Note - See component definitions and instances for further information.The Component Browser is used to instance Component entities from component definitions, including those components that you create and a variety of pre-built Components that you can use in your models. SketchUp adds the components definitions for the components you create to the In Model library, which is one of the libraries in the drop-down list of component libraries in SketchUp. Activate the Component Browser from the Window menu.
Note - See component definitions and instances for further information.
There are several ways to find components within the component library. These include the backward and forward buttons, the home button, and the component library list.
Click on the forward and back arrow buttons to navigate forward and back through the previously browsed component libraries.
Click on the button shaped like a house to navigate to the In Model component library. This library contains all components within the current model.
Select one of the component libraries from the component library list box to navigate to the library. The component library list represents a series of directories in the file system where components are stored.
Components can be inserted from any component library into your model within the drawing area. To insert a component in your drawing area:
Note - The Move Tool will usually be anchored to the origin of the component's axes (also called the insert point ). To see the origin of the component, select Window > Model Info > Components > Show component axes.
Tip - The component axes is the default insertion point (the point where the cursor grabs the component) for a component the first time you place the component in the model from the Component Browser. The insertion point will change to the point where the Move Tool selects a component if you place a component and then reposition the component using the Move Tool.
Note - You can also insert components from an external SketchUp (.skp) file or by dragging and dropping a file from the Explorer into your model. See the Component entity for further information.
Use Component Browser controls to navigate among components in your component libraries.
The component thumbnail displays the currently selected component.
The component name field displays the name of the currently selected component.
The component description field displays a description of the currently selected component.
The Display Secondary Selection Pane button displays a second select panel below the primary select panel. This feature allows you to display both your components libraries and the in model library at the same time. This feature is useful when you want to drag components between libraries and the in model library.
Click on the Get Models button to download models from the 3D Warehouse. Refer to the 3D Warehouse documentation for further information.
Click on the Select tab to display the select panel . Use the select panel to navigate between component libraries.
Back Arrow: Click the Back arrow to navigate to the previous location in the hierarchy of libraries.
Forward Arrow: Click the Forward arrow to navigate to the next location in the hierarchy of libraries.
In Model Button: Click on the In Model button to navigate to the In Model component library. The In Model component library contains all of the component currently included with your model file.
Note - You can have components in your In Model component library that are not being used by your model.
Libraries Drop-Down List: Click on the libraries drop-down list to list all of the component libraries in SketchUp. Click on a library to select the library.
Details Menu: Click on the Details arrow to display the Details Menu. See Details Menu for further information.
The Edit tab contains properties specific to the currently selected component. These properties can only be edited for components that are selected in the In Model component library. These are the same properties, whose values you define, when a component is created. See the Create Component Dialog Box for further information on these properties.
The Statistics reports quantities of various elements, such as faces, edges, guide lines, within the component. Select All geometry from the drop-down list to see statistics for all geometry in the component or group. Alternatively, select Components from the drop-down list to see statistics for all components in the component. Finally, click on Expand to see components and groups nested within the currently selected component or group.
A number of useful Component Browser-related commands are accessible using context menus. Context-click on any component's icon or name to access the Component Browser context menus. The following options appear depending on whether you are clicking on icons in an established component library or in the In Model library:
Select the Properties menu item to display the Properties dialog box. This dialog box contains the location for the component file, when the file was last opened, the name of the component, and the number of component instances in the model.
Select the Delete menu item to delete a single component from a component library.
Select the Reload menu item to reload a component from its original file in the event that the component's file has changed since being used in your model.
Select the Save As menu item to save the selected component to a separate SketchUp file, with a new name and location. You can use this menu item to save components that have been modified or created during a drawing session.
Select the Reset Insertion Point menu item to reset any changes made to a component definition's insertion point.
Select the Select Instance menu item to select all of the instances of a specific component in your model.
Select the Replace Selected menu item to replace the currently selected components in the drawing area with the currently selected component in the Component Browser.
Click on the right arrow next to the components library drop-down list to open the details pop-up menu. This menu allows you to perform additional component-related functions.
Select the Open or create a library menu item to open an existing library (or file) or create a new library (folder).
Note - The open or create a library menu item displays a Browse for Folder dialog box. This dialog box does not display files, only folders. Select the folder or location containing the file and click the OK button.
Select the Save Library As menu item to save a copy of a library with a new name.
Select the Add Library to Favorites menu item to add an existing library to the list of favorite libraries (appearing at the bottom of the libraries drop-down list).
Select the Remove Library from Favorites menu item to remove a library from your list of favorites (appearing at the bottom of the libraries drop-down list).
Select the Expand menu item to see all sub-components within the components the In Model library.
Select the Purge Unused menu item to remove all components in the In Model library that are not actually used in your model.
Select the Small Images, Medium Images, Large Images, or Extra Large Images menu item to change the size of the thumbnails in the Select panel.
Select the List View menu item to display the components in list form.
Select the Refresh menu item to update the components appearing in the component browser.
Select the Get More menu item to get more components from the SketchUp web site.
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SketchUp User Guide (Microsoft Windows): Component Browser |
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