Hi Nathaniel,

I made a few Dynamics of hips, valley creepers (see my warehouse page) may help in working out pitching points and angles, or help to formulate your ideas
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/user.html?id=0838679030929007270242769

philip

you would need pro, so then you can make a dynamic component with fixed position, refer to stair post recent in dynamic components

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15%26amp;t=63447

use for lenz attribute

LenZ =current("lenz")

it will adjust first then become stable

make X,y adjust to position, you have them set at a value, delete the =

with Z, you could create a option to change its value or use =current("z")

Unlike common components which can be scaled, any changes to a copy makes that DC unique. Once the DC has become unique it no longer has a shared definition.

You can use condition statements to effect the placement, if you want individual input, perhaps up to ten, then you can use the dialog.

x = 10 + if(copy,10,0) + if(copy>1,80,0) + if(copy>2,300,0)

results for copy: for 0 => 10,for 1 => 20, for 2 => 100, for 3 => 400, your first example

or
x = if(copy=0,value1,0)+if(copy=1,value2,0)+if(copy=2,value3,0)+.......

There is an example on my warehouse page
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?id=u39b49ce8-66fb-4a59-ab35-3e9c9ae3d1ea

where either selected or user input effects position and number of copies of elements to build a door

But after a point, based on complexity and file size, as Phillip says....use Sketchups native tools

to change all instances of a DC(even different DCs) you use the option dialog on the selection, this will make all their common properties the same.

It is a good idea to group DCs after using the move,copy so that they don't become unique on a further move

there is a need for a better attribute sorter, editor which will I hope be included in the next release otherwise there is a real need for a ruby script similar to excels find and replace

Hi Phillip

could you use the nudge idea with a variable input, like int(255/input)? to get one to a general color change then fine tune to suit.

Philip (with only one L)

Hi

I believe animating the sliders maybe more effective than the scaling idea. Each slider should have a front and back component/group switch, which moves the slider a given distance. Similar to your scale method a step can be updated or reduced. The corresponding step can be added/subtracted to influence the color as well as the slider position.

Added a sample continuous movement on a cube using the set function

Must say G'Night from a Tassie Friend

switch_move_rotate.skp

the other forum has noted the loss of examples

Basic self paced tutorials broken?

I use SketchUp with students a few times a year and prefer the self-paced tutorials for them to get familiar with the basic concepts, but currently all the basic tutorials supplied by “SketchUp” appear to be broken. They…

SketchUp Community (forums.sketchup.com)

plus other issues with tutorials..maybe this is the lead up to the new release

The DCs are but spreadsheet cell formulas, convenient for simple object manipulation. Ruby on the other hand is a language use to create plugins. (DCs forms and functionality was built using Ruby)

However DCs are the most likely vehicle for information modeling, so understanding how they work is not a waste of time

deleted last comment

going through your examples now

Had my dinner.. just checked the warehouse examples, they are indeed empty. This was not the case years before. Someone has stuffed up with updating the models.

Can you share the models you are working on and formulas you are having difficulty with

Hi Phillip,

Dynamic components are saved as a definition, their size,position and orientation as are other attributes are held within the file, so editing a DC is done by placing it into a new or existing drawing. An instance of the definition is then observed. When edited it can be save via the right click menu, this includes loading it to the warehouse as a component.
So if you download a DC and save it o a dedicated folder, you then you can insert an instance via the component browser. A copy of this definition remains in the drawing file despite deleting all the instances, one needs to purge the drawing to remove all traces.
In regards to the warehouse, I find the drag and drop method best, have an empty sketchup drawing and drag the component file from the download menu to the sketchup interface and drop. This inserts the component and observed definition intact, you are not opening the DC file. Sometimes you may need to explode the DC as it may have been enclosed in another component wrapper

will keep in touch after viewing your posts

Its all got to do with DCs, as observed moving them individually after a copy make SU update everyone to an unique instance. This issue has been raised with the powers that be, however it remains to see if any resolution in the next release

An alternative which seems to work is to group the copies. Quarantine. The group can be moved and another group of same components if altered inside does not effect similar groups.

Test12 (1).skp

You edit the inside of a component to effect all instances. Groups should remain unique.

" fits onto a rotating model" Or are you making a dynamic component?

Could you upload an example ?

Without some examples its hard to pin point the problem, but most likely some of the sub-components have the same definition names. You will need to edit each component created from the first one by changing the saved definition names of the subs as well as the parent.
Another possibility is using a common attribute with different formulas in swapping components, but I don't think you are swapping

In regards to the warehouse, there is a hidden attribute which your copied components have inherited.
This can be viewed in Attribute Inspector and then deleted.

http://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?listtype=1%26amp;author=0%26amp;category=0%26amp;search=attribute%26amp;submit=%3Fare you

When creating copies it is best to use the generic term Parent!anAttribute instead of mycomponentname!anAttribute

The DCs appear to be based on a spreadsheet. The cells can be referenced as in excel by clicking on a different cell after =, or inside a formula. So a reasonable knowledge of formula calculation in excel helps. There are articles in the Sketchup knowledge center in the help

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(help.sketchup.com)

A good understanding of groups, components, box boundary and scaling is required, generally its best to inspect other DCs to get ideas

As with coding start simple and then add on.

I am hoping there will be much need improvement with the next release (soon) otherwise one will need to create ruby scripts to manipulate and simplify the DC process

I updated the block DC, swap some elements to component as group seems to be unstable in copies (another point to add to Dave's growing list why he prefers components over groups), see attached file, the pier and corner created from the basic unit. To go in the other direction, one or more block units can be rotate & attached and if required grouped. After scaling, one can change the bond if require at the unit level

You will soon notice the lag and file sizes plus the need for purging (window/model info/statistics and purge unused button) This is why simple walls with material painted on is better.

However, there are some processes (exploding, outer shelling) that can be done to rectify the lag and memory usage...to much really to do manually, but really waiting until after the next release before committing my time to such an adventure in Ruby

pier.skp

In real life, one would lay the mortar bed, then place a full block then a perp before the next. A repetitive action to create the first row, the second and proceeding rows would be configurations of the first; but basically copies.

So dividing the current length of the wall to get a number of blocks, then copy a std block to suit and a remainder as a cut block. To form the first row. the second would have be arranged to form a bond. Then repeat ...copy the rows into the current height.

Decided to give it ago myself

Gully created an interesting reply to

Need help to draw a "shower tile cubby?"

Im working on SU Pro 2015, no plug ins and Windows 7. Can anyone help? I made a mess of my model by experimenting in the model. The experiment included bringing in dynamic tile, putting on a wall and then exploding it…

SketchUp Community (forums.sketchup.com)

to show how to build a simple material to scale and apply

bonded blockwork.skp

open the component, then right click on the axis (easier to pick outside the geometry) from the context menu pick an option. Say place, then place and orientate as required

Hi
Require a bit more information, the emphasis seems to be on wainscoting, a timber panel and molding system attached to a wall. The wall type would seem irrelevant, surely a simple outline with a painted material would suffice?
In regards to creating a DC, is this for a one to ten off project? if so then creating standard components or groups would be a more effective use of time.

Can it be done? Yes, but only if the use is greater than twenty fold. DCs are a general drain on resources and careful consideration should be taken before pursuing this path.

Edit: Profile Builder 2 would be best suited to creating a wainscoting

Hi

to illustrate the group, explode, outershell and purge concept I added a similar DC (metric Australia) for an I beam. The component is the larger one on the right side.

The process is to explode, outershell, explode the selected inner group geometry. A process made easier with a script. Whilst still retaining the outer component (wrapper). Then finally purging the model.

I find groups of 10-20 more manageable, once done they can be copied with minimum file size changes, further more the fixed lengths can be still changed using the user form.

At any time they can be reinstated by swapping the exploded group with the original component.

Components built with an outer wrapper, with common custom attributes will update. so a common alenY that references LenY will update, thus a steel channel can inherit the common attributes of a timber beam. In other words the lengths of the beams will match on swapping. I am current building some examples on my warehouse page (same user name pcmoor).

philip

111 with the original

my suggestion is to destroy the collection of components after collecting the data and creating a new one containing raw geometry (the exploded DCs) then purging the drawing of these 100 or so DCs, Perhaps before such an event the group of DCs could be saved to a separate file so the newly formed group component can be swapped for editing if required