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    Can I animate an object in SU?

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    • K Offline
      KarinaGM
      last edited by

      Hi
      I don't write too much here but I read the topics all the time. I am shy and also I read english a lot better than I write it... 😕

      I have a model and I need to animate the pieces inside it.
      I've read about sketchyphysics, but I am not sure if I can do what I need with it.
      Simple movements of the functions of a system, a conveyor belt carrying bottles, and stuff like that.

      I Know I can fake simple animations by hidding and showing layers, but when the models are complex and have many polygons it is just not an option.

      Is it possible with sketchup? Or should I start learning another program?

      **"Aquel que sacrifica un poco de libertad por seguridad, no se merece ninguna y terminará perdiendo ambas"

      -Benjamín Franklin.**

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      • K Offline
        KarinaGM
        last edited by

        Ohhh silly me! 😳
        I've just found a plugin
        proper animation.
        I'll read the info about it and the topic, but it looks like it is just what I need.
        (fingers crossed)

        **"Aquel que sacrifica un poco de libertad por seguridad, no se merece ninguna y terminará perdiendo ambas"

        -Benjamín Franklin.**

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        • R Offline
          remus
          last edited by

          If your going to do this a lot id recommend learning another program. Sketchup is just plain crap when it comes to animating stuff.

          In terms of which program to use, id recommend having a look at blender 2.5. Its surprisingly simple to get the hang of animating things and i imagine it plays fairly well with .obj exported from sketchup.

          http://remusrendering.wordpress.com/

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          • E Offline
            Ecuadorian
            last edited by

            Another SketchUp plugin for animation:
            http://www.forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=22553&hilit=+mover

            -Miguel Lescano
            Subscribe to my house plans YouTube channel! (30K+ subs)

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            • pilouP Offline
              pilou
              last edited by

              @unknownuser said:

              id recommend having a look at blender 2.5. Its surprisingly simple to get the hang of animating things and i imagine it plays fairly well with .obj exported from sketchup.

              Not sure that the word "Simple" can be adapted to Blender 💚
              For manage a such prog learning curve is maybe 3 years for total 3D beginner 😉

              Frenchy Pilou
              Is beautiful that please without concept!
              My Little site :)

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              • K Offline
                KarinaGM
                last edited by

                Oh well 3 years is many time for making a wheel spin around and axis...
                I'll give it a try anyway. I've been wanting to learn blender for years and never find the time.
                But if I can work there with a SU model then it would be perfect.

                I downloaded the plugin proper animation, but I haven't tested it yet.
                And the mover, I'll give it a look too.

                Thanks 😄

                **"Aquel que sacrifica un poco de libertad por seguridad, no se merece ninguna y terminará perdiendo ambas"

                -Benjamín Franklin.**

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                • R Offline
                  remus
                  last edited by

                  @unknownuser said:

                  Not sure that the word "Simple" can be adapted to Blender 💚
                  For manage a such prog learning curve is maybe 3 years for total 3D beginner 😉

                  Relativley simple, then 😄

                  And that would be 3 years to mastery id assume, doing a fairly basic animation such as whats being contemplated here shouldnt take more than a week or two if you get down to it and ask lots of questions.

                  http://remusrendering.wordpress.com/

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                  • K Offline
                    KarinaGM
                    last edited by

                    Oh no!
                    I managed to make a wheel spin in its own axe
                    BTW, is there a simple method to place the axe of a component where you want it?
                    What I did was to move the elements inside the component to make the wanted axe match with the component axe...
                    As it was a simple model there was no problem, but if there is a simpler way I'd like to know it 😄

                    Well. Now I have the movement. But I can't export it!
                    I downloaded a program to capture what I see on the screen, but again, there must be a better approach...

                    Blender will have to wait, at least untill next year (it is not that far)

                    Thanks again

                    **"Aquel que sacrifica un poco de libertad por seguridad, no se merece ninguna y terminará perdiendo ambas"

                    -Benjamín Franklin.**

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                    • GaieusG Offline
                      Gaieus
                      last edited by

                      @karinagm said:

                      BTW, is there a simple method to place the axe of a component where you want it?

                      Right click on the component > Change axes...

                      Gai...

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                      • mitcorbM Offline
                        mitcorb
                        last edited by

                        Currently, Blender's stable version is 2.49
                        Blender 2.5 is in Alpha., not considered stable enough for regular work, by their own admission.
                        If you do take on Blender, Remus is right about the learning curve. But I was able to model a hand fairly quickly, and a bullfrog, and a wolf--none of these in a day.
                        However, the user manual is in wiki form and takes you step by step.
                        But, this forum is supposed to be for Sketchup

                        I take the slow, deliberate approach in my aimless wandering.

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                        • T Offline
                          tfdesign
                          last edited by

                          Hi Karina.

                          If you can get hold of a Mac (or hackintosh), there is Sketchers Studio, which has been specifically designed with SU in mind. There is also SU Animate too- which works with Windows.

                          I too tried Blender, but I found it even more complex than Pro/Engineer!!! 😆

                          My book "Let's SketchUp!" Download from here

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                          • K Offline
                            KXI System
                            last edited by

                            Your using proper animation too!
                            proper animation is the MOST EASIEST animation tool I have ever used. Just move ➡ click ➡ new scene.
                            Even though V7 has a few bugs its ok.
                            And sketchy physics is WAY to complicated for me.

                            Getting the perfect sig is hard...

                            Google it!

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                            • K Offline
                              KarinaGM
                              last edited by

                              Thanks everyone for the tips, comments and recomendations.
                              I made those animations with the plugin and worked fine and then I captured the screen.

                              Thanks Gaieus, sometimes I forget the right click has much more options than the 3 or 4 I am used to... 😕
                              Anyways, it wont move the axe accurately... am I wrong?
                              unless I draw guides or lines so the axe can stick to it (that was what I did)

                              And about the mac tfdesign, I don't have access to one, so I can't use that studio.
                              I'll g00gle the SU animate you mentioned, although the plugin I used worked perfectly for what I needed

                              **"Aquel que sacrifica un poco de libertad por seguridad, no se merece ninguna y terminará perdiendo ambas"

                              -Benjamín Franklin.**

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                              • GaieusG Offline
                                Gaieus
                                last edited by

                                Yes, obviously, changing the axes of a component accurately needs some geometry to easily snap to. But generally one would snap it to some obvious parts of the component itself so mostly that is not a problem.

                                Gai...

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                                • K Offline
                                  KXI System
                                  last edited by

                                  @karinagm said:

                                  I'll g00gle the SU animate you mentioned, although the plugin I used worked perfectly for what I needed

                                  Just to tell you before hand, you have to pay. NOT FREE 😮

                                  Getting the perfect sig is hard...

                                  Google it!

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