John Windswept Design Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 A client sent me a very well done terrain model from google earth. Its in sketch up. I import this file into VW and nothing. No terrain, building, layers or classes. Anybody no whats up? Is ther a way I can go straight from goggle earth and bring in a terrain model? John T. Quote Link to comment
John Pacyga Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 VW should be able to bring in .skp geometry without a problem. I haven't figured out how to bring in the imagery/textures yet. I'll let you know if I find a process. Ideally, a Google Earth aerial image would be at the right scale and save lots of time! Quote Link to comment
John Windswept Design Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm at a loss. Would be a great thing though. The way things are developing I would say essential. Quote Link to comment
Bob Holtzmann Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Google Earth is image-based rendering, and users can upload model files to it. I've used plan image files from Google Earth as screen captures, but I am unaware that terrain models can be extracted from it in any way. Quote Link to comment
cad@sggsa Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 VW should be able to bring in .skp geometry without a problem. I haven't figured out how to bring in the imagery/textures yet. I'll let you know if I find a process. Ideally, a Google Earth aerial image would be at the right scale and save lots of time! Export as a 3Ds file. It brings in the textures, but in the wrong scale. Quote Link to comment
rDesign Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 What I find to be the biggest difficulty with importing SKP files into VW via 3DS import is that sometimes the textures are not properly 'stuck' to the Sketchup object. Exporting 3DS file from Sketchup: Before I export to 3DS I often find that I have to take one extra step that sets the UV texture mapping for the object. You'll need a free Ruby plugin named 'UV Toolkit' in order to set the UV mapping. sketchucation :: UV Toolkit. You'll have to be registered on that forum in order to download. There are some videos there that will help you use the tool. Once I set the UV textures with the UV Toolkit, then I exported the file to 3DS format and the texture files were exported along with it. (On the 3DS Export Options tab I select 'Export Texture Maps' and 'Favor Preserving Texture Coordinates', leave Units as Model Units). The textures should be in the same folder with the .3ds file. Importing 3DS file into Vectorworks: When you import the 3DS file into Vw, you need to select 'Import as 3D Groups of Polygons'. Importing it as a Vectorworks Mesh Object will not import the textures. I have attached a Vw2010 file of a textured 3DS file which was exported from Sketchup 7 via Google Earth. Note that you'll have to take some extra steps in Sketchup 7 if you want color textures from Google Earth, look here if you want to do that: . Sketchup 8 lets you get color terrain textures via File > Geo-Location > Add Location. HTH. Quote Link to comment
John Pacyga Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Could you elaborate on your use of UV Tools? I believe the plugin has evolved and I an interested in your exact steps to secure the texture at the proper scale when using aerials. Quote Link to comment
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