Can models fromt he Google Sketch 3D Warehouse be imported,

Forum Archive - from http://theuniversal.net
Locked
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Can models fromt he Google Sketch 3D Warehouse be imported,

Post by Mishka »

User avatar
Fooli
Staff
Staff
Posts: 1957
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:38 pm
Location: Mars

Post by Fooli »

Dev topic really.

I believe the Pro version lets you export to 3ds, in which case yes, you can. However I wouldn't recommend it: sketchup isn't a sensible program in which to create game-oriented 3d, IMO. It's great for concepts and for google earth (ie, non-realtime) type applications, but the models it creates need so much optimisation in another prog (again, only IMO) that you may as well just use a dedicated 3d modelling app.

f
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

Worth the try I think. Are polys a problem too?
User avatar
Fooli
Staff
Staff
Posts: 1957
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:38 pm
Location: Mars

Post by Fooli »

That's partly what I mean by optimisation. Sketchup tends to create models that are way too complex in the wrong places. There are also problems with normals (how polys are lit) although, to be fair, that's always an issue with pretty much every prog when you rely on an exporter.

f
User avatar
Fooli
Staff
Staff
Posts: 1957
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:38 pm
Location: Mars

Post by Fooli »

Another thread just reminded me what the other problem is with Sketchup. No uvmapping, which means no texturing. So that also has to be done elsewhere.
f
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

Oh man. Well it seemed like an easy way, I was already imagining a city made of those buildings, on TU.

hey but wait a minute, buildings available for download in the 3D warehouse already appear textured in Google Earth. How's this?
User avatar
Fooli
Staff
Staff
Posts: 1957
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:38 pm
Location: Mars

Post by Fooli »

Ahh, ok. So you can do basic mapping in Sketchup - taking a photo and smushing it onto a face. Looks like it has some basic texture positioning and distortion tools. A starting point... but again, its requirements are different to a game's, where your aim is to reuse as much texture space as possible; to mirror textures and share texture space between faces, as much as possible; and it kinda works the other way around, where instead of taking a photo and projecting it onto a model, you build a model, create a uv map, then use photos to fill it in. But give it a whirl, by all means :]
f
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

Why does it have to be so complicated. :?
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

Double post.
User avatar
fhko
VIP
VIP
Posts: 930
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:38 pm
Location: As I awake I find myself in a strange new place.

Post by fhko »

Are you trying to model yourself or just steal pre-existing models from other places for the game?

If it's the former, you could just try using gmax like the rest of us.
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

fhko wrote:Are you trying to model yourself or just steal pre-existing models from other places for the game?

If it's the former, you could just try using gmax like the rest of us.
None.
User avatar
fhko
VIP
VIP
Posts: 930
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:38 pm
Location: As I awake I find myself in a strange new place.

Post by fhko »

Then what is Sketchup for?
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

If it's the former, you could just try using gmax like the rest of us.
Is Gmax a freeware program? I've googled it but can't find a download link.
Then what is Sketchup for?
An evil science experiment.
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

I tried downloading sketch up (you better know I don't give up so easily), but the download takes too long, I will try it in july when I have a better connection, so no I'm not giving up.

I know in theory, that it shouldn't work, but it might be useful somehow.
User avatar
Fooli
Staff
Staff
Posts: 1957
Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2003 2:38 pm
Location: Mars

Post by Fooli »

gmax -> turbosquid.com
f
User avatar
fhko
VIP
VIP
Posts: 930
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:38 pm
Location: As I awake I find myself in a strange new place.

Post by fhko »

Aye, gmax is freeware. I'd be modeling on it right now if I could get a lousy registration code to work (I can't do the suggested copy and paste of the code since the computer I have all my transferred files on doesn't have a working modem and copying it by hand didn't seem to work). I've been spending some of my time just sketching a few ideas for models by hand on a piece of paper with my limited artistic abilities. I really wish I was decent at modeling humanoids since my world is probably going to need it.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in learning how to model, mishka. It might be helpful to look up some of my old modeling posts to avoid making some of my mistakes.
User avatar
Mishka
Posts: 1894
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Treasure Planet. Pirate Headquarters.

Post by Mishka »

Definitely will FHKO. Thanks.
User avatar
fhko
VIP
VIP
Posts: 930
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:38 pm
Location: As I awake I find myself in a strange new place.

Post by fhko »

If you do manage to get gmax up and running and you're interested, I can send you some of my gmax models so you can fool around with them a bit and get a sense of what's possible. Maybe you'll even think up ways to improve them. If you get good, maybe you can get my little robot guy to dance or something. Then, with and army of dancing robots, we shall conquer the world!!! :twisted: Muhahahaha!!!

Or you can stick to starting off modeling boxes. Boxes are good too. Can never have too many boxes. (They're great for hiding dancing robots in :twisted: )

Reminds me of the bugs I programmed to do the hokie pokie in my computer science course.

...can you tell I'm getting bored not being able to do 90% of the stuff I want to be doing on my usual computer?
Locked