I originally built a model with version 7 and pinned the same textures from the texture palette to the model. Now I want to add shading detail that can't be done in SketchUp by itself, such as having a graduated area starting with a dark area that ends with the original lighter tint or adding some splotches of darker or lighter colors, other packages like Zbrush allows painting directly on the textures.

To be able to have this type of detail with SketchUp is the simplest method to unwrap the texture, edit it in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, then rewrap the texture back on the same surface using a new texture texture name or is there simpler method? Which plugin should be used to do this?

There's potential, but I'm limited to the texture files in the the model after it's been exported to a KMZ format. The game company's converters work with only SketchUp (v5.0-6.X) and 3D Max (v7-2009) files to get the Cal3D v.1.09 files used for content. Their example shows a SketchUp and 3D Max file they converted and uploaded. I thought of using a renderer then use the new texture to replace the old texture to compensate for the detail loss using SketchUp. Any thoughts as to the most time effective method for what I'm trying to do? (ground shadowing isn't a primary concern if it begins to add time to the process)

Is there a tutorial or detailed workflow showing how to use a renderer to replace all of a SketchUp model's original textures; for example, a simple 1 room building with just the interior and exterior and no other content. I need to simulate texture baking. Rendering an individual scene isn't the problem. I'm trying to build game content (limited to low poly). If I used 3D Max, it would be a matter of unfolding the UV mesh and baking the texture. The part I'm having trouble with is knowing how to render all the model's surfaces with the least amount of renders. There was a couple of threads where someone had done something similar with Podium but neither went into any details.

The changed file names for materials is just part of the problem, Google went from Collada 1.4 to 1.5 with Google 7.X. Everything in the kmz file has changed. The only kludge would be to have either SketchUp v.5 or v.6 and save the file in Sketchup v.7.X as the earlier version of SketchUp you have, then in SketchUp pre v.7 open the file and export it as a kmz file. Version 5 would be the best choice, I've heard some problems were happening using a version 6 kmz file. Check the Google SketchUp forum and use either Collada 1.4 or kmz as a search term. What you've experienced is not an isolated incident.

The solution is to either have a plugin that would export a kmz using the Sketchup v.5 kmz file format or standalone converter. If someone has a plugin or converter that does this let me know, I need one too.