3D Import into AutoCAD

Al Hart

We recently became aware of the AutoCAD App to import SKP files into AutoCAD

It works pretty well for a lot of things, but there are some things - such as PhotoMatch materials, textures which have been rotated, skewed or scaled, and images which do not work well at all.

We are working on a new version which will solve many of these problems.

Let me know if you see a use for a better import tool.

Here is a SketchUp model with some of these things which tend to create problems:

Here is the AutoCAD model after import of this SKP with the standard SketchUp Import App

The trees are faces in SketchUp with an Alpha Texture. The faces come in, but without transparency.
The round clock on the front wall in SketchUp is an Image entity in SketchUp, and not loaded at all by the standard importer
The textures on the house are a PhotoMatch - where a single image is positioned in SketchUp on multiple faces - and are not positioned properly in AutoCAD

Here is the AutoCAD model after import with our new version:

Chris Fullmer

Hey, that looks pretty good there Al! Is it only for autocad, or is it also for the other autodesk apps like 3dsmax?

pbacot

I notice the shadow on the house seems to become a part of the texture in AutoCAD Or is this shadow part of the MatchPhoto. Don't use ACAD but this could be great.

Al Hart

@pbacot said:

I notice the shadow on the house seems to become a part of the texture in AutoCAD Or is this shadow part of the MatchPhoto. Don't use ACAD but this could be great.

The Shadow was probably part of the PhotoMatch image.

Al Hart

@chris fullmer said:

Hey, that looks pretty good there Al! Is it only for autocad, or is it also for the other autodesk apps like 3dsmax?

We are making the Import App for AutoCAD. The SKP stuff, after import, should work OK with the rendering exports - since we export the UV coordinates during the RENDER command. But we haven't written an importer just for 3DsMax yet.

We are planning to write a SKP and 3D Warehouse importer for the AccuRender nXt renderers for AutoCAD and REVIT, and also add it to IRender nXt for people who want to import 3D Warehouse stuff (or other SKP files) directly into the renderer, rather than having to place it into a model first.

JGA

@chris fullmer said:

Hey, that looks pretty good there Al! Is it only for autocad, or is it also for the other autodesk apps like 3dsmax?

3D Max already has a SKUP importer built into the product. It also handles surfaces with double sided materials. Don't ask me anything else about MAX though, it's one of the most complex apps I've opened, tinkered with, then closed...

kalli

I've loaded this into ACA 2012 - yet it seem to "vanish" as nothing is listed in the plugins folder or, can be found with "appload. in ACA. Switching to an Autocad vs. ACA 'profile" in ACA - nothing found then, either.

The MSI file runs, but can't determine what it does.

Any suggestions.

JGA

The command is "IMPORTSKP" for local files & "GETMODEL" for 3Dwarehouse importing.
If you have the ribbon open, a couple of icons should be showing in a Sketchup Import panel of the plugins tab.

TIG

@Kalli

@unknownuser said:

The SketchUp Import plug-in adds two ways to get SKP files into your AutoCAD drawings.
Use the IMPORTSKP command to convert a SketchUp file, stored in a local or shared folder, and insert the model into the current drawing.
The GETMODEL command allows you to browse or search the Google 3D Warehouse and download SketchUp models directly into your drawing.

How did you 'install' it into ACAD ?

@unknownuser said:

Run the Exchange Apps window using the blue "X" - Exchange - and select the application "SketchUp Import".
Install it.
This will add a new panel to the ribbon Plug-ins.
From this panel, run the icon "Import SKP File" or type in the command IMPORTSKP.
Choose the requested .SKP for import and pick the insertion point.
If you need to access directly the 3D DWG entities of the imported geometry, first explode the loaded blocks using EXPLODE.

Like this ??

JGA

It may not be compatible with vertical AEC versions of AutoCAD, some just work with the plain vanilla version.

kalli

Hummm. . . loaded it into ACA by running the MSI file. Prompts tell me installation complete / successful.

Tried both IMPORTSKP and GETMODEL prompts, but ACA stayed "dumb." I'm useing ACA 2012.

I'll do some snooping and keep trying. This would be something I would use a great deal.

KALLI

Al Hart

On another forum (for AutoCAD), users noticed that the AutoCAD version only works with AutoCAD 2013.

We will make our version work at least as far back as AutoCAD 2012.

kalli

Thanks, I think I read (several locations around the web) although I can't find them right this minute, that it is listed as being 2012 compatible.

Having said that, understand I could be completely in error.

Render Plus

@kalli said:

Thanks, I think I read (several locations around the web) although I can't find them right this minute, that it is listed as being 2012 compatible.

Having said that, understand I could be completely in error.

The App page shows 2013 only

Compatible with:
AutoCAD 2013
AutoCAD Architecture 2013
AutoCAD ecscad 2013
AutoCAD Electrical 2013
AutoCAD Mechanical 2013
AutoCAD MEP 2013
AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013