Architectural_Design_with_SketchUp

Chapter 3 Using SketchUp to Inform Your Designs
In this detail (Figure 3.3), every logical object is separated from the others and is its own
entity. What you can’t see in this visible representation is which object is a group and which
is a component. As discussed before, components work best if you need many similar copies
(that are only different in scaling, rotation, and insertion location). Therefore, all of the wood
pieces (joists, studs, plates, etc.) are components. Because there is only one copy of the foundation
in the model, it was equally efficient to use it as a simple group, although a component
would have worked, too.
What we can do now is explore this model in the Outliner window (see Figure 3.4).
This will give us more information on how this model has been organized. You can find the
Outliner in the Window menu. As you will see, it is often a very useful helper to keep around
in your workspace.
The Outliner reveals that there is actually a hierarchy of objects in this model: The joist
components are part of a group called “Floor” and the studs are part of a group called “Wall.”
Outside of these two groups are the foundation and the sill. Everything is then contained in
a group called “Mockup Detail 1.”
This hierarchy was created by nesting components, which means that all the joist components
have been grouped and the resulting group has been given the name “Floor.” As
you may already know, renaming an object can easily be done in the Entity Info window.
The Entity Info window is another good candidate to always have open in your workspace. It
not only allows you to edit names, but also lets you adjust shadow behavior on a per-object
basis and modify the layer on which the object resides. (See Figure 3.5.)
You can use the Outliner window in a variety of ways. You could, for example, rearrange
named objects and place them into groups simply by dragging and dropping them within
the list to any position. You can also use this list in conjunction with the Entity Info window
to select individual components and hide/unhide them and adjust their locked status. In any
case, it is advantageous if you give objects (groups or components) in SketchUp recognizable
names so that you can find them easily in the Outliner window.
Figure 3.4: Outliner view of frame model
Figure 3.5: Entity Info window for a
group (top) and a component (bottom)
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