[Plugin] OBJexporter v3.0 20130131

goentiki · 18 Mar 2012, 23:43

Mea culpa, this is really embarrassing: accidentally I placed an Alias into the plugin folder instead of the file itself. Now with the script in place it works well and I can import the obj into modo.

I also realized that the word 'book' doesn't occur anywhere in the script, but having no idea about SU programming I was confused.

Thanks a lot for your quick help and this great script!

dakota95 · 4 Apr 2012, 18:14

Ok I have version 8 of sketchup and when I installed this nothing happened. I can still only export to dae or google earth.

TIG · 5 Apr 2012, 08:38

@dakota95 said:

Ok I have version 8 of sketchup and when I installed this nothing happened. I can still only export to dae or google earth.
Reread the instructions. It isn't an 'Exporter' in the sense of being a 'dll' which would appear in the Exporter's dialog list of types... rather it IS a script [it goes in the Plugins folder], and on a restart it adds a new item to the 'File' menu 'OBJexporter'...

That runs the tool...

Alain · 6 Apr 2012, 08:37

@michaliszissiou said:

Great work indeed. TIG, I thank you so much!
Here a test, downloaded from 3dWH. It's a ~1.5M faces mesh, ~20 mterials.
Imported in blender/cycles. Just playing, nothing serious. (yes, I forgot to add transparency on windows glass material)
A great free solution for rendering BTW. Having the support of blender editor, excellent solution for more organic adds.
[attachment=0:2xnu8c1v]CyTestSU.jpg[/attachment:2xnu8c1v]

A question to TIG. Now we're able to export tri meshes only. Obj supports n-gons as well. Will be possible to export like this? As b-mesh is the new implementation to blender. (the new n-gons editor-support)

I mean, SU UI seems to support flat n-gons. Is this true? I'm not convinced. Braking flatness results to tris (show hidden geometry)

BTW maybe this could be interesting for you as well if you use Blender (Cycles) to render:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?234521-Import-OBJ-but-using-existing-material

Kind regards
Alain

Alain · 7 Apr 2012, 14:27

Older versions with Sketchup 7 worked perfect.
But since I use the latest version of the OBJ exporter with Sketchup 8, then Sketchup always freezes while the exportprocess.
Tested it on Window XP 32 Bit and Win 7 64 Bit.

Then when I kill the Sketchupprocess in the Windows Taskmanager then a (sometimes) usable but incomplete new created OBJ-File is created anyway.

Does anybody know what could be wrong ?

Kind regards
Alain

TIG · 7 Apr 2012, 15:12

Nothing similar reported.
Can you post [or PM] the SKP for testing...

Alain · 7 Apr 2012, 17:04

Just wrote you a pm.
It's a File which was created in Sketchup 7 and then continued modelling in Sketchup 8.

I found out that when I explode groups then everything works fine.

Kind regards
Alain

TIG · 7 Apr 2012, 17:37

The handing of instances/groups etc does take it a long time to check and compensate for it in UV-mapping and face orientation.
It does work... eventually - just have patience...

flyto4 · 28 Apr 2012, 13:45

Hi i dont know how to insert the plugin if i put it in the plugin folder nothing happnes but if i open it with sketch up 8 also i cant import that

TIG · 28 Apr 2012, 16:40

Hans

To install a script it needs its file [or for some other more complex scripts, its files/subfolder[s]] to be put into the Plugins folder and then to restart Sketchup, it auto-loads thereafter.

Questions to answer...

You are a MAC user ?
Are you putting the .rb file into the Macintosh HD/...Lib.../plugins folder, and NOT some other spurious ...User... folder ?

Have you read the tool's usage instructions and understand how it works ?

The 'OBJexporter' is found under the File menu and NOT under Plugins...

pilou · 23 May 2012, 01:20

@Tig
Not really a problem but curious
When I want export something on the desktop, or anywhere folders / Subfolders, nothing is done!
No problem when I export in the SU Plugins folder or in a subfolder inside the SU Plugins folder!

TIG · 23 May 2012, 08:59

@unknownuser said:

@Tig
Not really a problem but curious
When I want export something on the desktop, or anywhere folders / Subfolders, nothing is done!
No problem when I export in the SU Plugins folder or in a subfolder inside the SU Plugins folder!
Sounds like an issue with your System rather than the tool itself.
It exports fine into any folder, although it should default to the SKP's folder first off...
What are your security permissions/rights set to be ? 'Full' is best...
Also the other folders should allow files to be written to them 'by others' as it might be considering SUp/Ruby as 'not you' ???

StilTeg · 23 May 2012, 09:04

Hello Tig ... Great tool thanks, I only have one problem, some files do not work, especially one quite complicated design file. Problem is sketchup crashes during the export and I get an incomplete file ...

@alain said:

Older versions with Sketchup 7 worked perfect.
But since I use the latest version of the OBJ exporter with Sketchup 8, then Sketchup always freezes while the exportprocess.
Tested it on Window XP 32 Bit and Win 7 64 Bit.

Then when I kill the Sketchupprocess in the Windows Taskmanager then a (sometimes) usable but incomplete new created OBJ-File is created anyway.

Does anybody know what could be wrong ?

Kind regards
Alain

TIG · 23 May 2012, 09:15

When you say 'crash' do you mean a 'bugsplat'?
If so this is unexpected!
If you mean that the screen goes white and Sketchup becomes 'unresponsive' then it is probably still processing [use the Task Manager to see that Sketchup is still chugging away].
Under intensive processing it's a known issue that Sketchup becomes 'unresponsive' - left for long enough it should finish the task.
OBJ format is usually limited to specific objects or rooms, or buildings.
What are you trying to export? PM me the [zipped] SKP file if you can ?
To help the exporter please remember that only visible 'faces' [or images] are exported, so you can switch off layers containing unneeded objects like text/dims, also hide any other objects you are not interested in...
Many thousands of facets can be exported, the more nested objects the longer the export, the files get very very large...

mattgame96 · 18 Jun 2012, 22:59

I am new to Google Sketchup 8.

What do I do after I download so that it could work on Google Sketchup 8?

If you can help me, thanks : )

-MG

P.S.- Thanks for setting the download

TIG · 19 Jun 2012, 10:53

@mattgame96 said:

I am new to Google Sketchup 8.

What do I do after I download so that it could work on Google Sketchup 8?

If you can help me, thanks : )

-MG

P.S.- Thanks for setting the download
You really need to read the Help files, there are also several useful threads on this forum about downloading and installing scripts...
In this case it's very simple - as it says under the download link - place the .rb file that you've downloaded into the Sketchup v8 'Plugins' folder, restart Sketchup... and as explained on the download page the tool now appears in the Sketchup > File menu...

pugz1983 · 19 Jun 2012, 11:01

Hi TIG,

I've been reading this thread after beeingdirected here. I asked a question about export formats in the sketchup discussion part of the forum.

My question is if there is any way to export from SU with Ngons. When rendering in C4D my mesh gives strange results in the geometry around the area where I used Round corners plugin. I think it's because of the triangulation. Any suggestions?

greetz Twan

TIG · 19 Jun 2012, 11:05

Your profile says you have 'Pro', so its built in OBJexporter has several Options [button on export save_as dialog] which are not available with mine... like you can switch off triangulation and keep ngons ???

michaliszissiou · 24 Jun 2012, 20:47

@unknownuser said:

When rendering in C4D my mesh gives strange results in the geometry around the area where I used Round corners plugin. I think it's because of the triangulation. Any suggestions?

I'm a poor blender user. However, in C4d, try to weld vertices. SU does insist to export non welded vertices. If C4d has some option like tris to quads or similar, give it a try. In C4d, select all the mesh and ask for something like recalculate normals, or normals outside or similar.
I know nothing about C4d but I'm sure, these functions exist, maybe under a different name.

Jakerlund · 4 Jul 2012, 05:32

Tig, thanks for a great tool to enable us to use the free SketchUp to export models to obj's to be used in Blender.

Is there a way to get the models to have all faces connected?
As of now i can't apply a subsurf modifier since all faces are disconnected.
I can load the obj in Mesh Lab and connect the faces, but is this the only way

Thanks again for your addon!

Cheers