Creating wood siding dynamic component


I want to construct a wood siding dynamic component for use in my construction drawings. I want it to be in its basic form just a board that can på scaled in the x axis so the length can be changed. I also want to be able to scale the component in the z axis, resulting in the board getting multiplied (NOT stretched) as the height of the wall increases. Finnaly, a very nice feature would be for the latest board in the series gradually appearing as i scale the component in the z axis. As you see in the picture, the top board are not “full” yet. The two lower boards are in their max height (Z) and are locked in their Z dimension, but the top board has not yet reached its full height as the overall component height does not allow for this.

I am thinking of numerous challenges:
The -at any time- top boards has to gradually appear as i scale the component, while the previous boards remain locked.
Once the “active” top board reaches its max. Z height, it has to be locked down along with the other previous boards, and a new board has to be started automaticcally.
The new board must have the exact same shape (no scaling or stretching so the form starts out flat and gets more triangular as it is pulled op) as the other “full” boards, but the board must only be revealed gradually as i pull up the component along the Z axis.

Any experts who can help me to set this up!?

Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

Stretching along the X axis is no problem. Getting the DC to create copies on stretch can also be done. What I doubt can be done is what you seem to want most, ie the ability to show a proportion of a sub-component. Would it be so bad to have to do that separately?

Before going to great effort to accomplish this (and I agree with @simoncbevans that the hardest part is the partial board), you should ask yourself if you really need this!

The answer will depend on your intended use. If it is simply to show the siding in the context of a larger model, you might find that a flat faced box with a picture of the siding applied as a texture to the face (and perhaps an end grain texture to the edges) will give you all the detail you need - and is far simpler than a fully detailed siding component.

On the other hand, if you need an end product with a detailed render - including correct shadows, then you might, indeed, need to model the actual siding geometry.

You could add a group contaning a section cut within the dynamic component. The group which contains the section cut can be set to the desired height.

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