Exploding Library Parts

[Anonymous]

How do I explode a library part so that I can keep only one portion of it and get rid of the rest? I know I've done this before, but I can't for the life of me remember how, and I can't find the command (or instructions) anywhere.

I specifically want to alter the shower tapware object from CabinetBuilder (one or two instances only, not the base part), and the Taps & Spouts part from Paramentric.com, so that I can use just the shower head and just the mixer(s), separately - and I'm afraid I'm just clueless still about how to use GDL.

Wendy

[Erika Epstein]

A non-gdl method is to use the marquee tool to isolate the portion of the library part you want to save out as a new lbrary part.

[Anonymous]

Terrific - thanks, Erica.

On the bright side, I just created a new mixer valve for myself. It's incredibly rudimentary in form - but the big news is I finally figured out how to take something modeled on its side and stand it up!

I still need to break out the showerhead from the existing parts, though; I don't even want to think about trying to model one of those <g>.

Wendy

[Link]

Erika wrote:
A non-gdl method is to use the marquee tool to isolate the portion of the library part you want to save out as a new lbrary part.

SEO too if you need extended butchering.

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, I can't seem to make this work. I need to isolate the part I need in the 3D window, because part of it is directly above the part I want to edit out, but when I try to save it, it *looks* like it's saved (I get an object showing up as being in my project folder when I look at it with Windows Explorer), but when I try to place an instance, it's not available in the object settings dialogue box. It's like there's something there, but AC just doesn't seem to see it. What am I missing here?

Wendy

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Link; the SEO did the trick - as long as I don't move the thing very far in adjusting its position <g>.

Wendy

[Djordje]

Wendy wrote:
Hmmm, I can't seem to make this work. I need to isolate the part I need in the 3D window, because part of it is directly above the part I want to edit out, but when I try to save it, it *looks* like it's saved (I get an object showing up as being in my project folder when I look at it with Windows Explorer), but when I try to place an instance, it's not available in the object settings dialogue box. It's like there's something there, but AC just doesn't seem to see it. What am I missing here?

Wendy

Is it saved in a folder that is loaded as a part of your library?

Hope so.

Just reload the library when you finish butchering all the stuff that you need

[Anonymous]

Djordje wrote:
Is it saved in a folder that is loaded as a part of your library?

Hope so.

No, I realized that too late and mangled the basic part <sigh>.

Just reload the library when you finish butchering all the stuff that you need

Oh, really? It was a CabinetBuilder part, and I don't remember if I tried reloading the library or not. I reinstalled the add-on - but reloading the lib would have sure been easier.

Oh well, I'm learning something new every day now <g>.

I don't really understand how the SEO is working, since both parts are still clearly there, and moving the fixture sideways too far lets the bottom part I "cut" out still show, but I don't think I'm gonna question it too much because keeping it covered up with the operator part keeps the stuff I don't want to see out of sight, which is just fine with me, however it's accomplishing it <g>.

Wendy

[Link]

Wendy,

You can just hide the operator. Put it on a different layer, and hide that layer. Then you'll see the cut part better. SEO's are live relationships. If you move or delete one of the items, the other will update! That's actually the beauty of them!

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

The operator done been hid, Link; thanks. I always do that ;-> I just don't understand why the part of the target object I'm trying to nuke peeks back out when I move it over a few inches.

Whatever, as llong as increasing the size and moving the operator object around re-nukes it, I'm happy ;->

God help me, I actually think I'm finally starting tp get the hang of this thing. Although, of course, every time I start to think that, something else crops up to confoudn me <g>.

Pardon any typos or incoherence. I've had one too many tonight to celebrate getting through a couple of deadlines - yes, with Archicad <g>.

Wendy