[Plugin] OBJexporter v3.0 20130131

gzotti

Hi!

First, thank you for this superb OBJ exporter! I have previously used V1.6 for a large model (about 450.000 triangles mostly from a terrain TIN, counted by Meshlab), which took about an hour to export. The result looked perfect in Meshlab. All other OBJ exporters I tried including the Pro failed on that, so I warmly recommend yours. However, the V2.0 is not finished on the same model after 4 hours. (Win7pro, Core2duo, SU8pro uses 1GB RAM, lots of RAM free.) Was there any big change in the algorithm that causes this? Is it possible to find and try V1.7..1.9?

Kind regards,
Georg

TIG

The issue is that any 'mirrored' groups/instances don't export properly with the old versions.
The new version obviously has to do more work to ensure that the nested faces' orientation/UVmapping are now sorted properly in the OBJ code, so it takes longer to complete: unfortunately with Sketchup the processing time gets 'exponentially' longer the more entities there are to be considered - a small file might only takes a second or two longer to complete, but a much larger file WILL take a lot longer to finish...
One way to speed up processing would be to work on a copy SKP, and explode all groups/components before exporting the geometry? Then there'd be nothing to check/explode/heal etc, and therefore less to slow it down...

Here's a copy of the now superseded v1.8 [very similar to v1.6] IF you'd prefer to use that - it IS faster than more recent versions BUT it will give a flawed result with many third-party apps importing the OBJ, IF you have any mirrored instances... You choose...OBJexporter_18.rb

BigOto

Hi, this is BigOto2 from YouTube and other places. I'm just here to say this plug-in has been absolutely revolutionary when it comes to modding and creating new tracks for Mario Kart Wii. Me and many others in our community use it to design tracks in Sketchup and then convert them to the model format Mario Kart Wii uses (which requires OBJ). If you want to see any of the tracks created by us just search YouTube for "Mario Kart Wii Custom Track" or something like that. Keep up the great work!

TIG

Here's v2.1 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Further work on avoiding the glitches with some flipped-instances' face-reversal/orientation/UVmapping.
Slight speed improvement over v2.0...

gzotti

Thanks a lot for 1.8 (for my large model) and explaining the differences. 2.0 finally came to an end, after about 6 hours. The model is technically simple enough to hope 1.8 will do.

I tried the 2.1 export on a different, quite complex model with lots of layers and some hidden and, yes, mirrored instances. After a while, a message popup says (I try to translate from the German SU8pro): "By your last action visible geometric shapes were joined to existing geometric shapes on an invisible layer." The model behind the panel looked weird, with lots of missing faces. After closing the panel the export then continued. The message and in-between appearance imply an unwanted edit operation, so I don't dare saving the SKP afterwards. However, after the export, it seems OK again - is there any chance/danger that something is actually edited? On the other hand, the OBJ misses a few faces. The 2.0, which gives the same message, looks worse, with some duplicate and maybe inverted faces in addition to the missing ones, so 2.1 is better, but I am afraid still some work is open. Just to let you know. Again, splendid job, I was disappointed with the Pro export.

TIG

I see the issue - if you have some raw geometry that is hidden or ill-advisedly on an an OFF layer, then it can merge with ON stuff being exported in the next coding... I can fix this though...

TIG

Here's v2.2 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Resolved the issue of raw geometry, either hidden or ill-advisedly placed on an off-layer [either within the model or inside groups/components] inadvertently merging with exported geometry.

Bazza

Hi TIG I'm new to sketchup only had it installed a week some one on another site recommended it for modeling in.. It seems ideal except I need to export obj files.. I found your plugin for this (as well as a couple of others on this site for other things). Problem is being a nub to all this plugin stuff I am not sure if I am installing this one right or I am missing something.. The others I installed ok (I think) as had no problem when starting but this one came up with load errors as follows..

Error Loading File OBJexporter.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:262: syntax error, unexpected '}', expecting ')'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:276: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:280: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:801: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
end#class OBJexporter ###########...
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:816: syntax error, unexpected $end, expecting ')'

Not sure what to do now am running windows 7 64 bit system I placed the OBJexporter.rb in the Google8 plugin file where the others were installed.. C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins..

Am I fighting a loosing battle here

chrisjk

TIG,
Got this from the latest version:-

Error Loading File OBJexporter.rb
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb;262; parse error, unexpected '}', expecting ')'
            }
             ^
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb;276; parse error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb;280; parse error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb;801; parse error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
end#class OBJexporter ##########################################################
   ^
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb;816; parse error, unexpected $, expecting ')'

TIG

Here's v2.3 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Sorry about that = my fault...
There was one silly last-minute typo in the file I initially uploaded [rushing to get it out before bedtime!]
Please try downloading the latest version again...
The errant single '(' is now correctly a ')'

gzotti

I had seen the error following the Ruby message and fixed it, thanks.

My model may indeed have ungrouped geometry on a hidden layer, most likely some ungrouped edges without faces used during construction only, and also typically hidden. Also there are real construction lines, on a usually hidden layer. I am still learning, and may have made some mistakes or things not recommended but possible. However, from the 2.2 export, still one face in a non-mirrored component inside a locked group is missing, and the reported message and behaviour persists. The Pro export in this case has no problems. I can PM you the model to try/bugfix/bulletproof your exporter, if you like.

Again the queation, is there any chance the model itself gets modified during the export, as the intermediate message seems to imply?

TIG

Have you tried v2.3?
Can you PM the SKP so I can test it.
Something is adrift...
To ensure that any mirrored instances are correctly UVmapped and the faces correctly oriented the latest versions do change the model BUT only temporarily because it 'aborts' the whole operation at the end so any changes are 'undone'.
If the exporter fails before completing, then you should close the SKP without saving as there might be un-aborted changes...
The change it makes is that the group/instance is exploded to get the orientation/UVmapping the right way round in mirrored cases, and the results are then exported. To avoid clashes with existing geometry, all 'loose' faces are processed first, then erased, together with any unneeded edges. It also erases all 'loose' faces that are either 'hidden' or on an OFF layer [note that it is ill-advised to layer 'raw' geometry - only give layers to groups/instances! Raw geometry belongs on Layer0] before it looks at groups and instances. Therefore there ought to be no faces to 'clash' ? After each instance is processed its faces are erased too, so any exploded instances should always arrive in a 'clean' context ?

TIG

Here's v2.4 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
It has again been recoded.
The processing time is now back to very near v1.8's, but the flipped-instance face-reversal is still fixed...
Feedback please...

gzotti

OK, the missing face is now here, but some components are misplaced. Getting close...

TIG

v2.5 is underway...

TIG

Here's v2.5 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
It has again been recoded - to resolve nested [flipped] group/instance transformations and other multiple-group-instances glitches etc. The speed is also much improved...
Feedback please...

Bazza

Hi TIG,

I have installed v2.5 and there was no error message on load up so I tried exporting a test model I had made and it exported fine and textures were ok also..
Thanks so much for this plugin and also for the speed fix.. Much appreciated

Barry

TIG

I also have a few more tweaks almost ready - including a ~5% speed improvement and a more Pro-like MTL, with default specularity presets etc.
I am currently looking at a weirdness created if you have mirrored [scale -1] instances/groups nested inside mirrored instances/groups, that are then rotated etc - these OBJ faces can be incorrectly 'reversed' and the UVmapping messed up... It's unlikely to affect many users BUT I'd like it fixing...

TIG

Here's v2.6 http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Recoded for a speed improvement ~5%.
Flipped/rotated instances' transformations resolved for consistently correct face orientation...
The MTL now defaults to match the Pro exporter generally - specularity=0.333, but now ambience=color etc.
I am hopeful this now fixes the major issues

gzotti

Yess, finally, a really good exporter - Huge models (forget Pro!), difficult models, I can remove all other half-baked solutions!

I rarely get emoticonal, but Three Cheers to You!