Exploded view in Sketchup

[Ian]

Hi

I was just wondering when you have completed a model how do you explode it.

I mean i've seen some projects in exploded form and was wanting to know how to do it.

cheers Ian

 

[wizer]

AFAIK There's no magic way to do it. You have to do it manually.

DaveR will be along to prove me wrong soon.

 

[John McM]

I think DaveR/Tim covered it in their blog.
Yep here it is
http://blogs.taunton.com/n/blogs/blog.aspx?webtag=fw-designforum
Cheers

 

[John McM]

Sorry the link doesn't appear to take you directly to the article. Not sure why not, I cut and pasted from there! Anyway it does take you to the blog. Search the archive for May 18.

 

[frugal]

According to the web page for the new version 7, the pro version looks like it will automatically do an exploded view based on the current viewpoint...

Of course at the moment I can not even get the free version of version 7 to work on this Vista laptop...

 

[Steve Maskery]

I regularly do exploded views for Nick's drawings. I've done one today, as a matter of fact.

I do mine manually, so the rule is:
Group early, group often.
Items that are not grouped stick together as one big blob, so when you move one, the whole lot gets cocked up. Grouping lines that are part of a piece enable me to move them as one without affecting anything else they might be touching, because, although there are stuck together, they are isolated from everything else.

The ability to move in the axes directions is a boon for explosions.

I wasn't aware that there was an automatic facility in V7. Do you have a URL for the info, please?

S

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I think what Frugalis referring to about V7 has to do with Dynamic Components. With SU7 Pro you can make dynamic components which can do a lot of different things. If you want something to look like it is exploding after a click on it, you can set it up to do so. It has some neat possibilities however I think it is a lot of work for just creating exploded views of a project.

There is a plugin available from smustard.com that will allow you to create an exploded view but the user interface is not great and it also requires some complex set up.

I have been doing a number of exploded views for various clients recently. My approach is probably basically the same as Steve's. I make components of each of the parts that would need to be made in the shop so they aren't glued to each other. I make a copy of the entire model (Ctrl+Move) and place the copy off to one side. Then I move the components away from each other generally working parallel to the axes. It takes a bit of playing with the viewpoint and how far components get moved.

TYpically I end up making multiple scenes to show details of various parts of the model. I'll give components different Layer assignments so I can control the visibility of the components as desired. There's a dashed lin plugin available from Smustard.com that is very useful for showing where parts go.

With a bit of proactice it isn't too difficult.

 

[Steve Maskery]

You see, I've taught Dave all he knows.
S

 

[wizer]

and I taught Steve

 

[SketchUp Guru]

:lol: :lol:

 

[frugal]

I wasn't aware that there was an automatic facility in V7. Do you have a URL for the info, please?

http://sketchup.google.com/product/newin7.html

scroll down nearly to the bottom and there is a section called 'Explode' I do not know any more than that unfortunately.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

That's part of Layout. It doesn't create exploded views.

And as apart of Layout, you have to have the Pro version of SU7 to get it.

 

[Ian]

Thanks guys

Will have a go when i'm finished the model.

Ian