How to drop many components onto a volumetric 3D solid instead of a sandbox surface using Drop GC?

Does Sketchup have an extension that allows us to drop many small components onto the surface of a volumetric 3D solid?

Typically, one would use Drop GC to drop a bunch of components onto an undulating sandbox surface.

But in this case, what if we had a 3D volumetric solid in the shape of an egg - instead of a sandbox surface. And all the tiny small components need to be dropped onto / surround the entire surface of the egg-shaped 3D solid?

Any ideas guys?

The SketchUp team has developed quit some extensions in the past, but that number is vastly exceded by the number of extensions made by others!

Have a look at Skatter:

1 Like

Yes, but skatter does not wrap the components around a 3D volumetric surface.

I am looking for a Drop GC equivalent tool that wraps itself on a 3D volumetric surface, not just a single undulating surface from the sandbox tool set.

?!

https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=393&t=64803

Or you can try “Make fur” plugin.

1 Like

Thank you! This is the way to go.

Just one final question. These components are populated along the surface of the globe.

Is there a tool within Skatter (or perhaps an external tool) that would populate components WITHIN the globe itself. Meaning, the components will hover in space, inside the 3D volumetric globe.

With “Make fur” plugin, if you change “normals” (reverse faces), then you will get your component on the white faces, which will be inside, and the blue faces outside.

1 Like

Very nice, thank you.

FYI - Skatter does have a ‘Wrap UV’ setting.

1 Like

Are you a clone from egg-eric-s-planet?:joy::joy:

Hilarious Mike :smiley:

Just one final question. These clones are populated along the surface of the globe.

Is there a tool within Skatter (or perhaps an external tool) that would populate components WITHIN the globe itself (not by reversing the normals / faces), but with the components HOVERING IN SPACE, inside the 3D volumetric globe?

there is an offset option which can place them away from the surface.

It seems by default that you can’t Skatter inside the group - even when I r’everse faces’ it Skatters to the outside. You can however use Fredo’s Joint push pull which gives the sphere or volume a ‘thickness’ and thus puts the components on the inside:
30%20PM


Hope that helps. By the way, as a Landscape Designer by trade, I love Skatter. So I’ll always advocate for it even if it doesn’t do everything one would want/

1 Like

It’s like the Little Prince book. I live on a planet that’s so small a short walk will take me all the way around it. of course now I need a rake for the volcanoes.

1 Like

The inside variant reminds me of biological cells and osmose: