Fixing "inside out models"

[CarlK]

Hi!

I’m trying to find/create a plugin to fix Sketchup models for which some faces are reversed with textures on the wrong side. This is apparently a common problem noticed by folks trying to export models for 3rd party rendering or use with other tools.

The closest tool I've found is the "Backface to Frontface" function of UV Toolkit, but I think it is missing a necessary left-right flip.

Here are the steps to see the problem:

Start with this nice model from the 3D Warehouse.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=d0a49a3305229e565bc7a59f3ad92e52&prevstart=24

Edit, Explode (repeat)

View, Face Style, Monochrome (See that many of the faces are dark instead of light, showing they need to be reversed.)

Select a backwards face, right click, Reverse Faces (Now we see the texture, if any, from the back)

Use Plugins, UV ToolKit, Backface to Frontface (We now see a texture, but it is not positioned correctly.)

Any idea what is going on? We'd be very, very grateful for ideas or help on getting the texture positioned right.

Thanks,
Carl

p.s. This is for Ben Kadie, my 14-year-old son, who would like to use this model in a film. Ben's film web site is http://slugco.com

[xrok1]

if you use the materials window eye dropper (sample paint) tool to click a face, then right click, texture>projected, then right click, reverse face, then left click to paint with sampled texture. for the next face hold down alt to sample and so on... you have to do this face by face but its the only way i can think of.

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[CarlK]

Jim,

Thanks! This is the first method I've seen to solve this at all.

It would still be great if we could find an automated solution. As you likely know and I learned from a web search, "projected" is not available via the API. That's is too bad.

Does anyone know if it is possible in principle to automate the moving/positioning/scaling with the UVHelper, etc, API functions? Or is something missing from the API.

Thanks,
Carl

[TIG]

Another tip...
It's a good idea to have Reverse Faces and Orient Faces assigned to shortcut keys [you must have a face selected before opening Preferences > Shortcut filer 'reverse' or 'orient' for the command to become shortcut-able].
Perhaps Reverse=shift+Q and Orient=alt+Q then they are near each other and easy to use in sequence...
These shortcuts will work in other tools too - like PushPull - say you PushPull a face and the result has reversed faces, just ctrl+Z to undo and with the tool still in PushPull over the face so it is 'highlighting' hit shift+Q and the face reverses - now PushPull it and all is well...