Export Tools
Now that the last section explained the core functionality of exporting, this section explains how the Virtualwind SketchUp Plugin actually lets you export through the Export Tools.
Although the core operation is always the same, there are four modes of exporting:
- Exporting All
- Exporting Buildings
- Exporting Canopies
- Exporting All As Canopies
All of these are accessible through the main menu via the Plugins → Virtualwind → Texture tools, or by clicking on their icon in the Export portion of the Virtualwind Plugin toolbar. Each export mode is discussed here.
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Export to VWS format (all)
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This Export mode exports all geometry "as is". Top-level SketchUp Groups on the vwPlugin_Solids SketchUp Layer will be exported as Virtualwind Buildings; top-level Groups on the vwPlugin_Canopies Layer will be exported as Canopies; top-level Groups on the vwPlugin_Terrain Layer will be exported as Terrains. Any other geometry (non-Grouped geometry and geometry on other layers) is ignored. How to get things on these Layers is discussed in the section, Separating Geometry.
The above paragraph mentions "top-level" Groups. This is because the Layer information of lower-level Groups is ignored. For example, if a Group on the Solid Layer is part of a larger Group on the Canopy Layer, that "Solid" Group is exported as a Canopy Part of the larger Canopy.
A watertightness check is performed on the vwPlugin_Solids Layer; if this check fails, the entire operation will abort. This check will only fail if you manually put geometry on the Solid Layer, or if you edit geometry after it has been put on the Solid Layer by the Separate Solids and Canopies Tool. No checks are performed on the Canopy and Terrain Layers.
Export to VWS format (Solids)
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This Export mode performs only the "Solid" part of the "Export All" mode. The Solid Layer is checked for watertightness, and all geometry on that Layer is exported as Buildings if the check passes. All the other geometry is ignored.
Export to VWS format (Canopies)
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This Export mode performs only the "Canopy" part of the "Export All" mode. No watertightness check is performed. All geometry on the Canopy Layer is exported as Canopies; the rest of the model is ignored.
Export to VWS format (all as Canopies)
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This option exports all top-level Groups in the model as Virtualwind Canopies, regardless of the Layers that the Groups lie on. Even geometry that is not on the Solids, Canopies, or Terrain Layers is output. However, the Golden Group Rule still applies: geometry that does not belong to any Group is ignored. No watertightness check is performed in this operation.