How can you make an opening for a window that moves with the window?

I will forgive you to tell me - How can you make an opening for a window that moves with the window? I also need this for electrical outlets so as not to cut holes in the wall every time I insert them.

Flextools can do this. With it you can enter the component for the outlet, and define the parts that cut the wall (the main box), and tell it to ignore the trim pieces when cutting. The punched hole will move with the component when you move it. You do have to specify how many planes must be cut as it can do more than one or two. Specify too many, and it’s like a laser beam cutting through the whole building.

Thank you, it’s a pity that this is not included in the sketch up

Flextools looks really increadible. I keep thinking of buying it and then never find the time. :slight_smile: Oh well - maybe a Christmas treat for myself?

Native Sketchup lets you do this for one face, just not multiple faces. That solves your outlets. Just make them a component and use the “Cut Opening” setting. Also make sure your outlet’s axis is set on the same plane that it will sit on the wall.

SketchUp’s Glue to and Cut Opening Components

It won’t work for the windows, because Cut Opening only works with one face at a time. (You have to copy the Cut-Opened hole from the exterior of the wall to the interior and it ends up being slower than the “make the holes first” method.) So for windows you would need an extension i.e. Flex Tools.

1 Like

Note that for the cut a hole first approach you can move the window and hole together, even if the wall has some thickness.

1 Like

For the windows — or any other component that needs to cut two faces — Mind.Sight’s Double Cut will do the trick, and the opening will automatically update when you move the window. If you don’t want to go all out with FlexTools, it’s a good option (@ $39.00)

It does its trick quite OK. I only wish that it had an option to turn it completely off for some models without uninstalling it.

ETA: This made me think: wait a minute, can’t I enable/disable it from the menu… so I opened up SU to check and sure enough:

Screen Shot 2020-12-29 at 6.36.14 PM

Actually, there is one, but you have to use it to every single component after inserting them.

Got it: I posted my edit before I saw this.