SketchUp - Make Unique

[patlaw]

This question is going to be difficult. Sorry. Assume that I draw a shelf in SketchUp. The shelf is made into a component. The component is then copied three times such that there are four identical shelves. If I change one shelf, they all change. They are somehow tied together. If I want to make the first and fourth shelves unique, I can right click on them and choose "Make Unique." After I make 1 and 4 unique, is there some way to put them into their own "group" such that modifying 1 also modifies 4?

Ugh.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Hopefully Dave Richards will chime in on this question, but here is how I would do it.

I would start by making shelf 1 a component, then copy it into position 4. I would go back and make a copy of shelf 1 and make it unique. It is now shelf 2, and in your components list it will show as a separate component. Now copy shelf 2 into position of shelf 3. You now have two components consisting of 2 shelves each. You can then go into the components list and change the name of the second set of components if you desire.

 

[Acelectric]

If you hold down ctrl you can select both shelves and make them unique together.

 

[Dave Richards]

Wayne got it in one. If you have multiple instances of a component selected when you use Make Unique, those instances will be related to each other but not to the rest.

I use this quite frequently for parts that will be identical for a part of the construction process but get separated later. As an example, this is a model I drew this afternoon. All of the back slats were instances of the same component as were the seat slats. The outer ones needed to be modified so they were selected and made unique before editing to make them fit.

 

[patlaw]

Excellent. Now, with four components, 1, 2, 3, and 4, if I make 1 unique and 2 unique (two separate operations) and later decide that 1 and 2 should be related, is there a way to then make 1 and 2 related to each other but not to 3 and 4 (which are related to each other?)

EDIT: I think I got it. Explode 1 (Component#3) and then make it a Component. When the screen pops up for a name, give it the same Component number as 2. It will ask it I want to replace the definition. I said yes, and 1 and 2 are now related.

 

[Dave Richards]

That's one way to do it. Another way with fewer keystrokes would be to select #2 in the model. Then right click on the thumbnail for #1 in the In Model components collection (Components window) and choose Replace Selected. Since #2 was made from #1, the two should have equivalent component origins and axis orientations so #1 should correctly replace #2. Or you could go the other way, of course.

You can replace more than one component at a time if you want. For example on this chair, except for the center back slat, the others are in opposing pairs. I've selected them all and will replace them with the original untrimmed slat component.




FWIW, the back slats on this chair start out as identical and then get trimmed later. After placing all the untrimmed slats I flipped each of the ones right of the center along their red axes which mirrored them. Then I selected them in opposing pairs and made the pairs unique. After that, I only needed to trim the center one and one of each of the pairs.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

If you hold down ctrl you can select both shelves and make them unique together.

Yep, Wayne's version was much simpler than mine. Mine tended to go around my elbow to get to my thumb. That's what I love about this site: I learn something every day. :eusa_danc

 

[Jeff]

After I make 1 and 4 unique, is there some way to put them into their own "group" such that modifying 1 also modifies 4?

They're already one and the same and you don't need a "group" Any modification to 1 simultaneously makes the same modification to 4 at the same time. In this model I've made 2 & 3 unique and separate from 1 & 4.

The SketchUp file is uploaded to "Project Plans" with the title "Unique Shelves" so you can download it and open it in Sketch up to see it and play around.

 

[patlaw]

I have on older version on this computer. I'll play with it when I use the newer version on a different computer. Thanks.

 

[Jeff]

I have on older version on this computer. I'll play with it when I use the newer version on a different computer. Thanks.

Oops! I uploaded the file in SU version 17.2.2554. You could simply make your own rendition in your current version.