I've built up a few samples to showcase some possible uses for the new dynamic components in SketchUp Pro7. You'll need SU7 (free or pro) to play with these. You'll need Pro7 to make changes or build your own components.

File is here:
www.mikebeganyi.com/webimages/timber/DynShell.skp

I've built a 'shell generator'. Right click on the gable building outline and access dynamic component options (all the way at the bottom). In the options dialog you can change pitches, width of building, working point of AWall, etc. etc. This assumes that both pitches make it to the center of the building - and is a quick sketch - but you could build a version that accommodated a different break point.

Pretty trick; seems like lots of possibilities for DC.

Thanks

Here is another example... of a rafter.
Rafters can be tricky in that after drawing them you need to adjust the ends if the pitch changes.

File is here:
www.mikebeganyi.com/webimages/timber/rafter.skp


This is a quick sketch - but I built a rafter that adjusts to pitch and length. I've added guides that you can use to adjust the peak and the foot.

Right click on the rafter and access the dynamic component options. In the box you can change the pitch*, beam height and width, and the rafter run - which is assumed in this case to be the width from the outside face of the plate to the center line of the ridge. The rafter will stretch and the guides will adjust to the pitch.

*Currently pitch needs to be entered in degrees... but I could build in a formula to convert a called pitch (5:12) to degrees.

I've added a variable for the birds mouth - you can tell the rafter how wide the plate is and it will adjust the birds mouth accordingly based on the pitch and the height of the rafter.

After adjusting pitch, length and birds mouth you can edit the component, edit the sub component 'rbeam' to adjust the peak and the foot. (I've given a line on the foot to drag to the interior of the birds mouth, and you can drag the lines around to adjust the peak, etc.)

This is a quick sketch - one could add a variable for stand (if you wanted material above the plate @ the birds mouth), or change the guides to draw a male and female version for a tongue and fork or mortise and tenon joint @ the peak.

Thanks. I'm working on some more joinery versions - including a version with embedded dimensions (control with a layer) so that the dimensions on the timber and the joinery update when you make changes (width of tenon, height of beam, length of beam, length of tenon, etc.) these can be turned on for review, or left off in the model. When creating a TF shop drawing my initial tests show that they work embedded into the shop drawing - automating the bulk of the dimensioning on part drawings.

Nice work, Mike. I can see how the shell DC might be useful for panels somehow?

The rafter DC is also really cool. I'm warming up to the idea of a single common rafter component that works in many situations. I currently have a common rafter comp for each roof pitch. One concept I'm still struggling with is needing to specify the length of these things by typing, rather than by "stretching and snapping".

Are dynamic components always unique? It seems that when I copy one, it makes a unique copy, so when I make changes to one, it doesn't change the other.

Mike, what do you think about a static timber component with dynamic joint sub-components?

I'm *really* excited to see the pre-dimensioned components.

CB.

Clark -

The plan for the shell is definitely for use with panels or enclosures - we'd have to figure out how to draw the gable ends on - currently I haven't found a way to control the geometry to do this just yet. When exported we should be able to see surface area totals. With a variable in the shell we could easily add overhangs to be drawn and calculated.

As to the uniqueness... hmmm. I'll have to look into that - but yes - when you make changes using the 'options' box (changing variables) to the size of one, it will not affect the other (or all - so long as they are identical). This is a known 'bug' or 'feature' depending on how it is used - I did read something about it on the SketchUcation or Google Groups forums.

The exception here is joinery embedded in a timber - copy the timber, edit the component to make changes to identical joinery and they all change, as it is assumed child sub-components of the same parents should be changed throughout - so I usually make the parent unique anyway. I do think you can select multiple instances and change the variables all at once.

I've started to code the timbers with a T, joinery with a J, etc. - and am working out how to get some labels or identifiers into the mix in an easy way for labeling. This would help a bit with the 'uniqueness' problem.

I am also interested in a scale or stretch and snap solution to the length problem - but haven't found a good way to do that yet. It works well with timbers sans joinery - but when we get into angled ends it gets tricky, as the scale tool wants to pull from the center of the timber... and snapping at either end of the angle doesn't work.

Static timber with dynamic sub-components - should work just fine - I would guess you'd have a library of 8x10, 8x8, 5x8, etc. and have joinery on each end. No reason it wouldn't work.

One of my goals is to get the library down to a minimum number of parts and joints for common uses - girts, floor joists, common rafters, etc. etc. There will always be special conditions - in which case you can just edit the component or explode the component and adjust manually.

I'll try to get the dimension beta out tonight.

-Mike