I posted this same question at the MSPhysics Github. I'm very new to MSPhysics and not very smart either, so I was wondering if anyone has attempted a simulated wind-tunnel or something like that using MSPhysics? Is such a thing even possible at the moment? If so could you share?

Outstanding! My uncle had a turquoise and white Belaire, but it was the 4 four door version. It got torn apart and made into an irrigation pump. That was the fate of a copper colored '59 El Camino too.

Update: While I still use TIG's obj exporter for many things, I've found the newest version of Flightgear's AC3D exporter to work perfectly now. It breaks the model into components according to their color, so all "004 Hot Pink" parts for example will be treated as a single component in AC3D. It also preserves the model's scaling properly too.

@krisidious said:

I do some game stuff too...

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Looks really good Krisidious!

I use a pretty much stock version of Sketchup 8 (sometimes in Linux.) There is only one plugin that is absolutely essential for me and that's TIG's obj exporter plugin (http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33448). I've got other plugins that are handy, but not strictly necessary; some of which I no longer remember where I got them. These are “triangulate faces,” “center group bottom,” and part of Fredo's Tools “remove lonely vertices.”

What I especially like about TIG's obj plugins is that they preserve the scaling of the model; I can break the model in pieces, work on them in another modeling program or UV mapper and everything will still fit together when I put it all back.

The game I work on requires the models to be in AC3D format. The open source flight sim Flightgear has a SU plugin that exports to AC3D format, but it also combines all the model's components which doesn't work for me. That's why I use TIG's obj exporter. I use AC3D to do the final UV mapping and exportation of the finished model. I export as a Collada model and then can re-import to SU, however any faces that perfectly aligned with any of the model's axes don't preserve proper UV mapping when imported to SU, so when UV mapping I have to treat those faces specially (hard to explain, but not that hard to do.)

As for my modeling work flow:
1 Import the best photos of the car I can find, as usually I can't find blueprints for the oddball cars I model.
2 Scale the side view photo as close as possible to a known dimension (like wheelbase) and then allign and scale all other photos to the side view shot.
3 Be sure to make all parts of the model on the axis you want right from the start, if you rotate them after you made them into components or groups they'll be screwed up when you export them into other stuff.
4 I make heavy use of the “follow me” tool, the “push pull” tool, and the “intersect faces” tool.
5 I draw my outlines of the shape I'm working on (like body panels) on the reference photo and extrude them to where they should go. I'll extrude a curve to represent the front to back curve, since cars usually aren't perfectly square sided; then intersect the two extrusions, erase everything but the combined curved line that represents the intersection of the top of the body panel and the front to back curve.
6 Then I use the follow me tool to create the rough body panel (roughly curved in all directions).
7 I can then extrude, intersect and erase the wheel cutouts etc.
8 Once triangulated I individually push or pull some vertices to where I think they should be.
9 I also push or pull vertices to combine various unnecessary triangles (since I model low poly game stuff mostly.)
10 furthermore I don't use the default SU circle or curved line. If I need a curve I manually draw it with straight lines or “cut the corners” off the default circle.
11 I also color different components of the model differently to make selecting by material easier; when I push or pull vertices I need the model whole and I don't break it into individual components until it's closer to finished.

It's pretty much finished.

Thanks, here's how they appear in the Speed Dreams game:

1965 Ford/Lotus Cortina

1957 Pontiac

1971 AMC Javelin

1962 Pontiac Super Duty

You can download 'em from the Speed Dreams forum:
http://community.speed-dreams.org/viewtopic.php?f=4%26amp;t=202

I've been modeling a few cars for the open source motorsports sim, Speed Dreams. I tend to like a lot of the independent auto makers of the past, so here's this 1957 Nash. It's not completely finished at the moment; the interior lacks some details. It's UV mapped and comes in at about 6500 triangles, not including the wheels.

Hmmm. I've used it in XP and Win7 both without any issues. I think it does require MS .NET framework -- if that helps.

No, I just checked to make sure it wasn't hidden behind the SU screen. In fact I don't even have to do anything to the model, just try to re-open the plugin and it won't come up a second time.

Edit: Just on a whim I decided to try a reboot of my whole computer (you know how some installs don't completely take until a system reboot.) That seems to have fixed the issue. I'm using XP pro if that makes any difference. Anyway -- SOLVED.

If you want to do it on the cheap and don’t mind a little elbow grease, you can use SU and Kerkythea. I’ve done it by changing the camera settings in SU to “Parallel Projection,” and having the lighting set, then exporting to Kerkythea via Kerky’s plugin. The cool thing is that Kerkythea will preserve the camera and lighting settings. You apply textures in Kerky (if you want to) and render a parallel projected picture. Do that for all perspectives (top, front, side, etc).

At this point you can edit them in Gimp or something like that (if you want to.) Then go back to SU and use the pictures you just rendered in Kerky as your new SU textures. They’re poor man’s “baked” textures then. Of course this is easiest with models that have flat surfaces like a house or something and it’s much more complicated with more complex models.

Kerkythea link: http://www.kerkythea.net/joomla/

Edit: I just remembered there is something called Model Converter X that will combine the SU textures into one file to minimize drawcalls in games, etc. http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=83

It works fine, but I noticed a little glitch. After I've exported the textures once and then modify the model and try to re-export, the tool won't load a second time. After a re-boot of SU, it will work again. (SU8 and WinXP)

I'm making me a backup copy of SU8 and all my favorite plugins ... just in case.

Is there a way to unsoften the edges after a model has been saved and the "edit > undo" option is no longer available? I've looked through the plugins and haven't found anything that seems to do the trick.

Yes! Switching to parallel projection did the trick. Thanks!

I have a related question. Is there a way to export a picture from SU that would eliminate perspective distortions (parts of a model that are further away look smaller), so all visible surfaces of the model in the exported picture keep their “true” size? For my purposes the model doesn’t have to be unfolded into its various parts, just a flat picture. Does that make sense?

I've just recently been using sketchup 8 on Linux Mint 11 via Wine. After a rocky start at trying to get it installed and running (had to replace a 0 with a 1 in the registry), I've finally got it working. It seems quite stable and my Kerkythea export plugin works fine too. One problem is that my sketchup files don't have a thumbnail pic of the model when I'm opening files, etc -- no big deal. The Kerkythea exporter plugin does seem considerably slower than it was in WinXP, but it works. However, Sketchup itself seems to run just as fast as it did in WinXp, but there are a few little quirks like when I cut and paste, the model turns to a skeleton briefly until I move the mouse or take some other action. Overall I’d say it is very workable and I’ve completed several complex models without any issues.