SimLab Objects Importer and Exporter For Sketchup

[kmanning]

Hi,
It seems that Gary told me about SimLab in a post here but when I put it in the search, it does not find anything on that. Anyway, I'm in the trial period and I wanted to try it out before I purchase both the Sim Lab Importer and Exporter. It seems to work very well and does a much better job importing textures along with the model. But the problem I'm having is that when I export it, the textures material names in Sketchup are not being used but instead it's using their original names. So the textures were exported just fine. But when I import this into MCX, the model is imported but I'm getting the warning "Fail to Load Materials," which are materials 1 through 29. It's not loading the materials because Sketchup exported the textures as materials 1 through 29 instead of their original names, and that's why I'm getting this warning in MCX. As I said, the textures were exported but their file names does not match the material names that in the model. Why is that, and what do I need to do so that the textures will load in MCX? Will I have to rename all the materials in Sketchup to make this work?

Thanks, Ken.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi Ken:

Perhaps you are referring to issues discussed in these threads ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+kmanning+TIG+OBJ+Importer&client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=DaWeYYfbCdqpptQPzoaj4AM&ved=0ahUKEwjHlfDP77H0AhXalIkEHU7DCDwQ4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+kmanning+TIG+OBJ+Importer&gs_lcp=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&sclient=gws-wiz


I do not recall whether SimLabs' or TIG's OBJ Importer / Exporter Ruby plugin scripts retain the original mapped Material names.


IIRC, Aerilius had a Ruby plugin script for Collada *.DAE exports that retained the original Sketchup mapped Material names:

SketchUp Plugins | PluginStore | SketchUcation

SketchUp Plugin and Extension Store by SketchUcation provides free downloads of hundreds of SketchUp extensions and plugins

sketchucation.com

However, you may recall that for multi-layer mapped textures, OBJ retains original 3D model fidelity better than Collada *.DAE.

Thus, I previously recommended that you use TIG's OBJ Importer / Exporter Ruby plugin scripts for your tasks back then.

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...ngs-using-sketchup-and-mcx.446617/post-835965


https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+kmanning+TIG:+Import+OBJ+with+Materials+v2.2&client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=DLWeYY38JfeYptQPl86SwAo&ved=0ahUKEwiNst_w_rH0AhV3jIkEHRenBKgQ4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+kmanning+TIG:+Import+OBJ+with+Materials+v2.2&gs_lcp=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&sclient=gws-wiz


NOTE: Here are some considerations / caveats when working with OBJ files in Sketchup:

Exporting OBJ Files | SketchUp Help

PRO If you’re a SketchUp Pro user, you can export files in the OBJ format. Wavefront Technologies developed the OBJ file format for its Advanced Visualizer software, and over time, other 3D software developers have adopted the open OBJ format. OBJ files are text-based and support free-form and...

help.sketchup.com

If you are using Sketchup version-8, you can test either of / all of several free plugin Ruby scripts to import *.OBJ:

TIG: Import OBJ with Materials v2.2

https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=obj_importer

Also see:

TIG: OBJexporter v3.0 20130131[/URL]

https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=OBJexporter


ThomThom: QuadFaceTools'] v0.13.1

https://sketchucation.com/pluginstore?pln=QuadFaceTools


FluidImporter (demo)

https://www.fluidinteractive.com/products/sketchup-extensions/fluidimporter/


SimLab OBJ Importer For Sketchup (demo)

http://www.simlab-soft.com/3d-plugins/OBJ_Importer_For_Sketchup-main.aspx


PS: It is possible the work-flow you use in MCX may impact the mapped texture Material names when they are re-formatted to *.DDS as "Powers of 2", then are (re-)mapped and their file names are written into MDLs ...as well as when those resulting Material texture files are written out to disk.

I am not certain whether Arno has resolved all outstanding issues where MCX fails to retain the original texture Material name.

Perhaps Arno may comment here as to what MCX now does to retain original mapped texture Material names on Import / Export ?

GaryGB

 

[kmanning]

Hi Ken:

Perhaps you are referring to issues discussed in these threads ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+kmanning+TIG+OBJ+Importer&client=firefox-b-1-d&ei=DaWeYYfbCdqpptQPzoaj4AM&ved=0ahUKEwjHlfDP77H0AhXalIkEHU7DCDwQ4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=site:www.fsdeveloper.com+GaryGB+kmanning+TIG+OBJ+Importer&gs_lcp=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&sclient=gws-wiz

Hi Gary,
I guess that's why the search could not find it. It seems that you told me about SimLab plugins in the past.

IIRC, Aerilius had a Ruby plugin script for Collada *.DAE exports that retained the original Sketchup mapped Material names:

SketchUp Plugins | PluginStore | SketchUcation

SketchUp Plugin and Extension Store by SketchUcation provides free downloads of hundreds of SketchUp extensions and plugins

sketchucation.com

I've tried the Aerilius plugin but it doesn't work very well when trying to export an .obj file. It will export the object and texture but it also creates, or generates some 3,250 repeated texture file names, and I assume it's because I'm using a model with several layers of textures within the model. Am I correct? I imported them into MCX and I guess it took about 15 or 20 minutes, and it still did not import the textures within the model. I've tried a few import plugins for Sketchup but they don't seem to work near as good as the payware SimLab. I received an e-mail from SimLabs regarding the problem I'm having and he said that he would forward this to the developers. I asked him why is it that the exporter is being sold if it cannot be used in some way or fashion. It doesn't make any sense to me. So, in the meantime, I'll just use those you listed above.

However, you may recall that for multi-layer mapped textures, OBJ retains original 3D model fidelity better than Collada *.DAE.

Yes, I think I agree.

If you are using Sketchup version-8, you can test either of / all of several free plugin Ruby scripts to import *.OBJ:

No, I'm using Sketchup 2017. The SimLabs plugin works for all of them, from Sketchup 8 all the way throught 2021.

PS: It is possible the work-flow you use in MCX may impact the mapped texture Material names when they are re-formatted to *.DDS as "Powers of 2", then are (re-)mapped and their file names are written into MDLs ...as well as when those resulting Material texture files are written out to disk.

If you're referring to when I imported the original model into MCX and before exporting to Sketchup, the mapped textures are already powers of 2 with their original file names.

I am not certain whether Arno has resolved all outstanding issues where MCX fails to retain the original texture Material name.

Perhaps Arno may comment here as to what MCX now does to retain original mapped texture Material names on Import / Export ?

I will check with Arno about this and see what he says. I would like to know more about this.

Thanks for you help,
Ken.

 

[GaryGB]

I've tried the Aerilius plugin but it doesn't work very well when trying to export an .obj file. It will export the object and texture but it also creates, or generates some 3,250 repeated texture file names, and I assume it's because I'm using a model with several layers of textures within the model. Am I correct? I imported them into MCX and I guess it took about 15 or 20 minutes, and it still did not import the textures within the model. I've tried a few import plugins for Sketchup but they don't seem to work near as good as the payware SimLab. I received an e-mail from SimLabs regarding the problem I'm having and he said that he would forward this to the developers. I asked him why is it that the exporter is being sold if it cannot be used in some way or fashion. It doesn't make any sense to me. So, in the meantime, I'll just use those you listed above.

Keep in mind MCX uses a 3rd party ASSIMP library as the engine for import of Collada *.DAE files, which is known to have issues processing that file type.

I will check with Arno about this and see what he says. I would like to know more about this.

Thanks for you help,
Ken.

Also, you may need to make available to Arno, the example Sketchup project file you are trying to export for processing by MCX.

GaryGB