In this tutorial I use the example of a large wind turbine array to show how useful my Random Tools extension for SketchUp can be in making things look more realistic – by rotating turbine blades in this case.

Tutorial Video

Tutorial Steps

Time needed: 10 minutes

The three main steps to prepare a component for use with SketchUp’s Random Tools extension are also illustrated below.

  1. For this example it is best to use a component, not a group. As I show in the video, grouping the rotor blades will not allow the extension to properly place its center at the rotation axis. Therefore, start by selecting the rotor blades and the axle and using the “Make Component” tool.

  2. In the Make Component tool, we then need to place its axis at the center of rotation. Click the “Set Component Axis” button and then place the axis as shown below.

  3. Now you can use the “Randomize Objects” tool from the Random Tools extension to rotate the blades randomly. This works for a single turbine, as shown here, or all at once. Just select all the rotor assemblies and they will randomly adjust.

Links

  • Random Tools – My SketchUp extension that lets you randomize many things in your model.

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