Hey all, very soon (in the next week or so) we’ll be rolling out a feature that will let you use sub components in SketchUp:
This means that you can create a component (like a hinge, slot, or drill hole) that you can copy around as much as you want. When you alter one of the sub components, all of the other ones will change.
This I believe will be a game changer for those doing cabinetry, or really any design that’s got a repeating detail. Check out the video to see a demo!
This looks like a really nice addition but I have yet to play with it. One question that came to mind has to do with making use of these components across projects. Is there a way to make a library that you have local and then import the components you want for that project?
I know you can get things from the 3D Warehouse but have not noticed any way to do the same thing local… but then maybe I’m missing something.
Ed
There sure is a way to save these locally and use them. I do this all the time.
That video will show you how to do it. Despite it being 7 years old it’s totally relevant!
Well that seems easy enough! While a lot of my work is eclectic I do like the idea of being able to have a local area to keep some often used components. Will give this a try later today and see if I understood what was said.
Thank you!
Ed
I’m the same way… I do a lot of one off work, but I do have a library of go-to stuff (like connectors and joints) that I keep at the ready.
Let me know how it goes for you!
Things did not go quite as well as I hoped. I’m obvious doing something wrong. I can create the “hole” and then use that component on another part and it shows up fine. How ever when I use fabber the output file doesn’t have the holes or at least it can’t be seen.
Just to make it interesting I did a part and added a hole the normal way and that shows up but not the ones that were done as a sub component.
test holes.skp (48.9 KB)
I’ll try viewing the video again and try a new test in the morning…
Ed
You did it right, I just downloaded your file and tried it on my end.
Make sure your copy of Fabber is up to date… Just head over to your “My Account” download and install a fresh copy. I suspect you have a slightly older version that didn’t have that enabled.
The plot thickens… OK did a fresh copy and it is still not working. Sketchup 2017, set to shaper and there is no component holes… just for fun I set it to vcarve and illustrator and I see the holes but not when set to shaper.
Ed
Had some more time this evening to play with this and I still can’t get things to work. The hole just doesn’t show up in the svg when set to shaper. Have to guess this is still something I don’t understand or a bug???
Anyone else get this to work when set to shaper?
Ed
Post your file again and I’ll check it out… There’s something odd happening as your last file worked just fine for me…
Fabber version 1.1.4, Windows 10, sketchup version 17. Created a new test just now. The sketchup looks like this:
The sketchup file
3holesascomponents.skp (53.7 KB)
The resulting svg
So what am I doing wrong here?
Ed
Ahhhh, I see what’s going on here… It’s making the pockets (your circles) and your square black. The circular pockets should be gray and that’s not happening. I think that’s a bug.
Here’s a workaround: Click the settings gear on Fabber and change it from Shaper Origin export to “custom DPI” for the actual DPI setting (next dialog box after you hit OK) put in 72.
Try the export again and it should work. You won’t get the Shaper colors, but you will get the vectors. You’ll be able to select the cut type on the tool itself so it’ll still work (or, you can manually color in Illustrator if you want)
That’ll get you going until we fix this one!
Whew I’m actually glad you see the problem, for a while I was thinking it was me doing something wrong.
I’ll probably wait on the fix as I don’t have a project in mind for the new feature but wanted to know how to use it when something does come up. I do have a couple of things that might lend them selves to having local components later this year when I start on some Christmas presents.
Thanks, Ed
It may be a little bit until we roll that fix out, we’re heads down on building something else that’s pretty awesome…
