IME, components are local to a drawing; there is no way to use components from one drawing in a different drawing’s file.
I think that Windows > Preferences > Files has a list of path/directory entries for various resources including Components. I thought I might be able to create a unique repository to contain all my components from all SU files. I would then point the SU options to that repository by default.
I can’t seem to change the file path under Windows > Preferences > Files under Components.
Am I wrong to pursue this solution? Is there a better way to create a universal repository for components that all my drawings can use?
You can copy components from one model to another.
The components used in your model won’t automatically appear in a “repository” but you can save components from your model into collections sorted however you want to sort them.
To what do you want to change it? Is there a reason the default location won’t work for you?
I would suggest that you start by trying the way it’s designed to work in SketchUp first. Start by looking at the Details menu in the Components panel after setting it to In Model.
If you want to save all of the components in your model into a common collection, choose Save collection as …
I prefer to sort components into categories. For things like hardware I have collections for hinge, pulls, knobs, and all sorts of other things.
To create a collection click on Open or create a collection. Create a folder titled for your collection and select it. Make as many collections as you want.
The easiest way to save a component into a collection is to open the secondary pane in the Components panel (button at the green arrow). Set one pane to In Model and the other to the collection folder. Then simply drag the component’s thumbnail from In Model to the collection.
sure, but it still requires you to create your library.
Whether it’s inside an extension, or manually by exporting / storing components, or by mass exporting all the components of your model, a library remains something you’ll need to curate.
Personally, I don’t do models that require recurrent elements anymore. Therefore, I’m more of a copy/paste from one project to another kind of guy.
And copy/paste is also a valid way to manage your library, Justin Geis shows a method that I would be willing to use if I needed to
but no matter the path you take, it requires organisation and proper curation. nothing’s automatic.
oh for sure! all libraries from the start of time require proper curation and organization. we gotta put in the work, just personal preference to what systems and setups you use for that
