Large Model / Drawing Options
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Hi,
I need to create a large model for a friend (my first official project
The building is 210 meters long and 120 meters wide.
He has given me both CAD and PDF drawings of the building.
I've tried importing the files into the SketchUp and here is what has happend:
- SU crashes as soon as i try import the CAD drawing (Macbook: 1.7ghz with 4GB ram)
- the PDF import is very poor quality when i scale it to size, so it is impossible to trace
- i've tried ourputting the CAD drawing at 300dpi in .jpeg and .png but they also loose quality when i try scale them to size
I read somewhere that SU automatically reduces images to 1024 regardless of the size you import... is this true.
Can anyone recommend a way to get the plan into SU so i can start tracing at the real scale size (210m X 120m)
Thanks in advance for your help
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Hello:
Within the last couple of days these threads have shown up:http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80%26amp;t=59039
http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15%26amp;t=59029
If you read through them a bit, you will see possible answer to your question.
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Great, thanks i'll start reading.
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If the pdf if too blurry to be of use, it was incorrectly made and probably does not have the vector information necessary for translation either. You should be able to import a CAD file, but it may be this one has something wrong with it. Is it 2d or 3d?
Best to keep it simple with imports. What I do is first create a CAD file that is simplified to only what I need. You could also only import part of the info at a time--but I usually just do it at once, keeping layers so I can turn off parts. Simplify it only to what entities you actually need for measurement or transfer of geometry in SU (okay it's not necessary to eliminate every extraneous object--but especially if you use the edges directly in SU, it;d keep it clean and less broken by overlapping objects).
Personally I like to explode all blocks in the CAD files that I create for import. I have no need for all the components that would be loaded into my model component window otherwise. In general I trace over the 2d drawing, and only occasionally use the imported edgss directly.It "should" not be necessary, but really best IMO if you cleanup and re-process the CAD file to your liking prior to import. If it fails you can work it over again. Try saving in an earlier dwg version or try dxf if that fails.
Let us know if we can help directly with the problem files. You can PM sensitive material to collaborators.
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As far as scaling an image--not sure why you can't make a crisp enough image. Try to make it ridiculously large. Depends on your process. In SU you can scale this way:
Group the imported image in SU. Open the group to edit it. With the tape measure tool draw between two points of known distance. Type in the correct distance. SU will prompt you it is going to rescale the model (in this case just the image in the group). Click OK. Check other dims. Frankly I wouldn't depend on this layout for a serious project, but it'd give a background for reference, as you input real dimensions while drawing. CAD import should be the way to go.
Also you don't scale the CAD, in case you didn't know. It should come in at "real world" scale.
Sorry--I have to keep editing my posts. Not enough coffee yet, I guess. Keep getting typos and poor proofreading. So please forgive the errors.
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Great, thanks... i turned on 'use maximum texture size' in the Open GL preference so now i am able to import a large png image, however i haven't even drawn a line yet and my file is 7mb.
I plan on deleting the imported image plan as soon as i have the base of the model drawn on top if it.
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