Saw Chest (2).skp (1.6 MB)
The Saw Till and four Hand/Panelsaws I just finished in the skp above are composed of groups. I had to use groups in order to use the Trim tool. Now that all the solid toolwork is done I want to convert to components. For instance each saw nut and bolt is a group. I do not want 12 different components. I just want one component called saw nut and bolt with 12 instances. Each saw blade is slightly different, so they will have to be different components. One handle for the panel saw is different from the other three. The saw till is composed of groups for each piece but I donât want different components for parts that are identical. What is the best way to convert these groups to components? I will need to do that to make scenes and cutting diagram later.
You can right click on the group and choose Make Component. Do that for one of them, delete the other groups and make copies of the component.
In the desktop version you could make components of each of the groups and then select all of them but one and replace them with the one. Or better, use Eneroth Solid Tools with components and only need to handle one set of components and all the others would get the same treatment.
Thank you DaveR. I guess it would have been better to do that some how as I progressed. But, I didnât know the sequence that I would be using. I agree that it is much easier with Pro and Eneroth Solid Tools.
Sorry, a bit late for the race, but maybe helpful for future seekers (and maybe to correct my knowledge, if I miss anything).
I canât open your model @Royce (version too old) but as @DaveR mentioned and you can rightclick and Make Component. Instead of deleting and copying you could now repeat that procedure and give the same component name to add all objects to the same component â lots of clicking but at least no moving things around manuallyâŚ
Yes, by now I have a system down when I use native solid tools. I work most of the time with components. Before triming a component, I go to entity info and copy the name of the component. Then, I use the trim tool on the component and it is converted into a group. Next, I explode the group, press âGâ (shortcut for make component). I paste the name and then re-tag it immediately. It takes only seconds.
One does not have to explode, once the trim action is done, rightclick and choose âMake componentâ , choose the same name of the existing definition.
(a warning will be displayed that existing instances will be replaced with the trimmed object)
The only difference with the Desktop app is that in the desktop app, one does not have to fill in the name, it automatically is set to the original definition before trimming:
What I used to do before using Booltools, is copying the group that I wanted to use to make any Boolean operation with, then get inside the component, select everything, make a group, paste in place the other group and make the operation, then delete the group I pasted in previously and explode the other group, that way all the instances were affected by the changes since I was working inside the component. But I recommend to get Booltools from mindsight studios or Eneroth Booltools, those plug-ins when make an operation with a component the changes will affect all the instances, itâs a lot faster than my old methodology.
Replacing the components is faster, too.
While this method is present in the desktop and webversion, it is not present at the moment in the iPad version.
Clearly, there is still some work to do @MikeTadros 
)
The question is then, if the team decides to respect the componentness, or go along with the original replace-method, which then obviously means reworking the core of the other platformsâŚ
Extensions can only be installed in the desktop version, btw, so this method works for the OP @Royce
@MikeWayzovski can you pls do me a favor and double-check the workflow in SketchUp for iPad?
I believe that among the changes that we shipped in v6.3.1 included a revision to the create component workflow that now offers the option, when creating a new component definition, and when the name youâve given to the new definition matches that of an existing definition in the model, to replace the existing definition (and all of its instances), with the new one.
If Iâm missing something, please let me know.
I checked in version 639
It actually has two different component definitions with the same name(!)
After saving the file, it adds #1 after the original.
Voila, no group named âdifferentâ, so it works. No more explode step. After trimming I just make the component with the same name. All other like named components change too. Iâve noticed that but didnât realize that it was part of the update.
@MikeWayzovski and @Royce Thanks for the replies. We took another look at this yesterday and it seems that the workflow was more robust in an earlier version and something broke in v6.3.2.
In the current version (6.3.2):
⢠If raw geometry is turned into a new component definition, the new definition will automatically overwrite any component definitions in the model that have the same name.
⢠If a group is converted into a new component definition, the new definition will automatically have a numeric suffix appended so that both the existing and new definitions co-exist.
This is not how we intended for this to work. Weâll get this cleaned up.