Making Drawings That Can Move

I’m uploading a file that contains a drawing of a butt hinge. I would like to be able to modify it so that I can move either or both of the plates, rotating around the center of the pin. I think I’ve seen SU drawings that do this but I have no idea how it’s done. My searches have proved fruitless.

???

hinge.skp (152.2 KB)

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You can make a Dynamic Component with the pro version.

For a simple model like this one, you can provide the illusion of movement through the use of scenes where layers are set to be visible or hidden when necessary. See attached.
hinge-modified.skp (172.2 KB)

You can make a nicer looking hinge if it’s going to show. If the whole hinge won’t show, you could draw just the barrel.

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Thanks, Dave!

I drew the hinge as part of planning a door for a very large door opening. I only wanted to get the approximate dimensions and location, but I would also like to be able to anchor one part of the bifold door at the door frame and simulate the swinging of the 2 panels.

As a retiree who uses SU only for hobbies and amusement, I cannot justify (nor afford) the cost of SU-Pro.

That is, all the more, a reason to employ the scenes and layer management approach to do what you want. This can be done with SU Make, but SU Pro is required to create dynamic components.

Sorry if it isn’t clear but the hinge I show is not a Dynamic Component.

Another way with MSPhysics

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there are several options in this thread.

Thank you, Cotty!!!

I will try MSPhysics if I can ever get through all the join and login requirements of SketchUcation. It seems not to want any offering I give it, not even a fatted calf.

You can use this link to create a basic (free) account:

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You might look into the SketchyPhysics Plug-in. This is a plugin that applies the Newton Physics Engine (or something like that), letting SketchUp models have objects that follow Newtonian physics. 3D groups will fall and bounce and transfer kinetic energy. Of note is that you have a number of “joints” available such as hinges, springs and motors.

It’s not the easiest thing to learn, but can be quite rewarding. I have simulated working machines using this plugin. Check the plugin library to see if there is a current version available. It is free.

Check YouTube for videos on how to use SketchyPhysics

Thanks, again. That is the URL that I am having trouble with. I just sent an email to a gentleman named Trevor Grant who is a Director with sketchUcation as identified on their web site. I suspect it might be several days before I receive and answer. Meanwhile, I can do nothing with sketchUcation or their forum.

SketchyPhysics isn’t maintained and doesn’t work in the latest versions of SU. It’s effectively been replaced by MSPhysics.

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While waited to get access to some fancy plugin, @jvleearchitects and @Box provided you with some great alternatives to animate your hinge with default SU tools. Start the slideshow animation technique in jvl’s file by r-clicking on a scene tab and choosing Run animation. Study how it was set up by opening the Layers dialog through the Window menu and checking out how the parts were assigned to different layers in each of the scenes.

Look over the options in Box’s link and how the Rotate tool was used.

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I don’t think this is correct, the current version is 3.7.1 (December 2015) and works in 2016:
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=62453#p571825

BUT: SketchyPhysics only works ith 32-bit SkechUp, MSPhysics with 64-bit too.

Chris Philips stopped working on SketchyPhysics several years (time consuming and cannot charge for it as the physics engine is in public domain) ago and someone else took it over to update it. Now MSPhysics is up and coming.

Keyframe Animation is a nice little plugin for creating animations see - Overview - Keyframe Animation - Regular Polygon

Just be advised that there is a cost associated with this plugin.

There is a free trial version though. You could at least try it and see if it will accomplish what you want. I think the cost is $39.