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Help with rendering 3DS, DWG and SketchUp files


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Hi there,

I am having serious difficulty rendering 3DS, DWG and Sketchup files in Vectorworks. I can import them and change them with no problem but there are in some sort of mesh (sorry my knowledge of cad is very limited) format, i.e. a bunch of unconnected lines. When I go to apply a texture, it is applied to every single area of the object/symbol resulting in an ugly surface, rather than if the texture was applied to a solid object. I've search the net and this forum high and low and have tried to convert to various other types of files and models without any luck. When I render the lines that make up the shape are visible. I also have turned on mesh smoothing with cease angle. Any suggestions or advice would be extremely appreciated as it's getting extremely frustrated especially when the solution is no doubt simple.

Many thanks,

Sammy

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Sammy-

Check out my posts in these previous threads on this topic.

Re: Importing sketchup

Re: import 3d studio file into vectorworks 12

And this is from a message that I sent to another user looking for assistance with importing Sketchup files into Vectorworks:

In SketchUp, go to File > Export > 3d Model. On the Format pulldown at the bottom of that window select '3DS File (*.3ds)'. Click the Options button and select the following:

Export: By Material

Export two-sided faces as: Materials

Export Standalone Edges

Export Texture Maps > Favor: Preserving Texture Coordinates

Leave the Scale Units as Model Units

Click OK.

Then click Export.

That should create a file with the .3ds extension, and this is the file that you will import into Vectorworks.

In Vectorworks, go to File > Import > Import 3DS (3D Only). Select the .3ds file you exported from Sketchup. On the Import 3DS Options window that pops up, make sure the the top two checkboxes are selected: Import Materials, and Import Textured Materials. Also make sure the Import Mesh Objects section is set to Import as Groups of 3d polygons and the 'Use Texture Materials to Texture' box should also be checked. Leave the Scale button alone for now, but you may need to return here if the scale is wrong.

Be warned that after all of this, Vectorworks sometimes still will NOT import the textures and I don't know why. I haven't figured it out and Nemetschek has not been much help.

If the scale of the object is off you'll have to try to match-up the Sketchup 3DS Export Scale with the Vectorworks 3DS Import scale, but you'll be on your own to fix this as it's usually just trial-and-error to get the correct scale.

That's about all the help I can offer, best of luck.

Regards,

Tim

HTH.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 7 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Hi guys

So i don't have SketchUp...

I go to their website and download things i need.

When try import SketchUp file in Vectorworks i can't manage to get the drawing to come in with all its colour and textures :/

I've tried playing with all the option to import SketchUp file but i only get the drawing with thousands of polylines.

Do i have to own sketchUp software up to get the drawing from the website with all its colours and textures into Vectorworks ???

Please advise

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
Hi guys

So i don't have SketchUp...

I go to their website and download things i need.

When try import SketchUp file in Vectorworks i can't manage to get the drawing to come in with all its colour and textures :/

I've tried playing with all the option to import SketchUp file but i only get the drawing with thousands of polylines.

Do i have to own sketchUp software up to get the drawing from the website with all its colours and textures into Vectorworks ???

Please advise

Having sketchup should not hurt or help SKP import. But unfortunately versions older than 2015 did not have the ability to import the textures/colors/materials as well as the 3D geometry.

Give the Vectorworks 2015 demo a try with SKP import and see if you get the results you're looking for:

http://www.vectorworks.net/trial/form

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  • 1 month later...

Ryan,

I've had the same issue, but I'm using 2015. Works great. You just have to dig into the symbols that are part of the model and apply solids to them to get them to show up properly when you're in a render mode such as opengl, but if your using an older version then your situation is not so good. Hopefully you can upgrade. 2015 has been great so far.

Cheers.

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