Free 3DS export from SketchUp standard/free
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Regardless of its user interface, Blender is extremely
useful as a file converter.In particular, Blender will import Collada/DAE files
and export more "standard" things.And you can get a Collada/DAE from the free version of
SketchUp.It turns out that the KMZ file you get as a Google Earth 4
export from the free version of Google SketchUP is actually
a ZIP file. Change the file extension and unZIP it and in
the "models" folder is a DAE file, the Collada format file.In Blender you can import that DAE file as a Collada 4
format file. The import script requires that you have
Python 2.5 installed (also free).
Blender will then export your model into 3DS format
and many others.I hope this helps,
August -
I recently noticed that Meshlab will do this as well, although (DAE>3DS) components need to be exploded first in the SketchUp model before export as GE4 KMZ.
http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/
Actually, I just did a test and found a problem with SketchUp components with a direct import of a KMZ-derived Collada into Blender as well...all components have their scale reset, and sometimes their orientation(?) seems to have changed. Seems like the workaround here would also be to explode every group and component in the SU model before exporting to KMZ. And my textures were removed from the model, although since they are packaged in the original KMZ folder it should be possible to reassociate them in Blender easily enough. Or maybe not so easily, if you don't understand Blender's texture mapping tools.
Also, Blender has a display limitation (similar to SketchUp's infamous "clipping error") in the unit dimensions of a scene...chances are that you need to scale any architecture-size SketchUp model down, considerably, before export so that it will be visible properly in Blender.
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