SketchUp and Vue

thomthom · 7 May 2008, 11:10

Has anyone here used Sketchup with Vue? What's your experience been like? Cavecats, gottcha's?

I'm having a look at it now, but I seem to be running into some scaling problems. For instance, when I render everything is hidden behind coulds because it's too large. And painting ecosystem doesn't seem to fit unless I scale the ecosystem units first. I've checked that Vue uses metric units. SU models I make is all in mm.

thomthom · 7 May 2008, 11:13

Another thing. Some object doesn't remain at their original position when I import SU files in Vue.

chippwalters · 8 May 2008, 09:44

I use SU Pro a lot with Vue. I work in feet units in SU and Imperial Auto in Vue. I export as OBJ from SU and import it into Vue.

To convert from SU to Vue:
Export from SU as OBJ with the following settings:
X Export only current selection (optional)
X Triangulate all faces

X Swap YZ coordinates (Y is up)
Units = inches

Import into Vue the OBJ with the following settings.

X Center object (leave off if you want to maintain center)
X Resize object
x Manual resizing = 0.254

Hope this helps.

-Chipp

thomthom · 8 May 2008, 10:07

@chippwalters said:

I use SU Pro a lot with Vue. I work in feet units in SU and Imperial Auto in Vue. I export as OBJ from SU and import it into Vue.

To convert from SU to Vue:
Export from SU as OBJ with the following settings:
X Export only current selection (optional)
X Triangulate all faces

X Swap YZ coordinates (Y is up)
Units = inches

Import into Vue the OBJ with the following settings.

X Center object (leave off if you want to maintain center)
X Resize object
x Manual resizing = 0.254

Hope this helps.

-Chipp

Why don't you import the SU file directly? Is it more reliable using the OBJ format?

You said you worked in feet in SU, why do you have to manually resize by 0.254 in Vue when Vue is using imperial units?

thomthom · 8 May 2008, 10:08

If a Vue unit is 10cm then I should be able to just import and scale everything down by 0.01. However doesn't work either. The units isn't off by factors of tens.

I've set Vue's diaply options to mm, and when I import a model where an object is 1737x883x50 in SU, it comes out as 6841x3499x196mm in Vue. That's importing with no scaling.

kwistenbiebel · 8 May 2008, 10:27

[a bit off topic]:Is it easier to texture objects in Vue than in sketchup?
I was wondering if texturing SU objects in Vue and bringing the results back to SU would be a good workflow.
In other words: how good is Vue at texturing (uv-mapping)?.

dylan · 8 May 2008, 12:52

I believe solo uses Vue quite a lot.
Maybe he can also offer some advice if he pops over here.

solo · 8 May 2008, 13:08

I have been watching this thread with hopes i too may learn a few new tricks. Chipp is the real authority on this one being a massive respected name in the Vue clan. I personally export to .3ds and import without scaling into Vue then resize manually from there and save as object.

Chris, texturing is the one feature in Vue that I believe most other apps can learn a thing or two from, I love using the material editors and tweaking features. However exporting the model with mapped textures is not an option into SU as the file sizes are too great and SU does not do a good job with imported textures .... actually SU sucks with the whole texturing thing really.

%(#808080)[(OT off topic)
Vue in the past has been known to be rather clumsy and unproductive in regards to interiors, Chipp has a new bundle available that is becoming very popular for Vue users that want interior renders (I am not advertising for him just giving a heads up to those that have been turned off due to this limitation)]

Stinkie · 8 May 2008, 13:15

Got link?

solo · 8 May 2008, 13:16

(www.cornucopia3d.com)

Stinkie · 8 May 2008, 13:21

Thanks.

Edit: looks interesting. How's Vue's render speed?

thomthom · 8 May 2008, 13:45

I found some into in their last newsletter in regards to units that I'll look into.
http://www.e-onsoftware.com/about/newsletter/

solo · 8 May 2008, 13:55

Great resource Thomthom, thanks.

Stinkie, Vue is like anything else, depending the setting you require, DPI outputs, sizes, traced caustics, etc, etc it could be very fast (Like most of my renders using minimum settings) or they could be extreme (doubt as slow as maxwell however)

Stinkie · 8 May 2008, 14:00

Hm. I feel slightly curious about Chip's "Pak". Might get it. Vue looks interesting, all in all. And they got this PLE thing - which is very generous by any standard.

solo · 8 May 2008, 14:07

I originally got Vue because it did exteriors so well and the fact that it is more 'art' than 'viz'. SU and Vue work well together. take a look at Chipp's 'Terrapak' too when getting into Vue and do not forget to check out the galleries, they are mind blowing.

Stinkie · 8 May 2008, 14:11

I'm in the process of doing so. There' some nice pictures in there. That said, if I wanted to do exteriors, I'd go with Maxwell. (As that is why I bought the app. It's gotta earn its keep!)

EDIT: seems I cannot get Chip's stuff as I do not have a registered copy of Vue, which strangely is mandatory if you want to buy through Cornucopia.

EDIT 2: Chipp, got a workaround? I'd quite like to read that pdf.

Fletch · 12 May 2008, 20:05

as a long-time Vue user, I can concur with Chipp's advice, that is EXACTLY what I do.

a point he didn't mention, but I do: set import options under File>Options>Length Unit=feet
then do others exactly as Chipp said.

then, when working with Vue plants, I found that their ecosystem plant scale needs to be set to .51, works for most Vue plants, and the Lush ecopaint systems.

KB,
I found Vue's UV mapping has many options, but they are very very confusing, but then, I'm in Feet and inches, and perhaps it's better with metric.

I'd stick with mapping in SU for anything not complex curves... for complex curves... another UV mapper would be good... perhaps Vue would be ok, but not worth $600 just for that function.

yes, very frustrating - Vue will not let just anyone buy from their website - stupid!
when my work bought me Vue5i I tried to buy some content to use, some tutorials, etc... and couldn't do it... had to go thru my work to do this... when I would have been able to get my work done faster by just buying and expensing it myself.

mateo soletic · 13 May 2008, 09:12

A while back I was searching for a program that is simple and fast in producing
renderings. I experimented with Vue for a while.
In my opinion it it a brilliant application with materials, mapping eco systems..
but more in producing landscapes and I think it is great in making movies although
I didnt come up to that.
Below is an examples , the results I got in couple of days maybe a week.
When it comes to Architecture and Interiors and setting up of lighting I found it
to be clumsy. And this is probably not only my opinion. If one goes to their gallery
one will find beautifull landscapes but not really great works of architecture or
interior illustrations.
Dont know if this is was off the topic but thats my 2c anyway.

matteo · 13 May 2008, 19:21

Here my personal experience; I hope this helps you some more:

First of all, there is Vue d'Esprit 6, the cheap version, and Vue Infinite, more professional and expensive. Vue Infinite should be able to import Sketchup files directly, but I never tested how it works. I like Vue, because it can achieve results that look photorealistic, but are somehow surreal, odd. And this can be a great feature for architectural renderings. For photorealistic renderings I prefer Indigo and the superb plugin for sketchup Skindigo or Kerkythea.

I've noticed that Vue 6, but it works also with version 5, opens better 3ds files exported with sketchup than the obj ones.
The 3ds format keeps better the UV-mapping and the group hyerarchy. For example, if you export a floor with a wooden texture on it, it will keep the some texture size and orientation in Vue.

That's good for me, because I prefer to assign the materials in Sketchup: it is much more easy and faster.
There is another big advantage: textures based on bitmaps are usually faster to render than procedural textures allowing you to decrease dramatically the render time. The procedural textures of Vue are fun, but not so quick and easy to control. Of course, when you want to apply materials like simple metals or glass, you will find more useful the presets of Vue.

When exported to Vue, you can then further edit your material, adding specularity, bump, transparency and what else you need, making it more natural than in Sketchup.

Here a couple of renderings I made vith Vue d'Esprit:

the first one is based on the picture Rooms by the Sea of Edward Hopper, modeled in sketchp and rendered with Vue (the grass is also added in Vue)

the second is modeled with Groboto, Sketchup and Wings 3D and rendered with Vue. The flying character is inspired by Arzach of the french comic master Moebius.

/matteo

Fletch · 20 May 2008, 19:50

agreed, guys, Here's my review of Vue 5 Infinite.

but Vue 6 I. claims to have improved a lot of the things we complained about regarding Vue for architects. I know Jackson B. and others are successfully rendering with Vue as architects with SU.