Help with Illustrator/Vector Import & Faces
-
Some people prefer to re-trace autocad files, because they often import with tons of un-necessary geometry. But I think for the process you described, it should not be re-traced in SU. So here's what to do.
You can run the script "makefaces" on the linework to create faces. It can be found gere:
and that script requires progressbar to work:
http://www.smustard.com/script/ProgressBarThey are both free. Copy them to your "SketchUp 7/Plugins" folder (unless your on a Mac, I don't where they go then). Once they are installed, just run make faces ( located in Tool>Make Faces 1.4" ) on the lines and it will create faces fr you to then start working with.
If the linework is in a group, you will need to be editing that group and then run the makefaces script for it to work. Or you could just explode the group first, then run the script. Hope that helps,
Chris
-
Thanks for your help Chris.
I will give it a try.
Tim
-
Hi Tim,
Note that in order to get a face, the edges must always be coplanaras well as create a closed loop. Now even without makefaces.rb, if you have a set of edges like this (no matter how many edge segments make up that loop), you only need to "trace over" or "redraw" one segment of the loop and SU will immediately "guess" what you are after and "heal" that face. In fact,you will probably use this technique quite much in SU to regain faces that are somehow (and temporarily) "lost" in the modelling process even apart fro0m imports.
So it doesn't fully defeat the purpose of vectorising a raster image prior to import although a complicated drawing may still take a good while to finish manually in SU.
-
Sketchup can't deal with any beziers exported from Illustrator. Or at least, if it does, it will reduce then to millions of tiny straight line segments which will then create millions of faces when the shape gets extruded.
You need to do a little pre-production work in Illustrator before you export the ai file to dwg. Add as many extra control/anchor points as you need to keep curves looking reasonably smooth without going completely overboard. Then simplify everything to straight lines. The more efficient and slimline outline thus created will work much better when you have imported it to SU and try to create faces from it.
-
Also, you can use SimplifyContours.rb (scroll down to the bottom here) to optimise your "too high poly" imports already in SU.
-
Thanks for your help everybody.
I have been trying out makefaces and am not having any luck.
All my vector objects have been from Illustrator, some simple, some complex. One was from the pre-made objects menu in Illustrator.
So it sounds like I running into the hurdles mentioned.
At this point I have to ask, with what I am trying to do, would I be better off with a full blown 3D app like Lightwave etc... that might be able to handle more input varibles and create a model?
I have tried Lightwave in the past but it was so complex that I did not have the time to devote to it, but if Sketchup is strong in other areas maybe I should be looking for a different software?
This is an extra effect I am trying to add to my video productions that can not take a lot of time or energy as the rest of the production process already takes enough time!
Maybe I am asking too much for too little time invested?
Thanks
-
Can you upload a file - as simple as you wish - so we can have a look?
-
Perhaps its all coming in grouped and you need to ungroup it before running makefaces. If you select it and all the linework gets selected, then it is grouped. Right click on it and choose "Explode". Then run makefaces. Just a thought,
Chris
-
Hello,
I tried to explode the artwork and it did not affect anything. If I try "edit component" then run makefaces, faces are then created.
Thanks for all of your help here.
I have decided to re-install Lightwave and give it a shot as I feel any time invested will be with a very powerful program and also will be able to get some use out of the money I spent.
Thanks again,
Tim
-
The one thing that will stop Makefaces dead in its tracks is if there are any stubs of lines inside the overall outline shape. (Think of a simple case like a circular outline with a tiny stub of a "spoke" heading from one of the nodes on the edge towards the centre).
If you are sure the outline is compltely closed and planar, then that's the most likely reason. You may need to fill it in by progressively drawing lines across the shape between obvious points...then delete them once the complete shape is filled.
Advertisement