# Custom Names for Dynamic components for Cabinets

**URL:** <https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963>\
**Category:** Dynamic Components\
**Tags:** dynamiccomponents, componentnames, dynamic-components, instances\
**Created:** [August 3, 2024, 11:04am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963 "2024-08-03T11:04:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wesley1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bb73d2/32.png) [@wesley1](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/wesley1)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 11:04am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963/1 "2024-08-03T11:04:34Z")

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Hi Guys,  
I’m pretty new to dynamic components and am looking for a solution to my problem.  
So ive designed a couple dynamic cabinets in sketch up in a library ive made.  
Basically what I want to be able to do is have the sub component defintions change when I change the parent component for example (using the attached picture for illustration)  
Say I make “base cabinet” is the defintion of my parent component. If i have a run of cabinets all different sizes, i would want to name them different names like cab #1, cab #2 and so forth.  
Is there a way to make the sub components definitions change change i change the parent component. For example I change a parent component cabinet to cab #3, then all my sub components like base end (like of pic) would be cab #3 base end etc.

 ![Screenshot 2024-08-03 205226](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/2/d/2d086b900bf2bf3c1472dbae01acd4ba2ad3f945.png)

I want it this way so when i get all my pieces cut at a manufacturer and they print the labels im not looking through 50 base ends or 50 bottoms to find the one that goes with the related cabinet  
be reminded that im a noob and dont know much about the difference between definitions and instances and all that stuff.

Also I’d be happy to pay someone to send me a video on how to do so for a small fee 🙂

Thanks in advance, much appreciated.

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**Author:** ![pcmoor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/pcmoor/32/3427_2.png) [@pcmoor](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/pcmoor)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 11:49am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963/2 "2024-08-03T11:49:04Z")

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on insert can use instance name “cab1”, “cab2”… to set option and attribute header display

if you are using OCL then report can be organized with the Name attribute, this overrides the display, so copy instance to Name attribute  
and for sub parts  
Name = parent!name & " base end"

otherwise use the inbuilt reporter

can you tell which report using?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wesley1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bb73d2/32.png) [@wesley1](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/wesley1)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 11:55am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963/5 "2024-08-03T11:55:05Z")

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Still a bit confused on what you mean sorry

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pcmoor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/pcmoor/32/3427_2.png) [@pcmoor](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/pcmoor)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 12:21pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963/6 "2024-08-03T12:21:53Z")

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Consider the panel in this file, open DC option and attributes, change the instance name in the entity info panel from “bottom” to “top”

all references change

now change the drop down to “name”

the name attribute now overrides the instance name

 ![Capture](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/0/b/0b6a9bcb2db81cdd81fcdfc5fb5708add9010021.png)

[Naming 1.skp](https://forums.sketchup.com/uploads/short-url/yUH1YhGXy3Ww6xl6HZByTqCHHKD.skp) (70.3 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wesley1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bb73d2/32.png) [@wesley1](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/wesley1)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 12:45pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963/7 "2024-08-03T12:45:59Z")

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Okay but then do all the sub components in the parent dynamic component change names as well?

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**Author:** ![glennmstanton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/glennmstanton/32/103192_2.png) [@glennmstanton](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/glennmstanton)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2024, 5:12pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/custom-names-for-dynamic-components-for-cabinets/283963/8 "2024-08-03T17:12:48Z")

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you can’t easily change the definition - but as pcmoor suggests you can create a name attribute composed of different values to create name which can then be used in your reports and estimators etc.

if i made the parent name attribute set as “base”, and the child name attribute as “door” or “shelf”  
then i could use `parent!nameattr & " " & name.attr & " " & xyzvalues` etc  
and get “base door 24x30” etc etc in my reports