Sketchup to Luxrender

ark

Hi guys,

I understand you're all keen on a sketchup exporter
Even though i had plans to make one, i don't think i have the time to take that on currently...

Maybe you can ask around and find one in your sketchup forum community who can build one ?

Radiance

Wish I had time to learn Ruby

remus

The scene file format seems fairly simple, it might even be possible to hack one of the existing exporters (SU2KT, skindigo etc.) in to something that works.

Dammed lack of time, this would be a good project.

2kemon

I know absolutely nothing about coding, but I know what works, and the skindigo exporter works to near perfection, so an exporter based on that would be great! But is that allowed, now that whaat is working for Glare on developing the indigo exporter further?

remus

Good point, didnt think of that. Im fairly sure you could do one based on SU2KT, though, as thats how skindigo started out.

dacad

i'm also quite interested in luxrender, but right know for sketchup users the only way to test it it using blender...
and isn't the first versions of skindigo open source?

Gaieus

@unknownuser said:

and isn't the first versions of skindigo open source?

Have a look at the copyright notice insideskindigo to find out. If it doesn't say, it isn't.

But guys, it shouldn't be a problem to ask Whaat about skindigo or Tomasz about su2kt - even whether they'd be inclined to make a modification needed or allow others to do it. They're both members here and even active so feel free to send a PM to them.

ark

It would be nice to make a mod of SU2KT so it could be used to both Kerkythea and Luxrender. I remember this idea was mentioned earlier on this forum!

smokinbakin

Whenever I use Luxrender, I just take the long way,
Export as google Earth,
Rename to model.zip,
Remove the Colloda from inside the zip file,
Convert to .3ds in FBX Converter -

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=7851697

Open in Blender,
Export to Luxrender.

For all this trouble, it gives about the same output as Indigo.

ark

I've posted a diagram of my ideas to the workflow and features of the SU2LUX exporter!
http://www.luxrender.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=81&p=20337#p20337

Please comment!

Whaat

@2kemon said:

I know absolutely nothing about coding, but I know what works, and the skindigo exporter works to near perfection, so an exporter based on that would be great! But is that allowed, now that whaat is working for Glare on developing the indigo exporter further?

A new exporter based on SkIndigo would be copyright infringement. There is no GPL code in SkIndigo. There was at one point but I have re-written it.

stanmarsh

+1, i also like to see a sketchup to luxrender connection.

resistor

smokinbakin,

Can you tell whether you get accurate model (exactly the one you made in SU) after you followed steps you described (to export from SU to Lux) or there are some drawbacks/deteriorations in resulting Lux' model if compared to original SU model?

p.s.: i'm choosing between KT and Lux for rendering SU models --> if SU models are imported well into Lux i would prefer Lux over KT.

smokinbakin

@resistor said:

smokinbakin,

Can you tell whether you get accurate model (exactly the one you made in SU) after you followed steps you described (to export from SU to Lux) or there are some drawbacks/deteriorations in resulting Lux' model if compared to original SU model?

p.s.: i'm choosing between KT and Lux for rendering SU models --> if SU models are imported well into Lux i would prefer Lux over KT.

I am not a heavy user of Luxrender, but when I do use this method I sometimes have problems with materials, but the model is never harmed. (except for being upside down occasionly) It is a lot of trouble to go through this process though. I would definitely recommend Kerkythea and the soon to be released Thea as rendering programs bridged with sketchup.

l.frisken

I personally think it would be great to try and emulate the interface that Lux has with blender (and yes I know that this has nothing to do with the actual exporter code). It is not quite a simple as skindigo, but I think its functions are more clearly laid out. If something as good as this could be implemented in sketchup (and as nice looking) it would be a first.