leaving the pair of enclosing {} ] Do a new line for each command you want. Save the RB file, and restart SketchUp to see your new command[s] listed under the SketchUp Extensions menu [previously called Plugins]... ***To open your Plugins folder [which is hidden by default] just copy+paste+enter this one-liner into the Ruby Console: UI.openURL("file;///#{Sketchup.find_support_file('Plugins')}") You could even add that command to your menu items, as say "OpenMyPluginsFolder" ! Work fine thanks for the help !!

Since this is really off the topic of the original post, I split it out and moved it to the Newbie forum. So take a look at this from the help files. @unknownuser said: but then i stil need to make differt layers and turn them off to make a scene from a component that is inside or between oder components. or am i wrong Not entirely wrong. You can make layers for each component if you wish. Depending upon the model, you may not need to make one for every component. You might create a layer for each type of part in the model. If it is a piece of furniture such as a table, you might make one layer for legs, another for the top, a third for the skirting boards and so on. @unknownuser said: i tough when ther wil be a plugin that can make it work that you can open a component whit the view mode hide rest of the model switch on and then you can make a scene of it and it whil save this the selection this would make it very easy to make scene's from different components! There's no need for a plugin to do layer management. You can do this via the native layers manager with no problem. Follow the guidelines in the link I posted above. Make layer associations for components or groups but leave the entities (edges and faces) within associated with Layer 0. Leave Layer 0 as the active layer at all times. Using the table example, suppose you want to look at a leg component. turn off the visibility for the skirting boards and the top and you'll see the legs. Orbit and zoom as needed to see the detail you need. then make a scene. If you want to look at the leg from a different point of view, orbit and zoom again as needed. Make another scene. Note, as long as you want to look at the leg, you need do nothing further with layers. If you want to look at the skirting boards next, turn off the leg layer and turn on the skirting board. Then create a new scene or scenes as needed. It's pretty easy but if you do it incorrectly, you can get the model messed up.

Since you're drawing cabinets, are you planning to apply wood grain materials to these groups and components? Is the material orientation going to be important to you?

What's wrong with a keyboard shortcut? I honestly think you're trying to make this harder than it needs to be.

@unknownuser said: A4chitect has this http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=17040 I haven't tried it though as I don't see the need. Let us know if it's any good? this scales the group no puss/pull or are i doing somthing wrong