@mac1 said:

tet42740
Some additional info for you:
I used MeshLab and and did a quadratic edge collapse decimation and was able to reduces the edges in the model by ~200,000. However Meshlab is not easy to use and looking at the model more it became apparent the basic tile model has some problems. There are a number of edges which IMO should not be there. There are some specific mathmatical relations required if you attempt to model it using the ARC tool and very small errors can cause the problems you see in that model.
If you want to correct ,create a cylinder( The OD I measured was 96.453 mm, make it just a zero thickness ( no wall thickness) I'll explain why below, extrude it up to the 250mm ht, select the top and scale down by the ratio to get the small dia you want ( I measuerd 71.190 mm for that). You can then go ahead and use the off set tool to set the 15mm thickness. The reason for waiting to this step is the scale tool will scale the thickness if you do it early. I then used the section tool to cut the truncated cylinder at one of the edges lines, make the section a group , intersect with model and delete the undesired portion. When I replaced this new tile with the ones in my posted model, which was based on what was in your orginial OP, the number of model edges reduced >= 200,000.
Just some thoughts for you

Sorry, I was... delayed. :gandalf:
Thanks a lot, I clearly understood. I must change the way I work. I've used many industrial modelers for my job (Catia, Euclid, ... : oldies : ) and it's no good with softs like Sketchup or Blender.

Cheers.

@bjornkn said:

Well, if he tried unsuccessfully to convert your model I believe he had some problems. It's full of problems and modeling errors.
First of all, everything is modeled backwards, ie all the faces are flipped so that the backfaces points forward.

...

It's a good rule to always model with frontface faing outwards.

My bad! I was pretty sure that the faces had a good orientation. I was aware about this, and was sure that my model was modeled forward. :facepalm:

@bjornkn said:

Second, your model is made from a mix of groups and freestanding lines/faces. That is not at all a good way to model in SketchUp. And it is way to complicated/detailed with lots of errors and unnecessary edges/faces.
You should have modeled one pane as a component, complete with all the details, thickness etc.
Or made two different, one top/convex and one bottom/concave.

If you open my first model, you should see that my first test was made as you said, basically (except that it is modeled backwards, of course).

@bjornkn said:

I don't know why you assume we all work with only SketchUp? I have used at least 10 different 3D programs, and now I use mainly SketchUp and LightWave, because it causes the least problems and best results
I'm sure a lot of the SU users are using other programs as well.
And several programs can now read skp files.

Pleased to hear that. But as nobody answered me about that for few days, I assumed what I wrote. My bad, again.

@bjornkn said:

So if you can't find a solution in 2 weeks you blame it on the software and not yourself?
Strange!
Yes, there is a big problem here, but I'm afraid that that is not because of shortcomings of the software, but more of an attitude problem?

If you posted just for these lines, and the fact that you have skill (with image and no explication), well, keep you lines, and your skill. I may want your help, not your skill. Thanks.
I note that you didn't post until I wrote "Sketchup sucks!". Strange.

@mac1 : Thanks, you were very helpful.

Anyway, I'll test few things with BASIC shapes (cubes...) and try union, decimate, and so on, under Blender. If it works, I will be pleased to continue on Sketchup, really. Thanks everybody for you time, I appreciate.

I don't know. But for the moment nobody was able to explain me how to do. And the guy told me that he spent almost a day to try having a good conversion, without success. I googled that problem and found nothing.

So...

Everybody here is working with sketchup, and only with sketchup. An example, why are there renderers especially made for Sketchup ? Why other modelers don't read natively sketchup files ?

Maybe I'm wrong, but if after 2 weeks I don't have a solution about a problem, it's because there a big problem. If someone can show me how to export sketchup files (that I can modify after), be my guest !

Many thanks for you help anyway, again.

@mac1 said:

If the second model is OK with you that is what counts ,so do not let me put you to extra effort if not needed.

FYI: Reason for question is my experience base is seeing clay roof tile install with a pan tile ( concave side up ) and the cover tile ( concave side down) which then covers the channel between two of the pan tiles to make it water poof. However, in my preliminary search I think there is a tile one can buy which is basically the two ( pan and cover made as a unit) and they have a key lock feature which then locks adjoining neighbors and would make it look like your last model. In addition, it looks to me the shell tool in SU 8 free cannot be used on a global basis ,but just two components or group at a time. I was hoping this would act like an ambient occlusion filter that could be applied globally which then allows one to eliminate internal structure. I think Google targeted this tool to building models for Google Earth and it could be useful there.

Many thanks for your experience. Anyway, I think I'll stop using sketchup. Someone in another forum told me that the way how the datas are stored is a pure mess and other softs like Blender "don't understand what's going on". This issue means that it's completely useless for what I want to do.

I've searched an alternative, and I think that I've found it : FreeCad, for architectural and industrial design, and Sculptris to make high-definition (for normalmap, specular maps and so on). It's sad, because how Sketchup's modeler is working... Just perfect.

Thanks anyway for your help !

Yes, probably. I'll try to find solutions, and I come back here. Thanks anyway!

@gaieus said:

I think if you approached the whole thing differently, it could be more successful.

I did. And it was successful. But since I wanted to use the model elsewhere, epic fail.
You'll find below the model, to see the new approach.
Of course the model is not finished. For a good reason... Unfortunately.

BMT_5x5x2-5_canal_bis.skp

@gaieus said:

Well, you can (somewhat) "merge" the tiles by exploding the components but I am still unsure what you are up to. You mentined normal maps. Have you seen this plugin?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=33183

Yes, I've found it, thanks !
However, I don't think it's the best tool for my issues here. (I'm using xNormal).

Anyway, I give up. Sketchup is great when you want to make simple houses or walls, or things like that, because it's very fun to use, or to sculpt, and you produce surfaces, not solids, and it's what a game engine wants. And I'll continue to use it for that (things that don't need LOD).

BUT, when you want to decrease number of faces (for LOD), it's simply impossible because XSI or Blender can do that only on mesh (solid volumes). I tried many things, spent 2 days but found nothing about "changing polymesh made with skins to closed volume". For example, when you import .obj (collada doesn't work well) in Blender, the option "decrease number of faces" is not available.

Of course, I could purchase the pro version. Well... I'm poor, I'm not a student nor a pirate. So...

That's annoying, because for the moment Sketchup is the best modeling tool I ever used.

I want to merge tiles themselves, and after that a modified roof with tile.
But I'm thinking about that. I think that the way I'm working is not good. The tile is too well done. The aim is to have few faces.

Never mind. I have an idea, I'll make the changes tomorrow evening, well, as soon as possible actually, and I'll post the result here when it will be done.

Thanks again !
Teto.

@gaieus said:

Ok. If it is too big or complicated, just an example part of it is quite enough.

I don't think so.
You have 2 layers:

• Layer 0 : It's too late for it. Already cut...
• Second one : The tiles. The first group is the tile itself. The second is one side of the roof (made with copies of the first). The third is for corners (with bigger copies of the first).

Thanks if you can help !

BMT_5x5x2-5_canal.skp

Thanks!

I can't give you the file now (I'm working) but I'll post it this evening.

Teto.