Re:"Is someone drawing a HellCat?"

Yes. You obviously know your airplanes. I'm adapting a model I downloaded from the 3D Warehouse. Working on a wing-fold animation to use with an already-existing X-Plane Hellcat in the X-Plane.org community, with the author's permission.

That's probably more info than you were looking for.

Bill

Hello,

I know that with simple surfaces you can patch up a hole by using the draw tool.

But that method doesn't seem to work for this particular situation. The image below shows the underside of an airplane wing. I had cut out a wheel well using the die on the right-hand side of the image (making it a group, plunging it into the wing, and using intersect faces with model to create an outline of the wheel well, which I then erased). By the way, the surface of the wing shown is slightly curved, which, no doubt, complicates the situation.

Now I find I need to reposition the wheel well, which means I have to first patch up the old well. I tried creating a duplicate of the part that had been taken out to make the wheel well, and then fitting it back into that space. That's what you see on the left-hand side of the image: the lines show the outline of the wheel well.

But I'm afraid the lines will continue to show up. It's almost impossible to manually line up the filler piece with the hole without some gaps.

My preference would be to somehow fill in the well (hole) so that the lines would disappear.

By the way, the texturing is just rough texturing for test purposes; not what the final texturing will look like.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Bill

Hi,

I've noticed that when I open a new SketchUp file and copy/paste a model from another file into that file, the file size is often significantly smaller than that of the file which originally contained the model, even though both files have the same apparent (visible) content.

I assume that this difference is due to some garbage that collected while I was working on the file. Is that correct?

Is copying/pasting a model into a new file the easiest way to reduce the file size? And the most effective?

Thanks,
Bill

Hi,

I use SketchUp 8 to create models that I then export as X-Plane objects (using a plug in) and integrate with the actual aircraft in X-Plane Plane Maker.

Therefore, my question is very specific, and I hope there are some X-Planers who might read this.

Sometimes, I would like to animate an object so it works in X-Plane: an arresting tail hook that goes down and up or a canopy that opens and closes, for example, when a button or key is pressed in X-Plane.

The problem is that currently (according to X-Plane experts) SketchUp models cannot be exported to X-Plane with the SketchUp animation intact. The workaround is to create the model in SketchUp and then import it into a program like AC3D, create the animation, and then go from there to X-Plane.

I don't mind spending the 80 bucks for AC3D, but it seems a shame when only one use is envisioned. I could switch to AC3D as my modeling program, but I've already invested a lot of time in learning SketchUp and would rather not switch.

So, my question is, does anyone familiar with both SU and X-Plane know of an alternative: a way to achieve my goal without spending money on another program?

(By the way, my computer crashes when I try to open Blender on it, so that isn't an option. And trying to edit by hand is beyond my capabilities.)

Thanks,
Bill

Thanks, Rich. Don't know those programs.

However, it dawned on my after starting this thread that while the pilots in the warehouse tend to be complex, perhaps I could find a pilot in an aircraft that would be simpler. Sure enough, I quickly found a very nice one that, when exported to X-Plane, weighs in at about 130 kbs, small enough for my needs.

Sometimes the easiest solution takes a while to come to mind.

Bill

Hi,

I'm using SketchUp to build 3D components for X-Plane freeware aircraft.

I'd like to use one of the models in the Warehouse of a pilot and seat. However, the ones I've found are much too complex and therefore have prohibitively large file sizes--i.e., multi megabytes. All I need is something very simple.

Is there a plug-in or way manually to take a model and simplify it to a smaller file size?

Thanks,
Bill

Thanks, Mitcorb. That's helpful information.

Meanwhile, after my last post I did some exploring and found out that I can edit the X-Plane object file in a text program such as Notepad so that the surface of the object is shiny. I tried it, and by golly it works!

But I'll keep your info in mind for future reference when and if I have a need to use a rendering program. By the way, I chose to look into Kerkythea because, being of Scot ancestry, I'm naturally attracted to free programs. However, my impression is that there's a long and steep learning curve with that program.

Have a great day,
Bill

Mitcorb,

Thanks for the response. Excuse my ignorance, but am I correct or not that once a model is rendered in a program like Kerkythea, it cannot then be treated as a SketchUp model? My impression is that it no longer has the properties it had in sketchUp.

In an earlier post, I had asked about how to give SketchUp models a shiny, metallic appearance, and folks had pointed me--as you did--in the direction of programs like Kerkythea. So, I spent some time studying Kerkythea. It seemed to me that once rendered in a program like that, the resulting product cannot be worked on further as a SketchUp model.

Ultimately, the SketchUp model needs to be exported as such to X-Plane, where it is an X-Plane object that can be viewed and used in the X-Plane environment.

If my assumptions about the rendering process are incorrect, please let me know.

I don't know if X-Plane is capable of adding gloss to its objects. I'll look into that at the X-Plane.org forums.

Bill

Hello,

This question is for anyone familiar with using SketchUp to texture objects that are subsequently exported to X-Plane.

Recently, I used the projection method to add texture to the object version of an X-Plane aircraft. I then used the appropriate plug-in to export it to X-Plane.

My goal is to have the object "plane" fly in formation with the actual, look-alike aircraft

The object aircraft looks quite good flying in formation with the actual aircraft. But I did notice that while the aircraft version of the plane has the glossy look common with aircraft created in X-Plane Plane Maker (i.e., the sun shines off the skin of the aircraft), the object version, while the same color as the aircraft version, looks flat by comparison.

Is there a way--either in SketchUp or in Plane Maker after the object has been exported to X-Plane and included in the objects sub folder of the aircraft folder--that the object aircraft can have the same glossy look as the actual aircraft?

Thanks,
Bill

Thanks, Dave.

For future reference, how does one attach a SketchUp file?

Bill

Hi,

When an object (in my case an airplane) is exported from X-Plane into SketchUp, errors occur, including some missing pieces. My present concern is a small narrow, four-sided "hole" in the nose section of the airplane model.

Although the missing section is flat, not curved, I haven't figured out how to patch the hole. I tried selecting the edges and using Tools --> Utilities --> Create a Face but got a failure message. I tried using the line and Freehand Drawing tools to draw in the missing section, but what I get isn't flush with the rest of the nose section.

P.S. Upon further testing, I realized the section is not flat--it's not coplaner, which is the reason for my problems, I suppose. I'll try using small triangles to fill it in.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill

The size issue is good to keep in mind.

Bill

Thanks, Dave.

The project I'm working on involves creating a SketchUp model of an airplane and then using the SU2XPlane plug in to export it to X-Plane as an X-Plane object.

While I was working on the triangle, I had recalled something I read in the plug in instructions: "Create your model in SketchUp out of Rectangles and Circles (any Arcs will be ignored)." That is why I was avoiding the arc tool.

After reading your suggestion, I decided to see if arcs are, indeed, ignored. I created a simple model made with an arc and, for good measure, another one made with a bezier-curve plug in I have.

When I opened the resulting object in X-Plane, both models seemed to have come through fine. So, perhaps the instruction was out-of-date.

By the way, the bezier-curve tool seemed to make a smoother curve than did the arc tool that is included with SketchUp. So, I may try working with that.

Thanks for the help.
Bill

Hi,
As we all know, with a program like SketchUp, there are a lot of things you can do if you are willing to take the time, and often there are easier ways you may not be aware of.

I needed a thin triangle with rounded corners. I tried Fredo's Round Tool, but the result was fat shapes that didn't come close to what I wanted. Maybe that result was because I didn't understand how to adjust the various settings.

Anyhow, I settled on using a Pac-Man-type setup, shown in the image below. I created a die, intersected it with the triangle, and used the Intersect with Model feature to round the corners.

The result will work for my purposes, but it was very difficult to get all three corners to have exactly the same radius, or at least close to the same.

Is there a more precise, and perhaps less time-consuming, way to accomplish my goal?

If not, would it be helpful to others to post this model in the Warehouse, somewhat crude as it is?

Thanks,
Bill

IMAGE BELOW

Thanks, n.thumb. That was exactly the tool I needed! I'm sure I'll be using that entire tool set a lot.

The wide assortment of free plugins is incredible.

Bill

Dave,

The nose cone is from the Warehouse and is titled "White Dome." It can be found at:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=6f93656d083e985465bae2cb33eb4baa

The opening of the aircraft's nose (a B-17) is an oval.

If that isn't enough info, please let me know how to attach a SketchUp file--or where in the forum to go for that info--and I will do that.

Bill

Hi,

I usually have no trouble figuring out how to make the Scale tool work for me, but this time I need some help. As you can see from the image below, the red line shows that the nose bubble needs to continue the shape of the plane's nose. Vertically, the shape is asymmetrical when looked at from the side.

I understand that some of the grips are intended for uniform change, and some for non-uniform change. Obviously, I need the latter. But I had no luck trying the various possibilities.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Bill

IMAGE BELOW

Thanks, N.T. Very helpful.

Bill

Are there any free rendering programs you would recommend, or, failing that, any low-budget ones?

Bill