[Plugin] OBJexporter v3.0 20130131

chuckasaki · 4 Apr 2013, 07:17

Firstly thanks for such a great plugin. I think it's a big rough that google want us to go all the way to 500 bucks for an obj export, something that could be considered pretty standard, and clearly exporting means that they may not even need all sketchup pros power as the model will be used elsewhere. I'd would love to see a slightly less expensive option, cos I ain't going to 5 without a good reason.
Having said that... I don't want to seem like someone whining about a freebie for sure, I think what you done is great..... but I can't get an export that works.
The model goes some way and then crashes- bugsplat . I can open the obj...sure.. but only half of it comes in.
Is your plugin still compatible?
If I can get results I will definitely donate.

TIG · 4 Apr 2013, 08:57

As I have no way of knowing what it is you are trying to do then I don't have the feintest idea what's up.
My exported OBJ files have proved to be compatible with all of the standard apps that can import such files.
Have you tried exporting a simple box and seeing if that works...

Bugsplats during the export are very rare, if the SKP is large with complex geometry etc it can take a while to complete; so don't confuse a white-out with a 'crash'!
When Sketchup is doing intensive calculations it sometimes looses its screen focus and says it's 'unresponsive'.
However, it is still beavering away in the background writing the OBJ data etc.
Leave it alone until it's completed its tasks.
If you run it with the Ruby Console open do you get any error messages ?

If you still have issues and it's not just your impatience that's aborting things... then can you post [or PM] a sample of a SKP that is failing, so I can look at it...

For example do you have anything peculiar about your SKP files?
Like very small geometry, or very large geometry, edges and no faces, oddly grouped geometry, oddly layered faces/edges etc etc... ???

cotty · 4 Apr 2013, 10:59

@chuckasaki said:

... google want us to go all the way to 500 bucks for an obj export

It's not google anymore

mommykathy · 12 May 2013, 23:00

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Been going nuts trying to find something to do this and this is PERFECT. Have a great day!

McGyver · 1 Jul 2013, 17:10

Hi! I'd like to thank TIG once again for this truly awesome plugin as well as all the subsequent updates.
I frequently recommend this plugin for people who are new to SketchUp, showing them that their modeling efforts can be used in other programs besides SketchUp.
A lot of people tend to believe that SketchUp is very limited, has no export options for the free version and are not aware of all the amazing plugins that extend SU's capabilities and give it greater power.
I was just writing a short "How to" for people who wish to use their models in Poser/DAZ studio, but it occurred to me that while I giving instructions on how to install a ruby script such as "OBJexporter" I was not sure if there were any other plugins that needed to be installed for OBJexporter to work properly... I have quite a few and the thought came to me when I was describing the progress bar and "Model exported in X# of seconds" features... so I figured I'd ask-

Does OBJexporter require any other plugins such as Progressbar.rb to function properly?

Thats probably a pretty stupid question, but before I tell someone how something works, I figured I should probably include any relevant additional information.

Thanks in advance for any information any of you can provide!

TIG · 1 Jul 2013, 20:06

My OBJexporter code is 'self-contained'.
It only 'requires' sketchup.rb, and that is installed by SketchUp itself in the Tools folder...
The progress reporting etc is built-in to my code and needs no 3rd party helpers...

McGyver · 2 Jul 2013, 15:04

Thank you once again!

the_bored_gamer · 8 Aug 2013, 02:00

Hi, I press the OBJexporter button... then it ask to "convert all to png?".
Wether I press Yes or No, I get nothing, it just close. Please help!

TIG · 8 Aug 2013, 08:55

Run with the Ruby Console open: this will report progress etc...
Tell us any error messages.
If you are working with a Selection it must contain Faces...

Are no files [OBJ/MTL] or textures' folder made at all ?
Do you have permissions to make files in the destination folder etc??

FantasyZone · 10 Aug 2013, 10:55

OMG TIG!!!!!!!
I searched for a month a obj exporter for SketchUp and now I found your Obj Exporter an made an extra account on sketchucation just to download it and at last it worked!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy now thank you for this FREE(!) ObjExporter

FantasyZone
PS. TAHNK YOU!

anar · 12 Sept 2013, 09:33

Thanks TIG for this plugin.

It seems that groups are not exported with their SKP names.
For example if my group is named "Cylinder" the exported group name is "test-GRP-Cylinder-566-Color_A01" which is a bit annoying because I have to rename all my groups after exporting.

Also if I make a group with name "Level1" that contains 2 groups with names "Level2_A" and "Level2_B" without any other geometry, the group "Level1" won't export in the OBJ file.
Therefore ther is only one level of hierarchy exported...
Can it be a limitation of the OBJ format by itself ?

Cheers !

TIG · 20 Sept 2013, 14:25

Anar

The 'grouping' in the OBJexporter file format is effectively 'by material'.
Each facet has a assigned a group based on:

ModelName-ContainerType-Name-ID-MaterialName

As Group names are no unique and Components can have multiple instances the ID is needed.

So for your:

test-GRP-Cylinder-566-Color_A01

Working right to left the geometry is thus...

MaterialName = Color_A01 [the Material's name, adjusted so its characters are OBJ compliant]
ID = 566 [assigned by SketchUp for the container's definition, during that session]
Name = Cylinder [the Container's name, adjusted so its characters are OBJ compliant]
ContainerType = GRP [Group]
ModelName = test [the Model's name, adjusted so its characters are OBJ compliant]

Note that if you had say 'Black' end facets then they would grouped separately as:

test-GRP-Cylinder-566-**Black**

anar · 20 Sept 2013, 15:58

Thanks TIG for such a complete explanation !

But I still think it would be very useful if the groups could be exported with just their names as we can see them in the Outliner.
Then if the name isn't unique the exporter could automatically add a "_1", "_2", "_3", etc. at the end of it (for example).
I don't know if you see the need for it but when I export a scene with a lot of groups it takes me a lot of time to rename them back manually with the name I originally gave them in SU.

Maybe it could be an export option ?
I understand it would be more work on your side as the exporter doesn't have any "export option" window...

Still it's a good plugin that I use all the time ! Thanks !

Anar
http://www.reppersdelight.spacymen.com

rangel96 · 17 Oct 2013, 17:33

@tig said:

Run with the Ruby Console open: this will report progress etc...
Tell us any error messages.
If you are working with a Selection it must contain Faces...

Are no files [OBJ/MTL] or textures' folder made at all ?
Do you have permissions to make files in the destination folder etc??

I have the same problem
Everything is ok and i gave a normal name to may new file. I even ended it with .obj ...
And I have administrator rights...
that´s what loks like in the Ruby console:
OBJExporter:
C:/Users/André/Desktop/Untitled.obj
Error: #<Errno::ENOENT: No such file or directory - C:\Users\André\Desktop/Untitled.obj>
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:266:in initialize' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:266:in new'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:266:in export_start' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:245:in export'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:223:in initialize' C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:1093:in new'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:1093

anar · 17 Oct 2013, 18:03

May be you should avoid the "é" in your path.
I suggest you use only UTF8 characters.

TIG · 17 Oct 2013, 18:06

@anar said:

May be you should avoid the "é" in your path.
I suggest you use only UTF8 characters.
Precisely!
Précisément!

rangel96 · 18 Oct 2013, 16:12

Thanks! I will try do save in other place!

Ibo · 27 Dec 2013, 18:02

Hello,

I downloaded the plugin. Installed it in the plugin folder of sketchup8 but when I start the program I can't find it.
Does anyone know what to do ?

thanks

Ibo

TIG · 27 Dec 2013, 21:43

Under the File menu - like many other Exporters ?
and like it says in the instructions...
@unknownuser said:

Usage: menu File > 'OBJexporter...'

nightwasp · 30 Jan 2014, 18:07

Help.

I put the RB file in the SU 2013 (free) Plug-Ins folder. I restarted but still only have the option to export as DAE or Google Earth. Please advise.

Thanks so much for your help!
-Keith