Jump to content
AutoDesSys

Importing SketchUp models...


-andrew-

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone,

 

Hope your holidays are nice.

 

When I bring in a model from SketchUp, I can't seem to edit much. Ideally, for example, I might get a chair from 3D Warehouse and then want to model new details.

 

However, I can only seem to grab "whole" individual parts of the models and don't know how to convert them to "true" solids in FormZ (though solid is checked on import)

Any help appreciated!

 

thanks,

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Andrew,

 

Well, SketchUp models are rather notorious for having bad geometry that prevent useful modifications.  In some cases you may be able to fix the problems, but more likely rebuilding it properly, or importing from another source will give best results.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As tech says Sketchup models are usually very difficult  to deal with (but not impossible).  For starters I would suggest going to a site with decent models like 3DSky which has very reasonable costs.  I think all there models are $6 and many of them are free after you pay for a few.  If you must use SKP models then I would suggest getting the FMZ plugin from the forum that is called "separate objects by color".  This will allow you to explode the model by materials that were applied.  For a lot of other problems I use the Separate and Ungroup tools on just about everything.  Then your next step is to use the other great plugin from FMZ called "obj fixed reversed" which finds inverted objects and fixes them.  There will be many of them.  Lastly and also as importantly select everything and use the object doctor 4 or 5 times in a row.  Once is never enough.  There will be many coplanar faces and non planar surfaces to deal with.  What you will end up with will be fairly stable and usable.  If parts of the model are gone then those will need to be rebuilt. 

Hope this helps you and anyone else who is required to use Skp models.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also have to use SketchUp models a lot these days.  I've found that importing into FormZ works better than ever with the newest version, however it is still usually best to open the file in SketchUp first, and explode and/or ungroup the objects so everything will be editable in FormZ when you import.  I'm not intimately familiar with SketchUp like I am with FormZ, but have found right clicking in SketchUp reveals these functions.  

 

Andrew has some good advice as well with the Separate Objects by Color extension.  It can really help when the SketchUp geometry is being difficult to select.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...