I could use some help with this chair...

anstvam · 8 Dec 2010, 09:57

I downloaded the Febo dining chair from the B&B Italia Architects Lounge section. Where you see black in the general view, the faces are missing, (tried all available files, dwg, 3ds etc- it always turns out like this in SU). I include a close-up view to make it easier for people to see what's going on.

As I dread I'm still not very well versed in Sketchup modelling, (after almost 3 years of using it ) the only solution I could think of was grabbing the pencil tool and connecting all the triangular edges to make faces-pretty kindergarten level of SU knowledge, I know... It works fine, but it takes forever to fix the chair, as the "damage" is pretty extended... Thought I might appeal to your knowledge in case there is a faster/smarter way of resolving this... I also thought I might look for a "Create Faces from Edges" plugin, or something along these lines, but I don't know if such a script exists or where I could find it...

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading this guys...
Anastassis

Rich O Brien · 8 Dec 2010, 10:17

Judging by the screen capture, that chair has a serious amount of polygons! Ideally if you had Rhino, you could use that to reduce the poly count before importing into SU. But as you are doing a direct import, SU is doing it's best with the file.

Do you really need that level of detail in your model?

Where is this file located?

anstvam · 8 Dec 2010, 10:37

I want to render the interior with Vray, and I'm afraid if I leave the chair as is, it will show ugly, especially with a fabric texture applied... But then I haven't tried it yet to see the outcome...

You can find the model at the B&B Italia website, at the Architect Lounge section (http://www.bebitalia.it/#ARCHITECTLOUNGE_13_3421_0_1 ). You have to register to get it, but it's pretty simple. Otherwise, I have all the available formats to send to anyone who would like to give it a try. But I'd never presume on using your time or anyone else's for this... I'm sure all you seasoned SU users are sick and tired of people asking you to fix things...

I suppose you're spot on about the high poly count. When I opened the file in Max, it was pristine, obviously because Max can handle with all these polygons... But then I can barely use SketchUp, much less Max...

Gaieus · 8 Dec 2010, 14:00

What format is the original model in?
You should try to import it at a bigger scale (say metres instead of millimetres or anything). Then scale it down when already in SU as it has issues with creatingfaces with edges around 1 mm or smaller.

anstvam · 8 Dec 2010, 18:29

The site offers the model in several formats. I tried 3ds and dwg. I even tried max, which I then exported as 3ds. Same thing in all cases... (I must say the file opened just fine inside Max)
Thanks for the tip Gai., I'll give it a try and let you know

ely862me · 8 Dec 2010, 18:59

That chair can be made in sketchup with almost no effort ,why don t you give it a try!?

Rich O Brien · 8 Dec 2010, 19:08

The issue with this chair us the level of detail. City scales could have less polygons! I successfully imported it from rhino in .fbx format. But working with was painful. Gonna try reducing the poly count if I've time later.

But if you've got Max why not do it in that?

anstvam · 8 Dec 2010, 19:14

The only thing I know how to do in Max is open and shut it down... Oh and import the odd model in order to export it in a sketchup-friendly format...
Any other ideas as to how I can resolve this within SUp? Is grabbing the pencil tool my one and only recourse guys?

Rich O Brien · 8 Dec 2010, 20:31

You shouldn't resort to the line tool. In fact I wouldn't recommend using ths chair in SketchUp unless you can reduce the poly count. Is it being used for close up shots? Really really close up shots!

Just so you know the chair I imported took 3hrs to explode. I'd exploded twice in that time. Not a SketchUp friendly model.

anstvam · 8 Dec 2010, 21:39

i'm sorry to say most of the models from there are not sketchup friendly... but then I can't find them anywhere else...
I've been putting off learning Max for so long as I love the intuitive nature of SU, but there seems to be no way away from Max when you have an interior laden with components of that sort...
By the way I've seen so many gobsmacking renderings of interiors packed full of very detailed components, and I always think "how can they manage such a file in Sketchup..." Usually my models consist of a table, six chairs, a sofa, a side table and two or three table lamps, maybe the odd armchair, and yet the model is soo sluggish... Towards completing the interior I can barely use the pan tool, the model can barely move around...
Thank you Rich for taking time to give it a try... I'm afraid it must have p*ssed you off big time waiting for 3 hours for it to explode. I didn't even dare try it!...

CAntonis · 8 Dec 2010, 21:49

Hello Anastasie,
I tried to model your chair in 3 different modeling software. It seems that high poly models that come into SU in original dimensions, wont work as expected. SU is great but cant handle that high geometry. so either you enter it scaled up and bring it to regular dimensions inside SU or you import your model in your scene of your rendering engine (if you render it) as an obj file or 3ds. But there is always the choise to model it inside SU as already posted in a very easy way.

CAntonis

anstvam · 8 Dec 2010, 22:02

Hi Adoni,
Thanks to you too for taking time to have a look.

I'm not sure I'm getting what you're suggesting about the scale of the component. When I imported the chair into SU as a 3ds file, it was like two metres high, so i resized it to the specified height (75 cm). Maybe that was a wrong thing to do, which created the problem?

I know I have to learn how to model stuff inside SU. I can do basic stuff, like easy tables, I even did a Charles Ghost stool by Kartell (no mean feat for me )
But I can't get round to doing organic forms suh as chairs and armchairs yet... It would be great to see a series of video tuts about modelling furniture on the forum. But then I know it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to get up a series of tutorials like this...

Thanks again, Anastassis

brodie · 8 Dec 2010, 22:39

I run into this issue a lot. Here are some tips.

enlarge the model in another program. typically the reason this happens is because the small poly's are just too small for SU's importer and it just gets rid of them. If you scale the model up by say x100 in 3ds Max or another program and then bring it in, you'll solve most if not all of this.
try different formats. If you can open it up in 3ds max try exporting as different formats. I've had good luck with .dae and .obj (you'll need a special plugin for 3ds Max to export the former and a special plugin for SU to import the later). Afterwards, you may want to run a cleanup ruby and soften the edges.

You COULD remodel the chair, but I wouldn't go that route unless you have to. In the long run, you'll be better off finding a solution to the problem rather than having to model everything in SU when there are many great 3d models out there which can save time and look great.

-Brodie

Rich O Brien · 8 Dec 2010, 22:45

This will stay in dropbox until 2moro

Dropbox - 404

(dl.dropbox.com)

It's 11mb even though its mirrored

Explode overnight

anstvam · 9 Dec 2010, 07:14

@unknownuser said:

You COULD remodel the chair, but I wouldn't go that route unless you have to. In the long run, you'll be better off finding a solution to the problem rather than having to model everything in SU when there are many great 3d models out there which can save time and look great.

I couldn't agree more Brodie. I can't imagine having to model each sofa or armchair I specify in a rendering... I'd be interested to know how fellow interior designers using sketchup cope with the issue. For me it's an unnending, and often hectic, race to find models of existing, for-sale furniture. That said, I'm well aware there are sites that sell models, and I'm also well aware that a good model has a price, but it's not always cost effective to resort to buying a sofa model for, say, 30 euros...

@unknownuser said:

you'll need a special plugin for 3ds Max to export the former and a special plugin for SU to import the later

Any idea where I could find those plugins?

@Rich Am I right in guessing you modelled the chair from scratch instead of mending the problematic areas?
In that case, I must say a big thank you, but I feel very reluctant to use the model. Because I need it for work, I can't conceive using for (potential) profit what you made out of good intention, putting time and energy (and a lot of patience with exploding it ) The only way I could use it would be to buy it from you, but I'm afraid this isn't an option at he moment.

Well, I decided to render the dining room using the bad chairs (if I don't manage to resolve it in the meantime) and then try to camouflage the black patches that come out in the rendering in Photoshop. Clients must show some understanding after all!...

Rich O Brien · 9 Dec 2010, 08:57

I didn't model it. Just used rhino to tweak and exported to 3ds then imported to SU.

anstvam · 9 Dec 2010, 10:00

Thanks again for the fuss Rich...

brodie · 9 Dec 2010, 13:56

@anstvam said:

Any idea where I could find those plugins?

The .DAE plugin for 3ds Max comes from this thread where John Bacus is promoting the use of collada. May be an interesting read for you http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=32481&start=15

Collada export plugin for 3ds Max
http://www.opencollada.org/download.html

There are several OBJ importers. I don't know what all the names and differences are (I don't find the search feature here very good sadly which makes things a bit more difficult) but here's at least one of them
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=20584

-Brodie

solo · 9 Dec 2010, 14:08

Rich, did you remove the file? I wanted to try a new plugin on that chair (reducer).

Rich O Brien · 9 Dec 2010, 14:12

No, is the link not working?