Making a Dynamic Component

When you create a dynamic component you add attributes with specific values to a basic component.

For simple dynamic components, the process is easier than you think. The easiest way is to start with SketchUp’s predefined attributes, be familiar with SketchUp’s basic drawing tools, and know how to use common spreadsheet functions. 

Adding attributes and subcomponents to a dynamic component makes the setup more complex. Bugs may appear and you may need to find and fix them before the dynamic component works the way that you want. Developing your own dynamic component is among the most difficult tasks in SketchUp.

Here’s an overview of the steps:

1. Create a new component that’s made entirely of groups or subcomponents.
2. Creating a Basic Component explains how to turn selected geometry into a component.
3. Organizing a Model explains how groups and nesting groups and components in hierarchies work.
4. Add attributes that make your component dynamic (that is, tell the component to do something). You can choose from predefined attributes or create custom attributes.
5. For each attribute you add, define a value that tells the attribute how to take action. These values can be a simple number that constrains a component’s size, a formula that uses mathematical operators, or a function that iterates through several options that you define in the formula’s parameters.
6. Test your dynamic component to make sure it works correctly. As mentioned earlier, you’ll likely go back to Step 1 or 2 a few times before the dynamic component works the way you want.
7. Save the component in a separate file that you can import into other models from the Components browser or share with others within 3D Warehouse. For the component to work, make sure you context-click the highest level of the component and select Save As from the menu that appears. Then save the resulting .skp file in a component collection.

See the following video to visualize how these steps work.

After you cover the basics in this article, check out a few examples in Creating Common Types of Dynamic Components. You can also find the Dynamic Component Training collection in the Components browser and download the following tutorials from the 3D Warehouse:

• Introducing Dynamic Components
• Assembling a Dynamic Component
• Introducing Attributes
• Embedding Textures in Dynamic Components
• Saving and Uploading Dynamic Components to the 3D Warehouse

For more information on making components, view the following articles:

• Component Axes - Understand axes in dynamic component development.
• Adding Attributes - Learn how to add attributes to your dynamic component.
• Define Attribute Values - Learn how to set up attribute values.
• Testing a Dynamic Component - Test your dynamic component in the components option window.