Newbie Question - importing .3ds file
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Just discovered sketchup - great program!! But I have a question. I generated a 3d model in Autocad (architectural desktop 3.3). I exported the model as a .3ds file. After importing a .3ds file in sketchup - the sketchup version has lines on the surface of the walls and random colors applied to section of the walls. They must be some kind of construction lines and shades generated in autocadd. If I explode the sketchup model, I can select each line and delete them, but it's tedious. Is there any way to import my model more cleanly? I tried importing the .dwg and .dfx files, but many of the drawn walls and lines are not visible in sketchup so I believe .3ds is the way to go. I have attached a sample of the sketchup model.
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Forgot to say THANKS in advance...
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Hello Rick welcome to the forum
On the import window there is options button, click that and select merge coplanar edges.It should clean up your import. -
@richcat said:
Hello Rick welcome to the forum
Yup, welcome.
@unknownuser said:
On the import window there is options button, click that and select merge coplanar edges. It should clean up your import.
Faces, not edges but as it's the only checkbox, go for it.
The reason is that 3ds triangulates all the faces while SU doesn't. But the importer can handle that as you can see.
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worked like a charm - thanks for the insight! -Rick
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Doesn't really matter
I's just nitpicking.There is "merge coplanar faces" option here which could be achieved with the plugin "delete coplanar edges".
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Thanks Gaieus (well spotted-in a nice way)
"Edges"
better put my specs back on 
been working in autocad all day -
Rick,
I would guess that the white faces in your model are faces with their front side visible, and the bluish ones are "back" faces. Generally a model should be built so that only the front sides are visible, especially if you plan to use outside rendering apps. See the manual for more explanations. The reason why they are mixed as they are lies either in AutoCad:s sloppy 3DS export or the way SU interprets the vertices of the faces when importing. There is not much you can do about it when importing. If you want to try correcting those, the right-click menu commands "Orient faces" and "reverse faces" are the ones to use.
Anssi
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