Exporting Data from Dynamic Components to Filemaker Database

SketchUp Dynamic Components
1

I have a custom cabinet shop. We do all of our presentation drawings in Sketchup.
Right now everything is hand drawn, one cabinet at a time.

I would like to be able to utilize dynamic components for this. My goal is to be able to show a customer a warm & fuzzy drawing and have this drawing keep track of the dimensions for individual cabinets.
In my mind I would then export a list of cabinet types & sizes to filemaker database where I would then process dimensions for individual elements.

Is this doable? If so, can anybody explain or point me to the protocol for exporting the individual values?

2

[menu]File->Generate Report has access to the attributes of Dynamic Components and you can download as CSV, which can be read by Filemaker.
These attributes could be standard LenX,LenY,LenZ or custom ones. You have to keep the drawing axis in mind for this to work, though.
I guess you need the overall size of the cabinet? And extract info for the panels in Filemaker?

3

Keeping the drawing axis in mind seems complicated.

The construction parameters for any given style of cabinet would stay constant but the drawing axis would change if the cabinet was situated on north wall as opposed to east wall.

Would the different walls require different export commands?

4

Well, I meant that the drawing axes determine when you create your components.
Once created, they could be placed anywhere, (only affecting Position and rotation)

5

So I am guessing they all want to be created from the same axis?

Thanks for your help!

6

Yes, it is best to have some system (Red=right or width, Green is left or depth and blue is up or height)

7

This guy, Eric Schimelpfenig, did a presentation at 2014 base camp, he built a suite specifically for what you are talking about. DC’s are perfect for cabinets, good luck!

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8

Thanks Rwamoore, This looks useful.

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