Vectorworks, Inc Employee Neil Barman Posted September 20, 2013 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted September 20, 2013 Hello all, A potentially simple question here... What is the best way (file format & settings) to export 3D data from VW Arch (2013) to Sketchup Pro? Ideally I need the objects that arrive in Sketchup to be editable/workable/modifiable. I have a tried a few exports from VW (DXF, 3DS) but I could spend all day doing this with or without success. I'm hoping that someone here might be able to share a Best Practice solution for this. Thanks! -Neil Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Dave Donley Posted September 20, 2013 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted September 20, 2013 Hello Beil: Have you tried export to COLLADA? The current Renderworks render mode sets the detail, or if the render mode is not RW then Final Quality RW settings are used. Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Neil Barman Posted September 20, 2013 Author Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted September 20, 2013 Bingo! Thank you so much Dave! I had not tried that format, and I likely wouldn't have for a while so you just saved me some valuable time. COLLADA (.dae) files do seem arrive in Sketchup Pro the way I need them to. VW Groups & Symbols are ignored when importing into SU, but I can certainly work with this for my purposes. -Neil Quote Link to comment
cberg Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Why is the Collada export command only in the Renderworks package? -Cberg Quote Link to comment
Patrick Fritsch Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 To get you to buy it, so they can make more money...I know pretty obvious! Quote Link to comment
SonnyLuong Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Sketchup takes dwg files real well. I did it many times; you may want to try that -- no worry abt. the full version. Quote Link to comment
cberg Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I have been exporting dwg files from VW... And it works, but the process is never quick or easy, I think by design on the part of Nemetschek. To get things out successfully I have to export incrementally, and sometimes re-export the same elements a few different ways so that they appear correctly in Sketchup. Sometimes materials and colors export; other times they don't. I haven't figured out a rhyme or reason to why things export well or not. Windows in walls seem to present issues when exporting, as do complex blocks like furniture pieces, and of course hybrid objects. It would be helpful if the VW's software developers stopped thinking of Vectorworks as competitor to Sketchup (even as they try to poach its useful features). Instead they should encourage interoperability between the two programs realizing they have vastly different functions. Sketchup is a great communication and design tool. Clients absolutely love SKP's simplicity and it's ability to visualize quickly and make changes 'on the fly'. Vectorworks is far better at technical documentation/quantification/coordination, but it takes a special set of skills to design with it. Visualization is a *huge* weakness of the program. VW's perspective function is a true cludge. (Why, for example do you need a special 'window' to view something in perspective?) The flyover 'space ball' tool needs a complete overhaul. Even with rotate around object selected, the model is always hard to navigate. And things just look ugly, not as the eye sees them or how you experience them. Oh well. I stop my rant. Thanks for your help on this!!! Cheers! Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted April 4, 2014 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted April 4, 2014 Were these problems submitted as bugs or wishlist items? If not, I can comb the posts here and do so now. Specifically about the windowing for perspectives, that isn't mandatory, you can disable that in View > Perspective, unchecking "Cropped" and you will get a fullscreen perspective visualization. (I am not sure when that change was added, but I think either on or near 2012.) Quote Link to comment
cberg Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Thanks Jim for the tip on perspective crop tip. It makes navigation much much easier. Other items mentioned are not so much bugs, as I think ways that Sketchup translates objects, but I am not sure... Quote Link to comment
SonnyLuong Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Just make sure all your 2D objects are closed polyline. That way no cleaning up is needed. All 3D objects are exported as closed components, but I normally don't normally export 3D components because they are much easier to manipulate in Sketchup. I just build them there. Quote Link to comment
MaryBea Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Could anyone help with exporting photorealistic trees from VW2014 to Sketchup Pro? Many thanks. Bea Quote Link to comment
rDesign Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Bea- I believe that Vw2014 with Renderworks has COLLADA as one of the export options, so I would try that. File > Export > Export COLLADA (3D only) Quote Link to comment
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