Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1284 Location: USA - FL
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:40 am Post subject: Notice about "Sketchup" and the old versions 4+5
It seems official. Google has abandoned the sketchup 5 completely, when it comes to "Google Earth Export 4".
You can no longer get the export plug-in for sketchup 5 or lower.
I am playing around with version 6, to see how well items get exported.
So far, it seems to convert my old sketchup 5 files fine, with the new "Sketchup2IMVU" program, while exporting as KMZ4 from sketchup 6. If you have any inside info, for things that I should be looking for... Don't hold back... If you have sample files that you KNOW convert bad, or have problems... Zip them up and get in contact with me for my e-mail.
I recently had to restore my whole computer from scratch, and lost most of my program files, including the plug-in that sketchup 5 used. They also stripped me of my full license, demanding that I get version 6. They removed all links/files for "Older versions". They are starting to sound like Microsoft.
Neo, I do still have the raw "C" files for the vector conversions. However, I do not have my corrections to the files, which fixed the backwards IMVU matrix conversion, and the code that fixed IMVU's infinite floating point errors.
I do have my vb6 code for the file scrubber, which I can attempt to recreate, if it will help your friend to better understand the output files. Though, I am not sure how far I saved it, in development. (That was part of the conversion that I used when I was developing the 3D editor which allowed nodes to be added and positioned and rotated. That's gonna make my head hurt, cracking that back open again.)
The scrubber essentially cleaned the XML garbage, and put the data into variables, for manipulation, and for reconstruction after an edit. It was a nondestructive conversion, which worked in memory, off the original files data.
Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 1852 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:33 am Post subject:
They changed something with the later versions of SketchUp so that KMZ2blend Blender import script doesn't appear to work any more if you're doing a direct conversion of the outputted files from SketchUp.
I don't know if that's still the case but it *used* to work fine because the KMZ format was essentially just a 'zip' file container of sorts, the contents of which the Blender script was basically 'extracting'; later versions of SketchUp don't appear to use the same format 'details' so the files can't be opened in a simple way like they used to for use in Blender. _________________ Want to make items for IMVU?
Click here to get started!
Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1284 Location: USA - FL
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:33 am Post subject:
I was about to say... lol... I open the kmz4 files by renaming them to zip...
I think they might have changed to a less-standard, or more-standard XML file. In windows, I see all the unix CR, but no LF... (EG, the whole file looks like one long line of text, with no "Enter" code. (CR+LF) is windows "Enter", Unix is just the (CR), which makes windows draw a box, without the line breaking like it should. Easy to translate I am sure.
My problem, with blender, is that the conversion to IMPORT the file requires python to be fully installed. (I have not gotten that far yet. Still trying to figure out how to use the alien interface.)
That, plus I can not find any good tutorials for rooms creation. I know they need walls and floors and a ceiling. I know about the nodes, but not sure how to make just a node... or how to tell the orientation of the node. I know it needs standing spots, with the associated greeting/action spot... but I can't find the naming convention, or how to create them, or how to set the scale, or weigh the room. (Keeps giving me errors on the "Sample Nodes", tells me I MUST have only one skeleton. I reduce it to just nodes, and it still gives the same warnings, and refuses to create the mesh.)
I also thought I read something about lighting being needed. But they changed all the tutorials and completely made them a dysfunctional mess. (Links that loop back to the same pages, and words that don't match where you are about to go. Or the same word as three links takes you to three separate pages. There is no <NEXT> <BACK> <PAGE>... Impossible to navigate and actually find what you need to know. They just point out the obvious... You need walls, floor nodes, standing spots... Great... How the heck do you make them! LOL.)
Basically, I am back where I was a year and a half ago... at the beginning and headed no-where fast. I can create the stuff as raw data, just not in the damn programs.
Using these programs is like using a chain-saw to open a package of gum. Overkill, over-complex, and sawing blind-folded.
Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1284 Location: USA - FL
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:03 am Post subject:
Also note... I saw my tutorial (Half tutorial), listed on one of these posts... Since Google has removed the associated required files, that tutorial is no longer of any value. (Though I suppose I could update it if the new sketchup 6 works.)
Also note... I think that sketchup 6 with the old google earth 4 export originally had a few bugs. (That may be why the converter did not function, it was not exporting the KMZ4 format properly.) They have updated sketchup 6, with the correct/better export, as per the comments on all the forums in other export utilities and in google warehouse forums. Update if you had an older version prior to July, 2008.
The rename of the KMZ to ZIP, should also work for MAX 7,8,9 also. They also have a native SKP converter for MAX.
I still do not know why IMVU can not finish the converter. The code is literal, and not that complex. It is all standard XML data, and there are tons of free conversion codes out there.
The only thing sketchup can't do is true-form curved surfaces, and animation scripts. The rest can be "Simulated" in one way or another. Groups, layers, joining... bones could be manufactured, groups can bind them, layers can hide items that should not be translated, or that should be exported as another format, (Lights), (Nodes), (Seats)... All we need is one master file for the separate types of projects...
One for Meshing avatar stuff
One for Meshing furniture
One for Meshing rooms
One for Light-layer
One for Node-layer
One for Seat/Stand layer
Can't think of any other thing that sketchup could be used for... (Pets have animations, so they are out of the picture. As is any complex animation. I am sure a simple animation edited by hand could be done. Like having a spinning item, or an object spinning on an item.)
Would there be interest in the community over testing a script that exports directly from Sketchup 6 by bassing the .kmz export layer altogether?
I have a prototype working at this time which seems to be generating very good output in my initial tests.
Using the metaphor of the original sketchup example files provided by imvu I have extended the framework to include the following concepts.
Setting the SCENEAMBIENTCOLOR by assigning a material to the Root node.
Multiple meshes sharing the the same skeletal structure.
Automatic sub-meshing of objects with shared materials.
Texcoord handling allowing UV assignment from sketchups texture tweaker
Nodes of the types Root/skeleton.Room with their children, Handle(.*), seat(.*), Catcher(.*), Pitcher(.*), camera(.*), furniture.(Floor|Wall|Ceiling).(.*)
Nodes of the type node.Room and its children Omni(.*) and Spot(.*) with coloration through material assignment.
Startlingly enough, to myself anyway, in the latest version SeeThrough nodes which prove out the concept of a mesh being weighted to bones other than the root.
Certainly plenty to keep folks busy with rooms and furniture. Possibly close enough to make it to avatar attachments with a little polish.
Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1284 Location: USA - FL
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject:
Wow... you finished what I started! LOL...
Sounds like something to play with.
Hook me up... Is it just a simple exporter?
Does it fix the problem IMVU had with exporting the "unmapped" back sides of triangles? (I just manually removed the un-painted surfaces, because IMVU colors unpainted surfaces with a micro-tile of the image on the other side. Tiny little transparent textures all over. LOL.)
I just want floor nodes darn-it! Ones I can edit outside notepad!
Link me... or send it to my gmail account. Same as my name here.
Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 3636 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:21 am Post subject:
<.< >.> ^_^
wow some have been busy!!
ISAWHIM i duno if my friend is still up for trying, but by the looks of it someone beet even you to it , way to go on ur work ApocalypseSurvivor !!!
there is deffintly intrest! iv posted about this thread in the sketchup group as well so any of them to check the group will surly be by ^_^
ill be more than happy to help test!! ^_^
ApocalypseSurvivor how long have you been working on this? and what a first post btw, welcome to the forums ^_^ _________________
The head? i lost an auction -.-
"Crankificates" -Polystyrene
*Wipes drool off chin* Can I have that in a to-go box? I'll say pretty please and thatk you kindly. More to the point when do you think it will be ready?
ApocalypseSurvivor wrote:
Would there be interest in the community over testing a script that exports directly from Sketchup 6 by bassing the .kmz export layer altogether?
I have a prototype working at this time which seems to be generating very good output in my initial tests.
Using the metaphor of the original sketchup example files provided by imvu I have extended the framework to include the following concepts.
Setting the SCENEAMBIENTCOLOR by assigning a material to the Root node.
Multiple meshes sharing the the same skeletal structure.
Automatic sub-meshing of objects with shared materials.
Texcoord handling allowing UV assignment from sketchups texture tweaker
Nodes of the types Root/skeleton.Room with their children, Handle(.*), seat(.*), Catcher(.*), Pitcher(.*), camera(.*), furniture.(Floor|Wall|Ceiling).(.*)
Nodes of the type node.Room and its children Omni(.*) and Spot(.*) with coloration through material assignment.
Startlingly enough, to myself anyway, in the latest version SeeThrough nodes which prove out the concept of a mesh being weighted to bones other than the root.
Certainly plenty to keep folks busy with rooms and furniture. Possibly close enough to make it to avatar attachments with a little polish.
ANYTHING that makes this dang Sketchup exporting better is something I will try! Will it also keep the named texture files and keep the 53 textures I have at just 53, and not turn it into 91 material files?
(because I'm pretty clueless as to what you guys posted above! ) _________________
Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1284 Location: USA - FL
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:34 pm Post subject:
Ewww... I just found out what the IMVU converter does to a decent sized file...
LOL... I had 5 images, it spits out 11 files that "need" images... 7 of them actually color things in the model... 2 surfaces were chewed up... 6 didn't show-up in the model...
One says background, one says font... both were surface in the object that became posses... the 2 that got chewed up.
Now I know why sketchup 6 doesn't work...
Oh well, there is 10 hours of my day wasted. Thanks IMVU, I feel real appreciation for the time I spend here. LOL.
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