Quickies Anyone?

Quicky Components

To speed up the house modeling, I provide a half-dozen dynamic components for you to download from Google 3d Warehouse. These component have predefined options that can be modified so they are reusable to the degree that you will only require one of these components for every application ( for example for all the windows of your house, even when each has different shape and size).

There are three Quickies components used during Project One modeling: A Rectangle, a Door and a Window components. Three more Quickies will be available before we start Project Two Modeling: A Sliding door, A Straight/U-shape stair and a Spiral Stair components.

I will discuss where and how to download the three Quickies at the bottom of this posting.

For now, I believe the six components will cover our need for quick and accurate modeling. Give me a shout if you think some other kind of dynamic components are also essential. (Just a teaser, I'll throw in a by-fold door Dynamic Component later during the Project Two modeling).

Tips and Trick

Dynamic Components Unlike its predecessor , a Dynamic Component (DC) can accept entries from users to modify predefined options to control some of its elements. A DC may also has some logic as to what each defined component element would behave when it is clicked and/or resized.

I made all these component to help quickly find the right dimension of  windows and doors while keeping all element in the right proportion. If we do this in the simplest way possible, we can concentrate more on other modeling/designing aspect.  For instance, you may want to resize a window overall dimension to fit to an existing wall. Just like in the real word, the resizing must not effect the dimension of the sashes or the jambs except for their length to accommodate the new overall window size. For such reason, the door and window components are detailed in dimension down to rabbet depth but are missing all ornamental details such as raised panel.

If so required, after you are comfortable with the doors/windows dimensions, you can to replace them with more detailed components.
However, these dynamic components is "technical drawing ready" for you to give to window/door manufacturers. You can also edit the components, but if you edit it using SketchUp free, you will loose their dynamic feature since Dynamic Components can only be edited using SketchUp Pro.

Measurement Unit

By default, the measurement unit used is in Centimeter. You can enter as many decimals as required. You can also enter units other than Centimeters, as along as the entry is followed by appropriate notation, such as [3.5"] or [39.15m]. It will be automatically converted into centimeter. Any of the measurements can be modified anytime you please.

Animation

The window and door components have opening / closing animation capability. So far, nothing technical about this feature, but it is fun to watch.

Scaling / Change the size of the public

Tips and Trick

Reversing Door Opening A single leaf door component will have right hand opening. To make it left hand opening you can ether flip the component by activating the Context Menu (Right Mouse Click) and choose Flip Along - Component's Red. or you can use Scale to and drag on side of to the door across to another side. The first approach is favorable if dimensions are already set to the door.

Each of the components has its width and length setting to accurately size the model. In addition, the size of these
components can also be modified using the Scaletool. Changes to the components using this tool will modify the overall length and width of the components but will not effect all other dimensions that are not directly related to the overall size.

More on Scale tool is discussed in: Improving Accuracy.

Scale tool can also be used to reverse opening of a single leaf door (see Tip and Trick above)

Quicky Rectangles (1)

The first Quicky component probably is the simplest dynamic component ever made by human. However, I find this component useful when helping SketchUp beginners to create floors plan because I can skip some SketchUp concept in order not to overload with theories and go straight into modeling.

This simple component is mainly used to make a rough floor plan quickly and accurately. Based on this rough floor plan, a refined floor plan is made and the walls and the floor of the building are created.

Normally, one room will be represented by one Quick Rectangle. You may need to use more than one Quicky Rectangle if some of the rooms have irregular shapes.

During usage, you will set the component option (width and length) according to room dimensions. You can also resize the rectangle using scale tool and drag from one its sides. However, I suggest that you use another object as a reference to ensure accuracy.

After all the rooms are represented, these components will be exploded into lines and rectangles and will disappear from the model (more on this will be discussed later). Prior to making the wall, some wall outlines may require editing, such adding sloping lines and curves to shape exactly like the actual floor plan.

The figure shows Quick-nine Rectangles that are arranged into one floor plan. Dimensions of each room are added for clarity.

Quicky Door (2)

This component can be used to accurately model a single or double leaf door with opening/closing animation.

The structural opening will define the overall dimension of the door.
Change to the height (a) or width (b) of this component can also be done using Scale Tool. While other settings, such as Jamb/Head's width (h), thickness (c) and Rabbet (g) must be set using this Component Options window. So are the leaf's thickness (e) and the width (f) of the second door leaf. Naturally,  with this intended restriction, scaling the overall door dimension will not change other dimension proportionally as it would happen if this component were not a dynamic component.

As you can see, the width of the first door leaf is not editable since it will be automatically calculated based on the overall dimension, some other settings. So if you want to have both leaves have equal width, you need to find the net width when there is no second leaf. Divide the number by two and enter the result as the '2nd Door Net Width' value.

Without any apparent reason, I  set the degree of the second door opening - when animated - as half of the first door maximum opening value.

Quicky Door Examples

Quicky Window (3)

I try to make this component as a "one for all dynamic component" that it can be 'stiched' to make different shapes of window design. This may not be completely achieved, but they surely are flexible enough to appear as different set of windows as illustrated in the example.

Options available of this component are almost similar to that of  a Quick-door. One important difference is that in Quick window we can hide one side of the jamb so there will only be three sides of the jamb.  Side A is the side where the hinges  reside. Side B, C and D are all other sides clock wise.

We need to hide one side of the jamb if we want to attach this window component to another window or door component. So the merged component will look like one

We can rotate each Quick window so the hinged side can be anywhere else other than upper side of the jamb.

Quicky Window Examples

Downloading the Components

The three components are ready to download from the Google 3d- Warehouse. There are two alternative in how to download the component:

1. Visit the Google warehouse
2. Add directly to your model using the Window Components

To visit the Google ware house, just click each of the Component Option for each of the component and it will open the respective component's page in the warehouse. Save each of the component to sub folder \Quickies for easy access later.

We can also add each component directly to your model using Window Components as if they were in your local folders as if they were in your local folder. Since there are thousands of components already in the warehouse. You need to enter a few unique keywords to filter your search.

Open menu Window -> Components and type [harrynov DC]. Click the Search button (the magnifying glass) to display all my DCs component. Click to download a component and place it to your model.

Tip & Trick

Saving components downloaded suing the Window components to your local folder Components added directly to your model using the window components are stored only in your model. To save them to your local folder we must go back to the Components Window and click  the In Model button to display all components stored in the model. Right Click at the component you want to save to activate a context menu and choose  'save as' to save it to your local folder.

To avoid having to always download the same components over and over again from the 3d warehouse, you should later save each of these Quickies to a local folder. Save all the components to sub folder \Quicky for later use.

 

Enjoy!

Harrynov