SketchUp game exporter (Source)

cadmunkey

Did anyone else on these forums manage to produce anything with the Crysis engine from sketchup models?

StarWarsKnower

Sorry I just wanted to say, thanks for sharing this plugin! It's great! I've got a small job making props for a mod called 'Aperture-M', a multiplayer portal.

Chris Fullmer

I never ended up trying because Crysis runs so slow on my comp. I should try it though, just to get it working.

Chris

ryansumei

@cadmunkey said:

Did anyone else on these forums manage to produce anything with the Crysis engine from sketchup models?

Yea I have, But only very basic models. And I haven't worked out textures. Also once inside the building the walls disappear, weird.

But having much more fun doing the topographical height maps at the moment and using standard models.

yan

Nintari

Check out the latest alpha of PlayUp. You can export to SB2 directly from SU now, although collision isn't in yet.

Richard

@nintari said:

Check out the latest alpha of PlayUp. You can export to SB2 directly from SU now, although collision isn't in yet.

Sorry mate what is "PlayUp" and "SB2"?

remus

Im guessing this is what is being referred to: http://playuptools.com/

Richard

@remus said:

Im guessing this is what is being referred to: http://playuptools.com/

Yeah just worked it out! Dumb is me!

oalexis

thanks so much zapwizard! i'm going to put this to use for sure. Just imported a little pagoda into the sandbox

kwistenbiebel

It seems that the PlayUptools are now updated and you can import a Sketchup model with textures and all straight into the sandbox 2 editor. ---> http://playuptools.blogspot.com/2009/03/cryengine-mini-update.html

Did anyone try to use it for realtime VIZ yet? Preferably on an architectural model? (screenshots?)
Since I left my copy of Crysis in Belgium when coming to Australia, I would love to know if it is worth to buy a new copy....

Pixero

I've just done small test nothing to show yet but its interesting now if SU import is easier. Will test this when time gives...

Richard

@kwistenbiebel said:

It seems that the PlayUptools are now updated and you can import a Sketchup model with textures and all straight into the sandbox 2 editor. ---> http://playuptools.blogspot.com/2009/03/cryengine-mini-update.html

Did anyone try to use it for realtime VIZ yet? Preferably on an architectural model? (screenshots?)
Since I left my copy of Crysis in Belgium when coming to Australia, I would love to know if it is worth to buy a new copy....

Mate are you really in Australia? We should organise a PPB meeting, though where in Aust?

kwistenbiebel

@richard said:

Mate are you really in Australia? We should organise a PPB meeting, though where in Aust?

[OT]: Yes King, half a year now . WA is just wonderful....although you guys probably like to convince me to go East, right?
A PPB OZ gathering would be great.

Richard

@kwistenbiebel said:

@richard said:

Mate are you really in Australia? We should organise a PPB meeting, though where in Aust?

[OT]: Yes King, half a year now . WA is just wonderful....although you guys probably like to convince me to go East, right?
A PPB OZ gathering would be great.

Well mate the east has Sydney and Melb! Great to hear you enjoy WA - Aust is a pretty cool place! If you are making to the east any time soon please keep in touch! The drinks are on me to repay in only part for all your inspiration!

Richard

BTW I hope your having a shot at learning to surf while here! WA has some great beaches?

Actually funny I say that - haven't been on a board myself for about 20years!

So back on topic! Yes has anyone had success in arch vis with crysis yet?

Chris Fullmer

I keep thinking about sitting down and working it out.....but I still have not just done it. I was so excited about it that I went out and bought Crysis and everything. Oh well, maybe someday I'll get to it

Staatsfeind

@cadmunkey said:

Did anyone else on these forums manage to produce anything with the Crysis engine from sketchup models?

yes sure,

last year i did it via dwg-export -> 3dsmax -> sandbox
result: picture1

by now i use zapwizzards way by the use of the collada converter.
result: picture2

still i wish sketchup would support better exports in different formats
or a tool that helps optimizing export for cryengine more easily.
collada is still not meant to be a su->ce2 converter...

cheers

zapwizard

Hey, update here:
Valve has released two offical SketchUp plug-ins along with their Left4Dead SDK.
The plugins also work for other Source games, but you have to own L4D.

One plugin lets you export 3D Models, the other world brushes.
It also lets you assign in-game textures and objects if you simple name them properly.

Here are some tips off the top of my head:
1: To make a hammer-style brush in SketchUp group together a block, or group of polygons (if convex) together. If you make a simple 6-sided block as a group or component you can further edit it in hammer the same as any native hammer brush.

2: Use the texture naming schemes given out by Valve. I have even gone as far as to import all the textures and proper names into the SketchUp library so I can apply them easily.

3: Models are much more flexible, but also require more work depending on your texture use. Models can have single-sided faces, and concave surfaces.
Collision models are easy enough to make, but using a grouping of convex blocks, all with default materials and all 100% smoothed.

4: Ensure you don't have any errors in your model, that is lines that don't meet at a corner, stray lines that don't meet another line, or reversed faces. There are some ruby scripts to help clean this stuff up automatically. I will try to find the links.

5: SketchUp defaults all curves to 12 sides, and all circles to 24. You can change this default number by selecting the tool and typing a number in either right before or after you place your curve. This is the NUMBER one reason for high-poly models in SketchUp.

6: Know the limitations. For example the value brush importer doesn't have any UV or texture scaling numbers, so you have to tweak these in hammer. It however does work well for models.

The followings is all part of a campaign I am working on:
http://www.l4dmods.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=3097

Here is a model I made in about an hour using SketchUp and only the native materials inside Left4Dead. The model is 100% brush work with some props added.

Reference photo:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredericksburg/2939995054/:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

Inside sketchup, and also properly geo-positioned
[url=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/3744142295_35c5c97ea5_o.jpg:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

Inside the game engine, with a few quick props added.
[url=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3744929850_da9074acb2_o.jpg:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

This is a much larger building, which currently only exists as a model, and will be converted into 90% brush work, and 10% model detail. Again this model uses only textures that were already in L4D.

Here is a photo of the real building:
[url:1n4q50gn]http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgervey/3299027241/in/set-72157613789552413/[/url:1n4q50gn]

[url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3593/3600025498_293a9943df_o.jpg:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

[url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3604975195_70cd83aa97_o.jpg:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

[url=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2434/3663320760_137d4e66f3_o.jpg:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

[url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3654/3662518771_0c17d37249_o.jpg:1n4q50gn]

[/url:1n4q50gn]

Chris Fullmer

Thats very cool, thanks for posting it zapwizard. I still have not had a chance to play with these tools It looks very promising though! I am excited and I think I have a basic model that I might be able to use with it later, when I get some time.

Thanks for posting this,

Chris

Richard

@staatsfeind said:

@cadmunkey said:

Did anyone else on these forums manage to produce anything with the Crysis engine from sketchup models?

yes sure,

last year i did it via dwg-export -> 3dsmax -> sandbox
result: picture1

by now i use zapwizzards way by the use of the collada converter.
result: picture2

still i wish sketchup would support better exports in different formats
or a tool that helps optimizing export for cryengine more easily.
collada is still not meant to be a su->ce2 converter...

cheers

Mate are you saying in those last two scenes the models could be exported from SU via collada to ce2?

I'll have to read through zap's method again - I really have a problem with too much tech talk, I'll have to try and dumb it down!