miikka what format do you have the xyz file in in QGIS. If you convert it to a point shapefile you can use some of the random sampling tools in QGIS. Within the Vector tab, under Research Tools you can use the random sampling tool, which will allow you to select based on a number of features, or by percent of features. You could use this two ways:

1. to select features to export to a new file
2. to select features to delete from the current file

Hi Chris,

Yes I have rescaled it, pain, but not a show stopper. QGIS can export to an xyz file. I have to say that QGIS is beefy and there are many many many different output formats. QGIS has a great development community, and an excellent user forum (like this one). There is very little I cannot do in QGIS that I can do in ArcGIS. Its worth a try, and if you need some assistance along the way, let me now.

Chris it depends on what you mean about a point cloud. QGIS can save a file that has thousands to millions of points (like LiDAR) but the big part is the file format. Most spatial vector data is stored as a Shapefile or as a database layer, this is something that is not handled by SU. miikka1978 I have had the same issues with QGIS and storing 3D data. I put out a post on a forum a while ago about this ( http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/27937/features-to-3d-from-2d-in-qgis ), but I have never been about this make it work successfully. I have had to result to using ArcGIS, but when I import my contours as DWG, they are scaled wrong, by a factor of 3.28, which is the conversion from feet to meters.

Hello All,

Here is a link to a questionnaire I developed, based on recommendations from users, related to understanding the usage of Geospatial Data within SketchUp. If you are interested in participating in the questionnaire, follow the following link:

301 Moved Permanently

(www.surveymonkey.com)

Thank you,

Ryan

I have generated a questionnaire, which can be found at the following location: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SPMKYLB

Thank you in advance,
Ryan

Chris I am using ArcGIS. I have it for work, but like you I would not purchase it for myself. I have been using ESRI products since around 2000. ArcGIS does not handle raster data processing very well at all. I have since moved over to QGIS for may of my processing needs, as well as using the command-line utility FWTools. I find ArcGIS is not developed to be a processing software. They claim there is batch abilities, but they are very cumbersome. Also, ESRI does not connect to PostGIS database very easily, there are 3rd party tools. I am more of an open source minded person.

Originally I was looking for experiences and usage of GIS within SketchUp. But if a questionnaire would be more beneficial, then I will develop one.

Hi Chris, thank you for your reply, I appreciate you taking the time. I work in two different places, both where I use SU. My primary role is at a small university in Ontario, Canada. I work in a Geography department, where part of my role is working with external clients to assist with services and research. Some of those projects are related to 3D and GIS. Secondly, I consult for a company in the US. A large part of their work is 3D GIS related.

Next year I am starting a university class where I will be teaching how to do 3D modeling and visualization, but specifically related to GIS. I have been working in this industry for close to 10 years, however, I have been working in SU for less than a year. I have been looking at different workflows, plugins and software that can assist with, what seems to me, to be a problem of integrating GIS data into SU. Many users, like myself, have data, often better than what is available on GE, and would like to use it within SU for their own reasons. I have found some good plugins that help with this, but they are expensive, especially when looking at outfitting a university lab. So, I am looking at pitching a development effort at my university to develop a plugin that will help facilitate this need. The pre scope is but one means of research to help identify the need and use by members outside of a university setting. I am hoping to find out about how people use/try to use GIS with SU. I hope to use stories, issues and short comings from the SU community regarding using GIS data with SU, to build my business case with university administration.

Thanks again....Ryan

Hello All,

I am doing a pre scope on how/if the SketchUp community is using geospatial data within SketchUp. Specifically, ortho imagery (aerial photography/satellite images), vector data (ie: shapefiles), spatial databases (ie: PostGIS) and GeoPhotos (ie: digital photos enabled with GPS). I am curious to hear if/how you are using this data, and or, if you would like to use the data, but are unsure of how to use geospatial data within SketchUp.

Any comments or PMs related to you usage would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

Hello All,

I was wondering if anyone has see a free or very in expensive plugin that will allow for the importing of GeoPhotos (digital photos with a GPS and compass direction tag in the EXIF). I am aware of GeoSketch, which works well, but I am looking at setting up a lab at a university and the cost times by the number of computers would make the cost large. I have see the post and Coords Tag plugin, but with isn't exactly what I am thinking.

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks...

Thanks TIG. I agree with the "right way" comment, but when you are bound by something, you are bound by it.

Because the plugins in that I am using saves them as Groups, so its out of my control.

Thank you TIG, that is really helpful. I am hoping to do this in a more automated fashion, do you know of a way to make things components? My models are not saved as components (as it is not in the workflow). Would there be a way to make all the groups into components based on the Name stored in the Entity Info?

Thanks....

Hello All,

Is there way (existing script or developing ) of saving groups of features as an individual SketchUp model based the name stored in the Entity Info (see attached jpeg). The problem I have a single model that has a number of models within it and I want to save each of the individual models as their own model, without having to do this manually.

Thanks...

Thats what I was thinking and worried about. I couldn't find a better way, but I wanted to ask the community to see if I was missing or over looking something.

Thanks..

No that won't work at all, so it will remove the building ID that is associated to each group, which is a major requirement. If I explode them, there will be no way to re-associate the building ID, short of selecting, grouping and renaming.

Hi Dave, I have opened the group for editing, this produces what I want, but I want to know if there is another way to do this, without needed to open each grouped building. For the most part, each building will visually look the same (may have different dimensions, but will be represented with the same textures). They can not be copy and pasted, as they need to be represented geographically. I have attached a PDF that visually outlines the situation. I am thinking the only way is to edit the groups, I was hoping I didn't need to.

Thanks...

Material Pastign on Multiple Grouped Faces.pdf

Hi Dave, thanks for the response, but that isn't working how I need it either. Let me explain my situation in more detail, this may help with the problem.

I have 100 buildings all in a row (each buildings in a group). The row of buildings are facing a street. The buildings start untextured. My goal is to have one texture for all non street facing faces (ie: bricks) and the street facing faces to have a different texture (ie: store front). The Shift+Paint Bucket is good, but because all the faces have no texture (same texture) everything will be painted with the same material. I have selected just the front faces, but the same issue still happens. This is what I want to know, how can I apply one texture to JUST the selected face of a group to MANY groups at once. Unless I have read all the previous posts wrong, I can't seem to get this to work.

Thanks again for all your help...

Thanks, I will give it a try, but will it only paint on a selected face in the group? Or will it do all the faces in the group?

Yes I am aware of this way, it does work. My issues is that I have hundreds of groups within in file (ie: buildings in a scene). I am selecting many specific face that I want to have each of the selected faces to have the same texture (so one swoop to all faces). Editing the groups individually is not productive. This is where I think I may be dreaming.