Why is it when a DC is copied, any change to it using Component Options creates a new Component with an updated Definition - ala Make Unique. Doesn’t make Components very “dynamic”.
Am I missing something? This is just wrong… I can understand why it’s happening, because a change using Component Options is not parametrically adjusting the SketchUp objects, but changing them internally and therefore having to create a new Component. So it shows that Dynamic Components don’t add Parameters to Components, but really are just a means to edit them.
If I understand your predicament correctly, and to solve it, you will have to wrap the DC in another group which you turn into a component. You can then use that component wherever you need, enter it to change the DC attributes and it the associated DC’s in the other component copies will also change.
So your synopsis is both correct and flawed at the same time. Perhaps rather try to understand how SketchUp comes together, what it offers and what it doesn’t offer and how to leverage that to your advantages and purpose.
The DC system is a Ruby application that piggybacks on the existing component definitions. A component definition cannot have different contents, so every time the DC system makes changes that affect the component parts unequally, a new component definition needs to be created. Only when all parts are scaled equally the definition doesn’t need to be updated.
I agree that this ought to be fixed, but it would probably require the whole component concept to be rethought from the ground up. SketchUp has had no changes in the fundamental model structure in the years I have been using it (from version 3).
I’ve used SketchUp since day one of the @Last days, but I’m still surprised when I find things that don’t work the way I expect them to. I’m just trying to point out places for improvement and help moves things along. I’m hoping Live Components overcome the shortcomings of Dynamic Components.
as Julian noted - wrap the DC in a component. then when you copy this component, whatever changes to made the to inner DC, will be reflected in the copies. it is a shortcoming but i’ve also found it can be a life saver when i edit one or two DC instances and the rest are left alone and i didn’t have to think / remember to make them unique components… i find the wrapping technique to be fairly painless.
Thanks for the tip - what I’m trying to do is wrapping a DC in a DC - I may be barking up the wrong tree. I’m just trying to accomplish a technique and finding out what’s the best way to get what I want in SketchUp.
The “alpha” version is native if you are running the latest SketchUp version. It’s a web based feature so all you need do is specifically insert Live Components from the 3D Warehouse. (Meaning that there is no extension to install.)