I created a video that shows some characteristics of jointed solids in SketchUp/Sketchyphysics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74ji-NXsdDI

Is there any way to change the properties of many different joints at once? For instance, I have dozens of motors that I would like to have under the control of one slider. Rather than adjusting each one in the 'Inspector', I would like to be able to change all of their settings at once. It would also be nice if I could assign them all to the same slider control in a single action as well.

Can this be done? I'd even be OK with a script to generate a batch of motors or something.

Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed!

A few years ago, I recall reading about a type of joint controller that gives a reciprocating motion to a piston. It was enabled by replacing the "slider('slidername')" with "reciprocator(some_rate_nuimber)", or something like that.

Does anyone know what this was called? I cannot remember at all.

Also, are there any other kinds of joint controllers that can be used? For instance, I have a set of motors that I intend to run at a constant speed. I don't want to control their speed during the simulation. Can I give them a joint controller that won't show up in the control panel?

Some of the more complex and subtle aspects of Sketchyphysics are not well documented. I'd love to see ore information on such scripting commands as 'on touch' or 'do this when all of these doors are open' or something like that.

Paul: These are beautifully done!

I was teaching a lab section in which I needed electrical floorplan symbols, and could not find any for SketchUp, so I made some up. They are in a <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=0653493766545200612055374&styp=c">collection at the 3D warehouse</a>. I also made ones for planning plumbing, 2D doors and windows, etc.

One thing you might consider doing, since you are creating groups that include 3D and 2D elements, is to place the different classes of objects into different layers. Put the actual electrical 3D fixtures in a '3D_electric' layer, the horizontal 2D symbols in a '2D_horizontal' layer and the 2D vertical symbols in a '2D_vertical' layer. Then, you can change their visibility globally in your model.

Thanks MPTAK! I never knew you could define track and follow in a scene description like that. By putting a 'follow' object on a piston, you can have a camera traverse like a 'dolly' shot. I've always tried doing this by starting the simulation, then assigning track and follow by right-clicking, but this is really much better.

Well, there is a quick answer to the question of Joint scale: The joints are assigned to a layer that can be hidden with no ill effects. Just turn off the visibility for the SketchyPhysics Joints layer.

Getting back to the initial question: You're trying to make a trestle table base using rectangles that are of the same width?

If I am not misunderstanding things, I would figure that I would:

1. Make a single rectangle to represent one leg. Make it extra long.
2. Make this rectangle into a group
3. Use my Rotate tool to rotate this rectangle group about its center
   1. Press the CTRL key to make this a Rotate-Copy action
   2. Rotate the copy of the rectangle to the desired angle
   3. Do this again for the opposite leg
4. Edit the rectangle groups
   1. Adjust their lengths
   2. Trim the angled ones so they are flat and horizontal on top and bottom
   3. Push/Pull them to make them 3D

This would be a useful classroom exercise that demonstrates:

1. Isolation of geometries using groups
2. Use of Rotate tool and use of CTRL to modify a Rotate into a Copy/Rotate action
3. Editing within a Group
4. External Guidelines to guide editing in a group

(sorry, I'm too lazy to learn how to do list formatting)

@cmartin said:

@dave r said:

Ah. I see. So what's the situation on using plugins? Fredo's FredoScale plugin has a very helpful tool for making the diagonal legs. if the exact width of the legs is important.

I can install some, but I have to have our tech install them. I'm not allowed to do it. And then, if a computer needs to be reimaged, usually they need to be reinstalled. So, anything that I can do with the regular tools easily, i would rather do it that way if possible. That said, I do use some tools. We use the lines to cylinder tools when we do our park project. If it really can't be done easily without tools, I will use them.

I have a similar problem. I do not have admin rights on the lab computers, and so cannot install plugins. It turns out, if the lab computers have SketchUp installed, you can run a different instance of SketchUp from a USB drive.

On my home computer, I install SketchUp, plugins, components and materials bonus packs and other stuff that I want. After installation, I copy the "Google SketchUp 8" folder onto my flash drive. I also copy the Preferences.dat file that I generated when I created custom keyboard shortcuts, since I like having my shortcuts with me, but they do not get transferred automatically.

On the lab computer, I can run Sketchup.exe from the flash drive, and I have my plugins and components libraries available to me. I think this only works if my USB Flash version of SketchUp is a good match for the version already installed on the lab computer. Still, it works pretty well. It can be a little slow for some functions, because the computer is accessing the USB drive for the program, instead of the hard drive, but I can live with it. I think, if you do not have Admin rights, you can still copy your customized SketchUp program folder onto the computer desktop or some other location where you have access, then run the Sketchup.exe file from there, or even create a shortcut to the alternate location.

I made a video showing how I do this. It is a boring video, and I don't really get to the meat of the matter until 5:40. I seem to be the only one who does this. If it works for you, please report it on this thread. Thanks

[flash=425,344:3feltu5m]https://www.youtube.com/v/0VQmkz-MraA[/flash:3feltu5m]

Making a complex object in SketchUp is an exercise in breaking the object into simple geometries. Having used SketchUp for a while, I have grown used to looking at something that I wish to model, and parsing it into component geometric primitives. For instance, a coffee cup is a cylinder with a tube attached to it. The cylinder is offset by a small amount, and the inner circle is pushed almost to the bottom. A separate bent tube is made using the FollowMe tool along a profile made from a few lines and a radius. These are positioned together and intersected, then the extraneous bits are deleted.

I now have a habit of seeing furniture, utensils and buildings as a set of geometric solids and their modifications. This makes the world look kind of strange (Does anyone else have this problem? Do I need medication?).

The scifi buildings can also be seen as a collection of constituent parts that are positioned, duplicated and stacked together. Be sure to make these constituents into groups or components before placing them on each other.