The look of the model and the animations look more like they were made in Solidworks, ProE, or some other parametric modeler. Most of those types of CAD programs have basic mechanical animation abilities.

This is a greatly needed plugin.

I tested the plugin on SketchUp 8.0.3117 and tried importing the IGES file into Alibre.
A .igs.tmp file was left behind, and Alibre spit out the error: ACISERROR_FILE_OF_UNSUPPORTED_UNIT.
I overrode the units in the Alibre import settings and got the error: ACICERROR_IMPORT_NO_FACES.
No combination of settings in the Alibre importer let me import the IGES file.

The file did import perfectly into ProE and a crappy IGES viewer program I found online, so I am not sure what is up with Alibre.

The curves came out perfectly, even a six sided cylindrical worked correctly when smoothed (circle) and un-smoothed (hex).

I have made several game maps using SketchUp as a modeler program.
There are also several studios that use SketchUp for a sort of pre-visualization of game worlds before doing detailed modeling in another program.
Here is a example case that Google put on their blog:
http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2011/02/art-and-design-of-uncharted-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OfficialGoogleSketchupBlog+%28Official+Google+SketchUp+Blog%29

Mike, do you have a website I can bookmark for later?
I have an idea for a custom bed side table I want made but currently my funds are allocated elsewhere but I would like to have someone in mind that can work from a SketchUp model.

The render output looks pretty good but like others I don't see anything that would make me choose this program over the competition.
Two things I would like to see:
Support for pre-made material libraries, no one wants to reset materials every time they make a new file.
IES light profiles, for me this is a must for accurate architecture rendering.

I might be using CryEngine right now for visualizations if it weren't for the fact that they won't spell out their licencing costs. The Architecture portion of their licencing website still says "Coming soon", it has for several years now. One thing to keep in mind is that CryEngine requires a hefty graphics processor for real time playback, meaning you usually can't just pack a file and send it to a customer.

Unity Pro is becoming more and more attractive as they add features, you pay them $1500 once and your good for life, no other fees ever. It also works on WebGL, iOS, and Android.

UDK has a $2500 per seat per year licence for anyone using UDK for in-direct income projects, and $99 per direct income project. +25% of any revenue related to the UDK software after $50,000 in sales. UDK also can build for iOS and Android.

I should say, I started out mapping in CryEngine2 (Crysis original) and loved it.
However getting a workable game took lots of work, Crytek never patched many of the obvious flaws in the original editor, and the community of players faded away.

I only switched the L4D2 because one, I liked the game and was actively playing it, and two the AI is automatic, there is very little extra work you have to do besides making the game world. But yes, the source editor can be buggy and BSP based map editing is becoming dated.

I haven't started up a new project yet, as I have others to finish. But my next game would be using a different engine then Source, probably Unity, UDK or CryEngine. CryEngine would by my first choice if they would clearly spell out their independent licencing.

I seems that I haven't posted some of my newer (like last two years) SketchUp to game works to this thread.

First: I wrote a start to finish article on making games in the Source engine using SketchUp:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/howto_make_left_4_dead_map_google_sketchup?page=0,0

My most popular project is Fan Feast: http://www.zapwizard.com/blog/projects/fan-feast/
It is a 1:1 scale near perfect recreation of a real world shopping center.
It was made for Fantastic Fest 2010, which is mainly a movie festival, but in 2010 they started including independent games. The coolest part is that people were both actually, and virtually inside the same building while playing the game at the festival. The map is made for the game Left 4 Dead 2.

There are over 300 custom textures to make the place feel authentic (Signs, graffiti, etc..)
All the building exteriors were made using the photo-match tool as well as the theater interior. The bowling alley interior was made directly from the source DWG files.
I choose SketchUp as my modeler for a few reasons: One its super fast to work in, and two it is made for real world architecture and so it makes matching the real world so much easier then in-game editors.

My longer on going project is Seaholm Power Plant: http://www.zapwizard.com/blog/tag/seaholm/
It will be a three map campaign for L4D2. It is based again on a real world location, also at 1:1 scale.
Most of the geometry for this map was made in SketchUp.

Another showcase project I did was the winning entry in the the World of Level Design story telling contest.
In less then three hours I was able to model a old rail road station, and in less then two weeks I put together the whole contest map.
http://www.zapwizard.com/blog/2011/04/world-of-level-design-winner-storytelling-level-design-challenge/

Trimley Railway Station (13) by Richie Wisbey, on Flickr

It does load pretty quickly. The mouse inertia feels a bit high, but that could be my own mouse sensitivity.
Also the newest version of Unity 3D now exports to WebGL (no plugin needed)

This is an awesome steal for that much software.
Also of note the $100 FBX import plugin is also free right now:
Search their store for "FBX Plug-in for DAZ Studio"

@alz said:

I'm totally screeching in to the last page without reading previous ones. Having said that, has anyone looked at: http://playuptools.blogspot.com/?

Yes, it has been mentioned in the thread. I haven't used it for a while now and they have made updates to it.

I'll give this a try with my last project which was made for real-time using Unity 3D.

However before I would every be truly sold on LumenRT it would have to support web playback (WebGL without plugin) and the ability to freeze the real-time lighting such that the file can be played back on a normal PC instead of a super computer.

@tig said:

Here's the other old-chestnut
@unknownuser said:

Cnduo't bvleiee taht i culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht i was rdnaieg... unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid... aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmarbigde Uinertvisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset of the txet mghit be a taotl mses but you slohud sitll raed it whoutit mnay pbomerls. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer idudivilanly, but the wrod as a wlohe. It's azanmig, and i awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was the msot ipmorantt tingh! Tset if yuor fdreins are aleb to raed tihs pragarpah...

I will now use this as an example that spelling doesn't matter as much as some people seem to think.

Thanks for the link, more to add to my growing asset library.

The (old) Blue Marble image is the only desktop wallpaper I ever set that isn't from my own work.

I found this thread on baking lightmaps in Vray for use in Unity 3D
http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/97877-Baking-lightmaps-with-Vray-and-3D-Studio-Max-a-tentative-guide

@valerostudio, does V-ray for SketchUp not have any geometry export ability?

In fact I was just talking with someone who said they looked at SketchUp to model their new home but choose another program simply because he was frustrated with the lack of parametric modeling.

I just finished watching the Lord of the Rings after getting the bluray. This is a sizable project, but your quality so far is amazing.

Would it be possible to create a plugin that would "bake" the locations of all the textures in a group or other selection?

It is time intensive, but you can use the edge tools plugin can remove some of the extra detail from the elevation plot: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=24593&p=210736&hilit=%5BPlugin%5D#p210736

Another option I have done that took a lot of time, but gave me a more editable and simpler terrain model is to let SketchUp stitch the detail elevation and then use the TIG's Drape Control Points plug in across the detailed surface to make a regular grid that follows the terrain: http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=21379

Finally Artisan for SketchUp is a must have for working with terrain, it also has an okay simplify function. http://artisan4sketchup.com/