Attributes make components dynamic by telling SketchUp what to do. You can choose from predefined attributes or create custom attributes:
- Predefined attributes enable you to quickly and easily set up dynamic behaviors for common features, such as constraining a dynamic component’s size or applying a material. You can browse predefined attributes in the Component Attributes dialog box, or check out the Dynamic Component Predefined Attributes Reference.
- Custom attributes enable you to add your own attributes.
To add attributes, follow these steps:
- Select the component you want to make dynamic.
- On the Dynamic Components toolbar, click the Component Attributes tool (
) or select Window > Component Attributes. Either way, the Component Attributes dialog box opens, as shown in the following figure. In this example, the Component Attributes dialog box shows the DynamicCylinder component.

- Click the Add Attribute plus sign icon to see a list of options.
- Select a predefined attribute or select the Or Enter a Custom Name option at the bottom. If you selected a predefined attribute, you’re ready to add values.
If you selected to add a custom name, type a name to replace the
Enter Name
placeholder text that appears.Tip: An attribute’s name must start with a letter and cannot contain any spaces. Otherwise, you can name the attribute anything you want. Choosing a name that reminds you what the attribute does is helpful.
In this example, you see the Material attribute added to the DynamicCylinder component.
