Hello, and a *huge* problem with hidden faces.
-
Hi!
I'm a newbie and I'm trying to use Sketchup to help me on making objects/buildings/things for use them in Cryengine.
Sketchup is perfect for that because you draw faces and it's what the engine wants. And I like how it works.But I have a big problem, maybe a deal breaker : I made a little house with many tiles on rooftop. I made them because I want make a low-poly version (after) and make the normal map more easily. And I discovered something with the tiles that I don't like:
- You have 2 volumes (that aren't solid, I use the free sketchup version, of course...) that are closed.
- You have a intersection between the 2 volumes.
- As they aren't solid, you can't merge them. But you can cut all intersected surfaces.
- So that's my problem : how can I delete/select all faces/vertex that are inside the final volume and can't be seen ? Imagine that the volume is in the water : I want to to delete all faces that aren't wet...
I didn't find any plugin about that. Do I have to delete them by hand ? I'm scared about the answer...
Thanks if you can answer me.
By the way, I downloaded many plugin and they are just essential. Outstanding job everybody !
-
Hi Teto,
Did you make the tiles as components? (Or at least groups?) Or just raw geometry? With components, it would be a couple of clicks actually.
-
@gaieus said:
Hi Teto,
Did you make the tiles as components? (Or at least groups?) Or just raw geometry? With components, it would be a couple of clicks actually.
What ? Yes, they are all components, actually.
Can you teach me pleeease ?
Teto.
-
Can you also attach the file?
(Right under the text area you are posting) -
Well, lacking the model, two tips:
- components can cut holes automatically
- when you edit one instance of a component (and intersect it with the rest of the model and then delete the unneeded parts), all other instances will reflect the changes.
So to show you what should be done, I could make a simple file but it would be best to see yours just in case something is not set up as it should theoretically be.
-
Thanks!
I can't give you the file now (I'm working) but I'll post it this evening.
Teto.
-
Ok. If it is too big or complicated, just an example part of it is quite enough.
-
@gaieus said:
Ok. If it is too big or complicated, just an example part of it is quite enough.
I don't think so.
You have 2 layers:- Layer 0 : It's too late for it. Already cut...
- Second one : The tiles. The first group is the tile itself. The second is one side of the roof (made with copies of the first). The third is for corners (with bigger copies of the first).
Thanks if you can help !
- Layer 0 : It's too late for it. Already cut...
-
OK, I am confused now. None of the tiles seem to merge into the roof face - so what exactly do you want to cut here?
-
I want to merge tiles themselves, and after that a modified roof with tile.
But I'm thinking about that. I think that the way I'm working is not good. The tile is too well done. The aim is to have few faces.Never mind. I have an idea, I'll make the changes tomorrow evening, well, as soon as possible actually, and I'll post the result here when it will be done.
Thanks again !
Teto. -
Well, you can (somewhat) "merge" the tiles by exploding the components but I am still unsure what you are up to. You mentined normal maps. Have you seen this plugin?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=33183 -
@gaieus said:
Well, you can (somewhat) "merge" the tiles by exploding the components but I am still unsure what you are up to. You mentined normal maps. Have you seen this plugin?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=33183Yes, I've found it, thanks !
However, I don't think it's the best tool for my issues here. (I'm using xNormal).Anyway, I give up. Sketchup is great when you want to make simple houses or walls, or things like that, because it's very fun to use, or to sculpt, and you produce surfaces, not solids, and it's what a game engine wants. And I'll continue to use it for that (things that don't need LOD).
BUT, when you want to decrease number of faces (for LOD), it's simply impossible because XSI or Blender can do that only on mesh (solid volumes). I tried many things, spent 2 days but found nothing about "changing polymesh made with skins to closed volume". For example, when you import .obj (collada doesn't work well) in Blender, the option "decrease number of faces" is not available.
Of course, I could purchase the pro version. Well... I'm poor, I'm not a student nor a pirate. So...
That's annoying, because for the moment Sketchup is the best modeling tool I ever used.
-
I think if you approached the whole thing differently, it could be more successful. I hope you will find a good workflow that integrates SU as well - I can hardly give any wise advice here as I am not using those programs so do not know what is really needed.
I have also created normal maps and displacement maps from real geometry in SU and successfully used them in 3rd party apps to add some realism without heavy geometry.
-
@gaieus said:
I think if you approached the whole thing differently, it could be more successful.
I did. And it was successful. But since I wanted to use the model elsewhere, epic fail.
You'll find below the model, to see the new approach.
Of course the model is not finished. For a good reason... Unfortunately.
-
@teto42740 said:
BUT, when you want to decrease number of faces (for LOD), it's simply impossible because XSI or Blender can do that only on mesh (solid volumes). I tried many things, spent 2 days but found nothing about "changing polymesh made with skins to closed volume". For example, when you import .obj (collada doesn't work well) in Blender, the option "decrease number of faces" is not available.
Of course, I could purchase the pro version. Well... I'm poor, I'm not a student nor a pirate. So...
A mesh may be a solid or not, but usually it just means a collection of connected polygons, just like what you use in SU. If an object/group is "watertight", ie closed, in SU it will show up as a "Solid group" in the entity info.
It can then be used with the Solid boolean tools (only Pro version?)Although I don't use XSI or Blender I find it hard to believe that they can't poly-reduce a polygon mesh.
My workflow is to export as 3ds in meters, set to maintain UV, and then import into LightWave.
What happens then is that all the UV mapped meshes, like terrain etc gets imported as a lot of tris that do not share vertices.
A simple Merge Vertices/Points command solves that problem Now it can be polyreduced, SubD'ed, LOD'ed or whatever.
Have you tried similar tools in XSI/Blender? -
@teto42740 said:
@gaieus said:
I think if you approached the whole thing differently, it could be more successful.
I did. And it was successful. But since I wanted to use the model elsewhere, epic fail.
You'll find below the model, to see the new approach.
Of course the model is not finished. For a good reason... Unfortunately.Clarification requested.
Unless I totally missed some thing the first vs second models you posted are completely different. The second model shows the tiles with both a concave and convex sides up which is typical. The first model does not. Can I assume the second model is correct? If so can you post #2 without the intersections so I don't have to create it or sections there of?
The reason I ask is the tile components are showing as solids in your model and would like to check to see what the free version solid shell option can do for you.
Secondly are you trying to make a realistic model or just one for the Cryengine ? The reason I ask it is typical the tiles do not intersect as shown in the second model -
Yes, probably. I'll try to find solutions, and I come back here. Thanks anyway!
-
If the second model is OK with you that is what counts ,so do not let me put you to extra effort if not needed.
FYI: Reason for question is my experience base is seeing clay roof tile install with a pan tile ( concave side up ) and the cover tile ( concave side down) which then covers the channel between two of the pan tiles to make it water poof. However, in my preliminary search I think there is a tile one can buy which is basically the two ( pan and cover made as a unit) and they have a key lock feature which then locks adjoining neighbors and would make it look like your last model. In addition, it looks to me the shell tool in SU 8 free cannot be used on a global basis ,but just two components or group at a time. I was hoping this would act like an ambient occlusion filter that could be applied globally which then allows one to eliminate internal structure. I think Google targeted this tool to building models for Goole Earth and it could be useful there.
-
@mac1 said:
If the second model is OK with you that is what counts ,so do not let me put you to extra effort if not needed.
FYI: Reason for question is my experience base is seeing clay roof tile install with a pan tile ( concave side up ) and the cover tile ( concave side down) which then covers the channel between two of the pan tiles to make it water poof. However, in my preliminary search I think there is a tile one can buy which is basically the two ( pan and cover made as a unit) and they have a key lock feature which then locks adjoining neighbors and would make it look like your last model. In addition, it looks to me the shell tool in SU 8 free cannot be used on a global basis ,but just two components or group at a time. I was hoping this would act like an ambient occlusion filter that could be applied globally which then allows one to eliminate internal structure. I think Google targeted this tool to building models for Google Earth and it could be useful there.
Many thanks for your experience. Anyway, I think I'll stop using sketchup. Someone in another forum told me that the way how the datas are stored is a pure mess and other softs like Blender "don't understand what's going on". This issue means that it's completely useless for what I want to do.
I've searched an alternative, and I think that I've found it : FreeCad, for architectural and industrial design, and Sculptris to make high-definition (for normalmap, specular maps and so on). It's sad, because how Sketchup's modeler is working... Just perfect.
Thanks anyway for your help !
-
@teto42740 said:
Someone in another forum told me that the way how the datas are stored is a pure mess and other softs like Blender "don't understand what's going on".
Are you sure that "someone" knew what he was saying? And not only wanted to put SU down because he does not understand it or because of snobbery?
We've seen a lot of occasions like that.
Advertisement