A search of the forum and internet did not produce a solution for me, even though I’m sure I’m missing it. Here is my question:
What is the best way to organize my model so that I can easily update baseboard, crown, and wall molding profiles to different options during the design phase? For example, in the house model I have, I would like to be able to quickly update all of the trim profiles in a room to show different options of finishes, different heights of baseboards, different profiles of crown, etc.
My (unsuccessful) strategy was to set each of my trim profile cross sections as individual components, setting the component’s axis to a common point (e.g. the bottom back corner for all baseboard cross sections), then apply the component to the model and use the follow-me tool to extrude the profile along the areas I wanted the trim. Once I had done this, I was hoping I could just replace the component within the model to another cross section component to update the profile of the trim all at once.
My main issue is that I can’t figure out how to get the face of the component to follow-me along the path I’ve drawn within the house model, without the component itself updating to fit the shape of whatever I’ just extruded it along. So instead of my component just being a cross section, it now updates to a whole big shape of the trim piece.
Am I on the right track and just missing an easy step, or totally off base and there’s a better way to do this? Any and all help is very much appreciated!
Bonus question: while using the follow-me tool, is there any way to set it to return the ends of the profile at certain locations? My only idea was to make sure on my guide line, I had a tiny 90 degree line coming off the end which would cause the tool to turn the profile along the tiny/invisible “corner” I had created.
What version of SketchUp are you using? Your profile says 2018 Make which is impossible since there never was a 2018 Make version.
Generally if I’m doing moldings like that I will create a path, usually above the model that I can save for future use. Then if I need to replace a molding profile with a new one, I bring in the new profile component put it in the right spot and use Follow Me to extrude it. Of course the molding profiles are stored in a local collection so if I need another copy for a different room, I can bring in a new one.
Might be a good application for Profile Builder 2.
Share your SketchUp file so we can see what you’ve got.
I think I see what you’re saying, so basically there’s no way just to update the profile and have it automatically extrude along all my defined paths, but the better method is to extrude each profile option one at a time, grouping each individual instance together and either show/hiding or setting to a visible/invisible layer as necessary.
My version is Pro 2018 by the way, sorry for the profile error., Updating now.
No. There isn’t. Not natively, anyway. I think you could do what you want with Profile Builder 3 with some set up.
That works well enough. By placing the path for the extrusion so it isn’t in contact with the profile, the path doesn’t get consumed during Follow Me which makes it available for future use. It’s also handy when you want to run base molding and crown molding around the same path.
And yes, of course create a group or component of the extrude molding and give it a layer to control its visibility. That also makes it easy to swap between moldings once you have them all modeled.
Depending on the way you show the interior views in your model, you might find it works well enough to have sort of generic moldings for the wider views. Then create molding “samples” to show the client. Those could be premade components in which you extrude the molding profile around a single corner. Then bring views of those moldings as a detail thing in your LayOut document.
Thanks so much for the help! Great ideas on the overall generic and smaller sample pieces. I also think I might do a “trim path” group that just defines the path for each profile, then copy and paste-in-place for each instance where I have another profile to run along it.
Yes, if you spend a lot of time on stuff like this, Profile Builder is worth looking at. Here’s one of their videos with some of these features. They’re using profiles to make whole walls in this example.
