http://www.motivacg.com/en/material-converter/

This plugin will transform the Vray material textures to Max textures?! Then, if the answer is yes... I should be able to export from Max a .3ds, .obj or .dae with texture coordinates... correct?

For EVERY MODEL?! This is getting discouraging... (though it does look as if there might be a solution)
http://blog.turbosquid.com/2013/08/29/converting-max-vray-materials-to-standard-materials/

Just saw the last post on that thread had TWO links... the latter having perhaps the info I'm looking for. http://blog.turbosquid.com/2013/08/29/converting-max-vray-materials-to-standard-materials/

I appreciate the contribution, surely. But, Pilou, I'm sure the object export is fine. But, Max is not reading the textures as they are setup for Vray. If I can get them in the model... it may very well export with textures.

Kristoff, thank you. However, if you read the threads on the links you give... many questions similar to mine are asked but none have a response that explains anything... leaving me and others in the same quandary.

It even has responses of those who have used the script without success, yet no written reply addresses it.

First, I know nothing about Max. The guys that built the PC for me back in 2012-11 knew I'd be using it for 3D. When they delivered it... it was inside, Max 2011. However, I have been terrified of it and it still scares me... avoided using it as much as possible for absolute terror of how to even begin.

I have opened it enough to export models successfully into SU. But, not one with textures.

I have also downloaded free models when they were available and so, not knowing that it would be a problem, I took several hours going through every single model map and texture file, copying and duplicating all textures and maps into a single global folder. This was intended to use for the custom paths so that upon opening a model, it would search directly into this Custom Max textures folder.

Today though.... everything is still black. when I export a model, it too is black upon entering SketchUp.
My friend just confirmed that the models and textures were configured for Vray. I don't have Vray.
But, I do have lots of models and all their textures.

I've been asking friends and some are saying:

... bit of a pickle without Vray! I'd install the 30 day trial of vray and then do a scene conversion using Vray material to Standard material 1 ScriptSpot.
(I do not want to download Vray)

... someone who really know Max would be able to tell me how to set up these paths so that the Max model will reconnect to the textures folder--- ask help.

... The UVW mapping will still be there. To add a texture path go to customize, configure user paths, external files. To run the script, go to maxscript, run script

Does this make sense so far?

Look, I don't even know how to turn on a light in Max.... I really don't. And the only reason I'm attacking this is because I ignorantly thought it would work, not prepared for these Vray dependancies.... I offered my customer choices of models from within the collection... and now finding out how darn stuck I am.

Can someone help me?

I spent hours yesterday putting textures into one 5Go file folder... I have a model, I open it, it is black. I export to 3ds, or obj and it imports black in SU.

I'm just too ignorant of this (and under such a deadline to sacrifice a learning curve (I have no intentions of using Max but for bringing models into SU) and really need someone to babysit me through getting one modle working so I can use that method for others.

Anyone?

I definitely need the smart part of this drop. Is this an issue of it not working with SU 2015?

Or is there an even more significant problem trying to drop components that are overlapping, such as grass proxy groups?

I'm trying this with grass proxy groups and nothing I do gets them to fall on any surface in a large quantity. Has anyone found the limits or explanation as to why hundreds and hundreds of proxies won't fall?

I just saw the reference of Kristoff and I will give this a try. Thank you so much. And thank you Kristoff for this: http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3474

Krisidious
I have a question for you and others here. Is there a "Drop to intersection" tool that selected components will not only drop but xyz align (rotate) itself to the face of the destination point? Typically, in the past, the drop at intersection does exactly that (drop a vertical tree on a slope and it remains vertical). However, to drop the tree on the slope and have it take the 90° of the face… Now that would be magic and what I'm rubbing the lamp for.

Is that what "smart drop" does?
Is there a drop plugin that will align the selected component to the face it intersects?

Thanks.

I see that the flow of additions to this post has slowed down. However, I've just read everything from the very beginning and curious if there is any further development on allowing this to work with rendering soft and plugins.
I have searched SketchUcation, Google and spent too much time looking for an answer to the question that too many are asking. How to make smooth animation from SU scene camera positions. I have seen Rendering programs make smooth camera position transitions but cannot find the plugin that makes this an automatic feature for animation exports from SU. Here is an example of non smooth camera positions and I'm looking for the trick that avoids these choppy positions between camera points. Could this plugin one day help?
I'd like to render animations with Thea and think this is really close to what we are looking for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded%26amp;v=NM978cZSj8c

Congratulations Paul for the work done so far. I have searched SketchUcation for info on a plugin that would make these scene transitions smooth so as to avoid the quick direction change from one camera position to another, allowing for a fluid motion that ultimately hides the fact that the cameras are fixed. Rich, have you another link somewhere on the site? Everything I'm finding here seems to be after the SU 8 came out and can't find something up to date for SU13-14.

For those faithful to Shaderlight… or, if anyone is already using Shaderlight and wanting to avoid paying 1/4th the price of the full version just to use it with SU 2014, the solution is making the models in SU 2014, then "downgrading" them (Save-as) to SU 2013 or SU 8 files and finally rendering in the identical SL 2013 (already paid for) plugin.

That's the most practical solution and must be shared will all who are effected by the threat of money for nothin'. It is a certain work around for latent ArtVPS integrity issues. In principle, this solution allows for the continued use of the Shaderlight 2013 that has not been modified since before it was released and not require 1/4th payment of the full plugin. Until they make Shaderlight work or actually do "Something" to be justified of a salary, ArtVPS should actually do anything at all than just that it works with SU 2014. Please share this solution with other SL users so they know that this option exists and is available. Smart thinking Baltus.

Hello tomasz,

I FINALLY figured it out!

With the release of Lion, the User library is hidden by default. Type (or copy/paste) the following into terminal and your user library will no longer be hidden:

chflags nohidden ~/Library/

Now unhidden, I found 'Thea4SU_files' & Thea4SU_loader.rb, I removed them, opened a previous version of SU 2013…

IT WORKED. I updated to the last update and it's stable.

Thank you. However, this problem was unique with the default settings of OS 10.7.5 on a Mac Pro. It's rare because it is the last OS version support on the MacPro, but not designed for this system. Actually, because SU 2013 does not support previous OS versions… and that the MacPro can't support any version of OS above 10.7.5… I got stuck in a crack that most would not be in.

I am so pleased. Again, thank you.

I installed Thea in the Mac Pro. Now SU 2013 crashes upon start. I've just put Thea in the trash and restarted. SU still crashes. Perhaps the problem is related to the fact that I have OS 10.7.5?
I've removed SketchUp 2013 app folder and App support folder…trashed it. Removed the application support SketchUp folder… emptied trash… restarted. reinstalled and Crash.
Actually, I'm wiping the sweat off my brow. Now that I'm trying to put a new SU 2013 in, It is not creating the App support files! Yet, somewhere in cache memory it tries to open previous SU file windows. SU 2013 launches and as soon as it starts loading plugins… it crashes. Meanwhile, I'm not able to use SU for finishing the job I was on. I'm kinda of weak in knees and admitting that it was most stupid of me to throw files in the trash and empty with confidence that it would all be reestablished with a new install. Dumb, dumb… dumb! I'm in serious trouble now.

Any Yoda out there who can Force lift this X-wing out of the Swamp?

The lowest common denominator is motivation and... that, when you think on it, allows for less speculation than the obvious conclusion that they are cashing in on "money for nothin'. This is a dangerous gamble to play when your user base is huge. But, when it is under 10'000 people, you test the tensile strength of credibility with the only residual income you have.

Those of us who have mac and PC will end up paying half the price of the full Shaderlight Pro version only because Trimble works so hard.

Crazy is the action being carried out here. Insane is to actually buy into this "some shiny new things" carrot before the horse and cart scenario when many of us have our wheels stuck in the road from ongoing and inherent problems ignored and left unaddressed since before the SU 2013 update. It is past boggling. It's terribly disrespectful and shamefully, most dishonest.

For SketchUp 2014 "update", Shaderlight charges a user fee of $75.- ($150.- PC + Mac) without an "upgrade" to their render plugin since before the release of SU 2013 AND with no mention of bug fixes or improvements to come.

REALLY?! ... $75.- to $150.- from each user just to be able to use Shaderlight with the new SU 2014??? An incredible amount of profiting off SketchUp's further development is manifesting here without the investment to improve/repair their own rendering plugin.

A Shaderlight user on their FB timeline asks, "So.... I´m wondering.... what do I get for $75? Apart from the upgrade to be compatible with 2014? Please enlighten me!"

Here is the official response from Shaderlight.

"We have been working hard to deliver an update to Shaderlight that is fully compatible with SketchUp 2014 and for the time being, when you upgrade, this is what you get. Due to the work involved in getting this update to you in time for SketchUp's launch, the new features and improvements we were hoping to include didn't make it in. we are in the process of putting the finishing touches to our next release already.

so, what do you get for your $75 upgrade? The ability to render SketchUp 2014 models with Shaderlight NOW and the promise of some shiny new things from Shaderlight for free until 2015.

We hope you will continue to support Shaderlight and its future development.

Many thanks
The Shaderlight Team"

"some shiny new things"?!

No new bug fixes? No reduction in rendering times? No corrections to Ray Tracing issues? NOT A SINGLE MENTION OF ANYTHING to an adult, mature audience of users... but to a group of sheople who can't possibly know what they want... we offer "some shiny new things"

What was the final results of these animation tests using Shaderlight?