Animating Dynamic Components in Sketchup

Being able to open doors and windows interactively inside your Sketchup model can give you to get a better understanding of sightlines between internal rooms while delivering that extra “wow factor” to a presentation. In this tip I show you how to animate objects like these in your 3d model with a simple click of a button by using embedded commands inside dynamic components.
Dynamic components can be used to assign pre-programmed commands and operations to an object, allowing it to change within a set of customisable rules. You can add dynamic properties to any components that you make and in this video I look at the ANIMATE command that works when inserted as an onClick behaviour.
In the video I go through programming a basic swing and sliding door and then use the interact tool to execute the functions. There is a little bit of pseudo coding involved which can turn people off, but this example is very basic and the steps I go through here can be followed by anyone.
It should be noted also that there are a couple of bugs in the dynamic component plugin which can be a bit of a nuisance and I point these out in the video.
The onClick commands that I use are:
ANIMATE(“RotZ”,0,90) - Rotates our object around its origin axis by 90 degrees and then returns it back to the 0 degrees state with a subsequent click.
ANIMATE(“X”,0,-86) - Moves our object from its origin axis minus 86 centimetres along the X axis and then returns it back to its previous state with a subsequent click.
You can also create multiple command combinations, ie. rotate and move together, by separating each command with a semi-colon (;) inside the dialog box.
More advanced dynamic component movement can be found here: • Animating Dynamic Comp...
Learn more hints and tips at: sketchuptraining.com.au

[@michaelvollrath3192]

Additional tip: replace ANIMATE with ANIMATESLOW for a slower animation speed, ANIMATEFAST for a sped up speed, and ANIMATECUSTOM for a custom time frame. This will give you more control over the speed at which your doors open.

[@guyfisher2050]

Simple fix for the double quote on Mac: System Preferences → Keyboard → Text → Either uncheck the "Use smart quotes and dashes", or, change the dropdown list "for Double Quotes" = "abc" (last item in the drop down list box)

[@tysongersh2289]

Great tutorial. Clear and appropriately thorough walk through. Thank you for sharing!

[@FippeM123]

WOW! This changed the way I can make my SketchUp projects much cooler. Thanks!

[@GraemeWoller]

That was just the set of answers I needed, thanks!

[@SleepingCat22]

TNice tutorials is literally the hardest tNice tutorialng my brain can't comprehend. AnytNice tutorialng else I do takes a few minutes and tNice tutorials is just.. it's just so confusing

[@Darrengb]

Finally got this to work, great instructional video

[@gsoschool5494]

Thanks for a great video, Easy and clear step.

[@jaegersloan9098]

Thanks for sharing this, very helpful.

[@solexxx8588]

Excellent tutorial. Thanks!

[@hattron6704]

thx, this helped me on my school project. ^^

[@jacksonbrandolee4490]

Bro it’s very intimidating! I’ve been slacking on it for a month now. The symbols are very confusing. You have to train your mind to

[@crecclestonable]

Brilliant tutorial, Thanks

[@s1lv105]

Am a biginner but with the tutorials bro am like i started years back my friends must see tNice tutorials too thumps up

[@Theodor1st]

I didn't know about the X-Ray option (in View/Face Style). Thanks!

[@basitimran3368]

Nicely explained.

[@van_mod1]

Love this vid. I have a tricky component made up of several groups that move together but in different ways (sliding and rotating simultaneously). I think this just requires multiple attributes for each group set up on click.

[@StaleCookies]

great tutorial thanks mate.

[@tuffguy007]

Well done. Thanks very much.

[@CedricPamalio]

Very helpful, thanks a lot !

[@extremelocura]

Thank you so much for this Video. Im just getting started and this will help me a lot in all my projects.. is there a way to do multiple sliding doors with or without angles? Thanks.

[@Joseph-gz3qs]

Legend says he's still not back..

[@rjlausartDesign]

Great tutorial.. informative

[@AKGamer-tc6js]

Thank you man🥰🥰🥰

[@MahmoudMouradSidky]

Great Video thanks

[@AnjdexMiel]

Thanks for that video

[@CE-ly4gf]

The truth is that the unknown scares all of us, but we just have to practice so we can get well with the software.

[@drwoo]

5:25 Regarding that conversion to inverted commas: That's not exactly a bug in SketchUp, but a Mac OS system preference. See System Preferences > Keyboard > Text > Checkbox „Use smart quotes and dashes“. Make sure to have it unchecked. It would be however wise by SketchUp to ignore this setting, at least in the attribute fields (not sure if that's possible Mac OS coding-wise).

[@Irishriden2005]

Would I be able to use this program to design a tri-folding table with a drawer?? Thanks! If not anyone have any other novice programs to recommend?

[@harishd8977]

Thank you❤

[@normanmcintosh4241]

Hi Adrian, great tutorial. One question and please bear with me I’m very new to Sketchup. Using the animated component you have chosen ‘on click’ Is there a function or method which would open the door during a mp4 video file so that the door opens in front of you as you approach ?

[@JohnColgan.]

I think the door will open or let you pass through, on your walk through settings (avoid collisions) you can't save DC actions in an export to MP4 as it only saves scene change animations

[@StanoSvK]

hello I watched your tutorial at the door and I should ask a question and advice on how to give a command to the garage gate section so that the individual parts nicely moved for the answer thank you :)

[@JohnColgan.]

Thank you for that hint of cm scale bug in Dynamic Components, I've been suffering that many times when referencing a child object. I changed the attributes to inches, and immediately my animation worked a charm!! About time Trimble corrected this, the product costs enough, expectation for it to work correctly!! I can't find the Interact tool on the web browser version :-\

[@HandyC]

Still watching and researching but does sketch up have collision warning when "interacting" with components to help make sure they operate as they should?

[@yougolook]

how can we animate the construction steps in building say a box or some object ? So a video can be made of the step by step parts and construction procedure ?

[@darkness4673]

We all learn differently, I watched, attempted and fucked up, now I’ve watched again, attempted and hopefully won’t fuck up... as much

[@benton124124]

what if object rotated on wrong axes, or I just wanna change the axes, how to do it?

[@the_grand_tourer]

Wow that's a complicated process ... why wont they allow us to have objects in different positions in different scenes ... but thanks anyway ! I'll make use of your helpful tutorial. Cheers.

[@Casey6996]

Gday Adrian nice tutorial I managed to do the sliding door but the standard door i got all the way up to opening but can not get it to open on the axis,,, i did moved it to the side where it looks it is opening from the hinge side but unsuccessful. Do you have a fix for that please

[@suprianto6926]

good tutoriall

[@charliebarton5151]

Awesome video, helped me out a lot. Only thing is I have a door which opens from the left hand side not the right? How can I do this

[@JustSketchDesign]

You need to move the group axes so that the door pivots from the opposite hinge. When editing the group, right-click on the group axes and select "place" which will allow you to move it to a different pivoting point.

[@garyspeed8961]

great efficient instructional video, thx why did your not leave spaces in the object names? your cm setting flipped back to inch setting when you entered the animate function... why?

[@bigsalo8598]

Great video, Can I make a component turn around an axis that isn't x,y or z?

[@JustSketchDesign]

I don't think so. But what you could do is change the position and orientation of the component axis to align to the axis that you want to rotate around.

[@Tieuhan123]

how can we export sketchup animating component to FBX file (with animation), it seem sketchup 2020 can not do that.tks

[@AnaFolkenstal]

Sadly, I managed to open the door, but it won't close again when I click it. It kinda opens again when I click, but the "closing" animation isn't happening. It's basically "click, door opens, click again, door opens again, click, door opens again"

[@cmeproone]

Hello Do you know how to make two pairs of doors move sideways at the same tie with one click?

[@68HC060]

I haven't tried this, but maybe it would work if you take the leaf and make it a component, then duplicate it and flip the duplicate.

[@sekarrahmini9389]

can you adjust the speed time of the object movement?

[@fonwoolridge]

Great

[@nguyentony1189]

Thank

[@aprintojoss8079]

Great Tutorial.... Could you guide me how to create wheel move ... The wheel will rotate repeatly and move to direction until some distance.... RotZ is only 1 time do....

[@MatthieuArmengau]

It didn't work for me, however with the help of another method (which is very similar) I managed to make it work perfectly ! Thank you anyways

[@noobplaykindaa7273]

Can I animate up and down thing ?

[@damianjr.amolat3445]

Thanks broders. How does it work in enscape?

[@marlondejesus3732]

I've always wanted to make soft but every ti I download software to do so, I just look at the 5,000 buttons/settings, cry for a few

[@marinscordeiro5057]

Good evening Mr. Adrian Price I am from Brazil I like to interact, design with skechup, I can animate a flexible material such as 2cm foam, bend material like a piece of boiler, that is to do development and cutouts in a plate afterwards to make animation of it closed, do I intend to make a fantasy head? Please give me a light, thanks Marins Gonçalves

[@prakharmaharshi9170]

Sir please make double slide door...

[@valentinc4123]

hi if i generate 3d object can i keep this animation ? in my 3d viewer ? thank you !

[@JustSketchDesign]

Sorry I don't quite know what you mean but I can tell you that dynamic component interaction is not supported in the Sketchup desktop viewer or iPad viewer - only in the main program

[@FaCoOliveira]

its possible to make an object rotate and move with one click ??

[@BASTELPAUSE]

Does it works in the free Version of SketchUp?

[@ABUFARAH22]

i just want to ask how to rotate to the opposite side and also transfer the axes to the opposite side for example im working on a wardrobe cabinet with two doors that i want to animate.

[@JustSketchDesign]

I have another video for more complex dynamic component movements - watch that video which may have what you are after: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amHNeZqihs6rbdE

[@TheGameIsUp1984]

Hi Adrian, can you include a dynamic component in an animation...i.e. State 1/scene 1, State 2, scene 2...?

[@JustSketchDesign]

I have not found a way of changing states and scenes together but it could be possible. Someone else might know.

[@Spatchski]

It gets sad that i have all the materials needed to make a soft but when i get in front of it idk wtf im doing and i cant co up with

[@majestickitty3713]

how can i open the door in the opposite direction? my door is a car door

[@killerwolfZurian1171]

what about frameless double sliding doors?

[@ranajunaid3286]

u have a tutorial how to record Youre voice on a soft in soft soft?

[@superstorephonline7801]

how do you save it as a video

[@karamsingh304]

How create Rolling Sutter & install in a shop in sketchUp

[@falcongonzales4]

Sir more tutorial pls.

[@pinkponyofprey1965]

Next episode: How to make a guillotine ...

[@jaxta86]

Is dynamic attributes only for sketchup pro?

[@JustSketchDesign]

It might be available in Sketchup Make 2017 but not for the current browser based versions Sketchup Free & Sketchup Shop.

[@Seqhael]

@@JustSketchDesign Looks like it's only for Sketchup Pro sadly

[@orbsphere-]

Apparently only works in Pro ver. Another disappointment but thanks for the vid. Piqued my interest (in a good way) for a bit.

[@Detritus0311]

Coming here from Make 17 and sadly it appears I do not have the ability to do this.

[@headmd]

That's odd, seems to work fine for me.

[@hasimali1937]

I want to start making soft as a hobby , but everytNice tutorialng is so overwhelming and I still feel lost when attempting to make soft.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Mine didn't work. This is the 3rd video I've watched trying to get something to rotate. It almost gets there! If it's in the starting position, 1 click will get it to where I want it. But the next click will not get it back to the starting position again. It just flaps and falls back to the open position. WhatamIdoingwrong?

[@DarkMoonDroid]

6:49 Can't do this. Bummer. IDK if it's a Windows thing or a 2021 thing. 😕

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Finally got this to work. Now I'm looking for ways to nest animations.

[@Jack-ne8vm]

only SketchUp Pro allows you to create dynamic components, or to add dynamic attributes.

[@rehamroshdy6729]

I'm so powerful, I don't need batteries to play

[@aadityapandey3761]

I'm unstoppable I'm a Porsche with no brakes

[@zeeshan-yb7wb]

Problem is when u rotate door or put it on anoher wall then it will open on wrong way 😆

[@furkankarademir4776]

Bhai ap boh

[@benmadden3940]

For the life of me, I can not get these to work in any of my models.

[@arnavsingh1131]

I wish its get work

[@michaeljohngibaga8]

me practice in sketchup web app :(

[@christianrossitto2526]

im too dumb to understand i will stick to only my guitar

[@srinivasp1985]

Buth

[@webwaste-u1p]

Sa

[@caciadasilva8672]

Too fast.

[@ZarcksTV]

joke in my opinion.

[@hasimali1937]

don’t tNice tutorialnk you should waste any potential