Help with convertion to solids
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I'm just wondering if anyone knows of a plugin or other solution that could help me.
I have recently been using sketchup to model geometries for heat and smoke transfer calculations. In order to use the calculation software I have to export to .dxf from sketchup. The problem is that in order to perform heat transfer calculations through, for example walls, i would need the walls to be modeled as solid blocks. This would also significantly simplify the naming process of the different components in the geometry since the calculation software otherwise explodes groups and components into individual faces.Is it possible to convert a block or other shape created in sketchup to a solid in any way and still end up with a dxf-file in the end? All help will be very appreciated!
Best regards
Mattias
Fire protection engineer -
Spfireengineer
Short answer is no but:
SU is a surface molder and you would not have say conductance value. I guess you can assign an alpha over e by what material used on the face. However, I have seen post of some ( I think they were from NREL using SU for thermal analysis input.I also seem to remember they have done some models for the building code ( IRBC?)Possible link http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=15007873)I assume they are using a finite element program but not sure. Doing a net search would help or contact them
For export I think you will have to go to an intermediate step if you are using the free version. DoubleCad has a free version that will import SU and convert to dxf http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXTv2/tabid/1100/Default.aspxhttp://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXTv2/tabid/1100/Default.aspx
FYI Quick search found this http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=3870 -
I'm not sure if this would solve anything for you or not but SU8 now includes solids (not sure if other programs will read them as such or if it's just a SU attribute, though).
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@spfireengineer said:
Is it possible to convert a block or other shape created in sketchup to a solid in any way and still end up with a dxf-file in the end? All help will be very appreciated!
I'm not sure what you mean by converting. You want to convert a 2d line to a thick solid wall?
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Thank you for the ideas. As I unfortunetely suspected it seems it cannot be done using sketchup since it's a surface modeler. My hopes were that you could somehow use groups to define blocks and then turn them in to solids, i.e from consisting of faces and lines to homogenous blocks using for example a plugin. It shouldn't be to hard since the bounding box of the geometry gives the coordinates for the block but i'm not very good at programming so I will have to try something else. Thank you again for your help.
Best regards
Mattias -
Components in Sketchup are converted to Blocks in DWG and DXF when you export.
Not sure how it treats groups.But when you say solids - are you talking about the objects appears a Solid objects in the DWG?
@spfireengineer said:
from consisting of faces and lines to homogenous blocks
This confuses me. Not sure if I'm fully understanding your request.
If you have a cube, six faces and twelve edges, and group or make them into a component - then that is effectively a solid. In SU8 they will be reported as Solids in Entity Info.Can you post a sample model?
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Sure - SU is a surface modeller, but it is possible to model in SU and send it out to 3d printers etc - as long as the geometry is watertight.
I just quite understand what the OT means by "converting to solids". From what to a solid defined as...? In SU or in exported DWG? Somewhat ambiguous question.
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@thomthom said:
Components in Sketchup are converted to Blocks in DWG and DXF when you export.
Not sure how it treats groups.But when you say solids - are you talking about the objects appears a Solid objects in the DWG?
@spfireengineer said:
from consisting of faces and lines to homogenous blocks
This confuses me. Not sure if I'm fully understanding your request.
If you have a cube, six faces and twelve edges, and group or make them into a component - then that is effectively a solid. In SU8 they will be reported as Solids in Entity Info.Can you post a sample model?
Sure SU can behave like solid modeler... still I think there is one crustal criteria to be filled, before SU can be considered as 'solid' modeler. Surfaces must always orient correctly. If you can somehow create a box with a back face, then you are using a surface (or polygon) modeler, not a solid modeler. New SU8 'solid' tools will not change this. Anyhow that is just my humble opinion.
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Hi,
I've tryed numerous attemps to do so (3d faces to 3D volumes), but I guess (from my point of view) it's impossible :- export from SU to dwg/dxf and try to convert this 3D geometry in autocad to a solid one (using "convert" in autocad)
- export in 3ds, tried the same in Blender, 3DSMax, etc.
I've not tried generic exporters/converters, but if you find a solution, I'm interested in (in a SU to ACAD worflow for civil plans)
Cheers
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In my original experience with a solid modeler, the distinction the application made with other modelers, was that solid entities are not hollow. As I understand it, SU's solids are hollow, but it's really a matter of the exporter. If there is anything in the API that would distinguish solid entities from enclosed, grouped surfaces, a Dxf exporter could be easily written.
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Mattias,
Is it possible for you to post your model ???
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Howard L' -
Gentlemen:
My take on SPfireengineer's question was that would it be possible to make the model take on the attributes of real solid materials for the purposes of evaluating and calculating behavior of those solids in a real fire, such as thermal movement through the material, behavior in hose stream tests, flame retardance, temperature rise, and so forth.
Did I miss the point?
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