Is the only way to access component properties still really only through the components tray?

SketchUp Feature Requests
1

Please someone tell me otherwise. I don’t understand why this still isn’t available through the entity info tray. I typically have hundreds of anonymous components in a model, so scrolling through the component list isn’t an option.

thanks

1 Like
2

What properties are you seeking to modify?

For many properties, the “SketchUp way” is direct manipulation using an appropriate Tool, not a properties sheet.

For example as location, scale, and orientation of a ComponentInstance are modified using Move, Rotate, Scale, Paint, etc… The associated Layer, Instance Name, Definition Name, Classification, Hidden, Locked, and Shadows states can all be changed via the Entity Info window. Some actions are on a right-click context menu item such as Explode, Change Axes or Flip Along…

If you mean properties of the associated ComponentDefinition, the only ones besides name are so-called “behaviors”, including glue-to, Cut Opening, Always face camera, and Shadows face sun. These are accessed via the Edit tab of the Components browser window.

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yeah, that’s the problem. I’m trying to access the always face camera property of a component, so to do so I have to open the components tab, which takes about 30 seconds to populate, then find the anonymous component, which is a non-starter, or take the additional step of renaming it, then find it. This would be easier if the selected component was auto-selected in this list, or even better, these properties were just included in the entity info tray.

Thanks for the response.

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Always face camera isn’t in the Entity Info window because is is a property of the ComponentDefinition, not of a ComponentInstance Entity. Said another way, Entity Info shows info about the currently selected Entity (or Entities) in the model. You select a specific instance of a Component, not its definition.

However, I can see how it would be useful/convenient for the Components browser window (which actually browses the ComponentDefinitions!) to preselect the definition associated with any instance currently selected in the model (this would not work if instances of more than one definition were selected at the same time). Or for there to be a context menu item to edit the definition that would open the Components browser with the definition pre-selected for edit.

To my thinking, that would be a valid feature request.

2 Likes
5

thanks

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• Extension Warehouse : ThomThoms ‘Component Properties’

http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets.sketchup.com/web/ewh/s3fs-public/Component%20Properties.png

3 Likes
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I’ll look into that. thanks!

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Came here just to write this! I use this extensions myself regularly.

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