Sketchup Dynamic Components Tutorial Jun 2026

A dynamic component is essentially a nested hierarchy of groups or sub-components with assigned data.

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Change LenX to 100 inches. The middle stretches. The ends stay exactly 1 inch thick and keep their grain texture. Congratulations, you just built a parametric stud. sketchup dynamic components tutorial

Before we build, we need to find the tools. Unlike the basic drawing tools, the DC tools are tucked away.

If you have been using SketchUp for a while, you are probably comfortable pushing and pulling faces, creating groups, and applying materials. But have you ever wished you could type "36 inches" into a box and have a cabinet grow in size? Or click a checkbox to toggle the visibility of a fence gate? A dynamic component is essentially a nested hierarchy

| Function | Example | Meaning | |----------|---------|---------| | IF(test, true, false) | =IF(Height>50, 3, 1) | | | AND/OR | =IF(AND(Width>10, Depth<5), 2, 0) | | | ROUND , CEILING , FLOOR | =CEILING(Length/12) | | | MATERIAL_COLOR | (sets color based on material string) | |

They work by embedding and formulas (using SketchUp’s own expression language). The middle stretches

You will see a toolbar with a few specific icons. The two most important are: