LESSON 6-1 : Creating Components and Groups

Creating Components and Groups

In this lesson, we’re going to take the shapes we’ve been drawing in the previous lessons and start assembling them into groups and components to let us handle them all together.

Getting Started

For example, suppose that you’ve been drawing a car with all the surfaces you need for that. But then you find when you want to move or copy and rotate or even enlarge the model, you have to select all the surfaces individually to handle them all together.

Wouldn’t it be easier to have SketchUp understand that it’s supposed to treat all the surfaces of the car as a collection, handling all actions on all surfaces in the collection at once?

That’s what groups and components are all about, and you’ll find yourself using both of these as you progress in SketchUp. When you take shapes and/or objects and collect them into a group or component, you can then handle the collection of shapes as one object, copying it all at once, or moving, rotating it, and so on.

Many of the tools in SketchUp behave differently when you’re working with a group or component than when you’re just working with a Engineering–Feet shape, so we’ll also discuss how that works in this lesson.

NOTE: What’s the Difference Between Groups and Components?
It has to do with the fact that when you edit one component, all copies of the component are edited as well, but that’s not true of groups.

Let’s get started immediately by seeing how SketchUp handles multiple objects by default.

Using Sticky Geometry

We’ll start this lesson with a discussion of the rudimentary way that SketchUp handles collections of objects by default—using a system called sticky geometry.

NOTE: On the Use of Tools
It’s assumed in these tasks that you have been progressing through each lesson in order and learning about the individual tools referenced here. If you need to flip back for review, check out Lesson 3, “Drawing Shapes: Lines, Rectangles, Polygons, and Circles,” for more on the Rectangle and Circle tools. And see Lesson 5, “Going 3D,” for refreshers on the Push/Pull and Move tools.

When you bring two objects next to each other, they can “adhere” and become one object. It’s sort of a rudimentary form of creating groups in SketchUp. Because sticky geometry is part of SketchUp, and because it’s all about connecting objects into one (the topic of this lesson), we’ll take a look at sticky geometry here.

To get an idea of how sticky geometry works, follow these steps:

1. Start SketchUp. For this task, we’ll work with the Engineering–Feet template we’ve used in the previous lessons.
2. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
3. Select the Rectangle tool.
4. Draw a horizontal rectangle.
5. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar.
6. Pull the rectangle up into a cube.
7. Create a second cube, just as you did with the first cube.
8. Select the Select tool in the toolbar.
9. Draw a selection rectangle around the second cube.
10. Select the Move tool in the toolbar.
11. Move the cube until one surface touches a surface of the first cube.
12. Select the Select tool in the toolbar.
13. Draw a selection rectangle around the second cube.
14. Select the Move tool in the toolbar.
15. Move the second cube. If SketchUp has connected the cubes automatically through sticky geometry, you’ll find that moving the second cube also pulls the first, as you see in Figure 6.1.

That’s sticky geometry—it lets you connect objects by just putting them next to each other.

On the other hand, sticky geometry might not be right for you, because you might want a more systematic way of creating groups and components. For that reason, take a look at the following tasks.

Creating a Group

In this task, we’ll take a look at the process of creating a group. When you create a group, you associate objects together, and tell SketchUp you want them all handled together. You can move them together, rotate them together, enlarge or reduce them together, and so on.

FIGURE 6.1 Two cubes attached with sticky geometry.

Here we’ll create a group from a cube and a cylinder. Here’s how it works:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and click the human figure that appears in the Engineering–Feet template to select it; press the Del key to delete it.
2. Select the Rectangle tool and draw a horizontal rectangle.
3. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar and then pull the rectangle up into a cube.
4. Select the Circle tool and draw a circle next to the cube, as shown in Figure 6.2.
5. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar, and then pull the circle into a cylinder, as shown in Figure 6.3.

FIGURE 6.2 A cube with a circle.

6. Select the Select tool, and then, while holding down the left mouse button, draw a selection rectangle around both the cube and the cylinder.

7. Select the Edit menu’s Make Group menu item. This creates a group of the cube and cylinder and selects that group, displaying it in a blue box, as shown in Figure 6.4.

NOTE: Groups and Blue Boxes
Groups aren’t normally displayed with a blue box around them—the blue box appears only to indicate that the group is selected.

To prove this group functions now as a single unit, we’ll move it around the screen.

1. Select the Move tool in the toolbar.

FIGURE 6.3 A new cylinder.

FIGURE 6.4 A new group.

2. Move the group to a new position, as shown in Figure 6.5.

FIGURE 6.5 Moving the group.

3. When you move the group, both objects that make up the group move in unison, treated as a single object.

So now you’ve been able to group objects together and treat them as a group.

Creating Components

In this task, we’ll create a component from the same two objects we saw in the previous task—a cube and a cylinder. Here’s how it works:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and click the human figure that appears in the Engineering–Feet template to select it; press the Del key to delete it.
2. Select the Rectangle tool and draw a horizontal rectangle.
3. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar, and then pull the rectangle up into a cube.
4. Select the Circle tool and draw a circle next to the cube.
5. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar, and then pull the circle into a cylinder.
6. Select the Select tool, and then draw a selection rectangle around both the cube and the cylinder.
7. Select the Edit menu’s Make Component menu item. SketchUp displays the dialog box you see in Figure 6.6.

FIGURE 6.6 The Create Component dialog box.

8. Enter Cube Cylinder Component in the Name box.
9. Enter A cube with a cylinder in the Description box.
10. Click the Create button. The dialog box disappears and a blue selection box surrounds your new component, exactly as with the group in the previous task (refer to Figure 6.4).

To prove this component functions now as a single unit, we’ll move it around the screen.

1. Select the Move tool in the toolbar.
2. Move the component to a new position, as shown in Figure 6.7.

FIGURE 6.7 Moving the component.

3. When you move the component, both objects that make up the component move in unison, treated as a single unit.

Now you’ve created your first component. In the previous topic, you created your first group. What’s the difference? See the next task.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 6-2 : Editing Components

Editing Components

You can also edit the various parts of a component in SketchUp.

In this task, we’ll create a component from the same two objects we saw in the previous task—a cube and a cylinder.

Here’s how it works:
1. Right-click the Cube and Cylinder component we created in the previous task.
2. Select the Edit Component menu item. This will surround the component with a dotted box, as shown in Figure 6.8.

FIGURE 6.8 A component open for editing.

3. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar.
4. Hover over the top surface of the rectangle for two seconds.
5. Click the top surface of the cylinder to pull the cube up to match the cylinder in height, as you see in Figure 6.9. This is sizing the cube by inference.
6. Select the Select tool in the toolbar.
7. Click any blank, nonselected region of the screen to stop editing the component. The dotted box around the component disappears.

FIGURE 6.9 An edited component.

That’s it—now you know how to edit the individual objects in a component.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 6-3 : Understanding the Difference Between Groups and Components

Understanding the Difference Between Groups and Components

Now you’ve seen groups and components. What’s the difference?

The difference is that components are instanced. That’s a SketchUp term meaning that all copies of a component act as instances of—or are tied to—the original. Thus, if you make a copy of a component and edit it, both the copy and the original will be affected, which is not true for groups.

When you make a copy of a group, the copy is totally independent of the original. That means that if you edit a group, no copies of the group will be affected.

Let’s take a look at how components work when you edit one of a set of the same component:

1. Start SketchUp.
2. Click the Start Using SketchUp button. This will open SketchUp.
3. Select the Select tool in the toolbar.
4. Click the Cube and Cylinder component that we have created in this lesson. This selects the component, surrounding it with a blue box.

Now we’ll make a copy of the component.

5. Select the Edit menu’s Copy item.
6. Select the Edit menu’s Paste item.
7. Move the mouse to the location at which you want to place the copy of the component.
8. Click the mouse to create a copy of the component. Now you have an original and a copy of the component on the screen.
9. Right-click one of the Cube and Cylinder components.
10. Select the Edit Component menu item. This will surround the component with a dotted box, as shown in Figure 6.10.

FIGURE 6.10 A component ready for editing.

11. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar.
12. Pull the cylinder up to a greater height. As you pull the cylinder in one component, the cylinder in the other component changes to match, as shown in Figure 6.11.

FIGURE 6.11 Editing a component, which also edits copies of the component.

13. Select the Select tool in the toolbar.
14. Click any blank, nonselected region of the screen to stop editing the component. The dotted box around the component disappears.

There you have it—when you edit one object in a component, that same change is made to the corresponding object in all copies of the component (which doesn’t happen when you make copies of groups).

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 6-4 : Exploding a Component

Exploding a Component

Having created a component, can you de-create it? That is, can you “explode” the objects in the component so that they no longer make up a component?

Yes, you can. Just follow these steps to create a component and then explode it back into its parts:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button and click the human figure that appears in the Engineering–Feet template to select it; press the Del key to delete it.
2. Select the Rectangle tool and draw a horizontal rectangle.
3. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar, and then pull the rectangle up into a cube.
4. Select the Circle tool and draw a circle next to the cube.
5. Select the Push/Pull tool in the toolbar, and then pull the circle into a cylinder.
6. Select the Select tool, and then draw a selection rectangle around both the cube and the cylinder.
7. Select the Edit menu’s Make Component item. SketchUp displays a dialog box.
8. Enter Two Cubes Component in the Name box.
9. Enter Two cubes in the Description box.
10. Click the Create button. The dialog box disappears. A blue selection box surrounds your new component—you’ve created your component.

The next step is to explode it back into two separate cubes.

11. While your component is selected (has a blue box around it), right-click the component. A context menu appears.
12. Select Explode from the context menu. The blue selection box around the component disappears, and the two cubes are no longer one component.

To verify that the two cubes are separate, click them individually, noting that no blue box appears—instead, first one cube then the other is filled with blue dots, as happens when you select individual
objects.

Now you know how to create and “uncreate” components.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 6-5 : Managing Components

Managing Components

SketchUp includes a utility to manage your components, and we’ll take a look at it in this task.

Here’s how it works:
1. Start SketchUp. For this task, we’ll work with the Engineering–Feet template we’ve used in the previous tasks.

2. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.

3. Select the Window menu’s Components item. This will open the Components dialog box you see in Figure 6.12. (I’ve used the mouse to enlarge the Components dialog, dragging one corner, to make what’s going on in the dialog box clearer.)

FIGURE 6.12 The Component dialog box.

4. To see the components you have in the current model, click the down arrow next to the house button, and select the In Model item. This will display the page you see in Figure 6.13.

FIGURE 6.13 The current component in the model.

Because the only component in the model currently is the human figure that SketchUp shows on startup, that’s the only component (named Susan in SketchUp 8) that appears in the dialog box when you ask to see all the components in the current model.

5. To insert an instance of a component into your model, click that component. Doing so makes the component instance appear at the location of the mouse cursor.

6. To place the component instance in your model, just move the mouse to the location at which you want the component to appear, and click it. The component becomes anchored to the location of the mouse click.

That’s it—that’s one way to manage your components. Take a look at the next task for another.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes

LESSON 6-6 : Using the Component Sampler & 3D Warehouse

Using the Component Sampler

SketchUp also has a “Sampler” of prebuilt components available for you to use. Here’s how it works:

1. Start SketchUp. For this task, we’ll work with the Engineering–Feet template we’ve used in the previous tasks.
2. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
3. Select the Window menu’s Components item. This will open the Components dialog box.
By default, you should see the Component Sampler. Click it to open it, as shown in Figure 6.14. (If you don’t see the Components Sampler, click the down arrow next to the house icon to select it.)

FIGURE 6.14 The Component dialog showing the Component Sampler.

4. Scroll up and down the Component Sampler to get an idea of what’s available.
5. To insert an instance of a component into your model, click that component. Doing so makes the component instance appear at the location of the mouse cursor.
6. To place the component instance in your model, move the mouse to the location at which you want the component to appear, and click it. The component becomes anchored to the location of the mouse click.

Using the 3D Warehouse

SketchUp also has available a “warehouse” of components that you can use and download.

Let’s assume you want to draw a couch. Here’s how it works:

1. Click the Start Using SketchUp button.
2. Select the Window menu’s Components item. This opens the Components dialog box. By default, you should see the Component Sampler.
3. Click the down arrow next to the house button. This will display a drop-down menu of component collections.

The choices for the Component collections are

• Architecture
• Landscape
• Construction
• People
• Playground
• Transportation

For this task, we’ll choose the Architecture collections.

4. Select the Architecture menu item. This will display a dialog box, as you see in Figure 6.15, of component collections available in Google’s 3D Warehouse.

5. Select the Furniture item. This displays the items in the Furniture collection of Google’s 3D warehouse, as shown in Figure 6.16.

FIGURE 6.15 The Architecture component collections.

FIGURE 6.16 The Furniture component collections.

6. Click the Seating item. This downloads the Seating collection from the 3D warehouse, as shown in Figure 6.17.

FIGURE 6.17 The Seating component collections.

7. Click the Couch Rounded item. Doing so makes the component instance appear at the location of the mouse cursor.
8. To place the component instance in your model, move the mouse to the location at which you want the component to appear, and click it. The component becomes anchored to the location of the mouse click, as shown in Figure 6.18.

There are dozens of components ready for you to download and use from the 3D warehouse—give it a try.

FIGURE 6.18 A new couch.

Thanks :
Steven Holzner,
SamsTeachYourself Google SketchUp 8 in 10 Minutes