Importing Google Earth Sections and Google Sketchup 3D models into trainz?

Trainkid91

Empire Builder
Can anyone tell me how to import sections of maps on google earth into trainz as well as 3D models created in Google sketchup, my friend who showed me google sketchup said that they could be imported into 3dmax or blender (forgot which).

matt
 
I would certainly be interested in how to get Sketchup into Trainz. I have just watched 3 sets of video tutorials on creating 3d objects from Sketchup, Blender and 3D canvas. My impression was that Sketchup was the easiest of the three. I did read a post that someone is developing an exporter for Sketchup diectly into Trainz but don't know where they have got with this (Have forgotten who it was! Sorry if you are still out there!).

John
 
Auran are developing an XML importer to Trainz, currently only Blender has a Trainz xml exporter and that's more in development as new versions of the importer come out.

3D Canvas has an exporter based on decompiling a .im file, it works but the concern has been raised that all the exporters based on the decompile method may corrupt Trainz inadvertantly. The same is true of the native Blender exporter.

TRS2009 will apparently use a different format or at least GMAX will be unable to create the files so ideally you want to use a product that supports the trs2009 native format and at the moment that looks like being Blender.

It's fairly easy to use there is a step by step tutorial in the wikibook that just uses the bits you need for Trainz, Blender is extremely powerful and most tutorials give you information about things you don't need.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Trainz and look for the content creation it, Blender tutorials, then texture.

Cheerio John
 
I believe you can use Flux Studio to convert from sketchup to 3DS to import into GMax. From there you can export to Trainz. I've used Flux Studio to convert meshes (well one so far) from Autodesk Inventor to 3DS, and successfully got them into TRS.

Paul

p.s. I imagine that GMax meshes will still work in '09, they just won't support any of the new features...
 
Thanks for the links to the thread - hope it's soon! I will have to watch out. I presume Sketchup could only be used for static models - it did look very promising from the tutorial video I watched. I am not sure which way to go - I did a bit of modelling in Gmax a few years ago - just stations for my layouts and got on with it except for the placing of textures - seemed a bit unstable. With a bit more time on my hands now I would like to enter back into making some objects but only want to learn one program! So facing the decision - which way to go - Sketchup, Blender or 3D Canvas?

John M
 
Thanks for the advice Ahsan - I will probably take it and stay within the mainstream! Now to download & print out the Wiki tutorial that John Whelan points to!

John M
 
I find it easiest to map a Google Earth image (resized screen shot) on to a single plane that has been sized just right to preserve both scale and ratio. Then I set the plane to be about 0.3m above the insertion point to avoid image flickering with the baseboard. I usually place the insertion point at one of the corners to make it easier to line up the plane with other objects.

These make great placement guides for ground objects as well as ground cover textures with a well defined edge.
 
On Google Earth's status bar when I'm looking at the neighborhood where I live, I see "Elev 35m" and "Eye Alt 441m". Printed maps usually print the scale of the maps such as "Scale 1:18,250" and some kind of ruler that display the lengths such as 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 feet. If I take a screenshot of the neighborhood, how do I find out the scale of the "map"?
 
On Google Earth... If I take a screenshot of the neighborhood, how do I find out the scale of the "map"?
If you look at the bottom left of the GE map, you'll see a distance scale with a number giving the length of the scale. The units will depend on what you selected in the GE options menu. Be sure you have select Scale / Legend in the View menu or you won't see it.
 
martinvk, I had to enable Scale/Legend in the View menu in GE. What's the best scale for taking screenshots of GE "maps" so that I can create 3D models in any 3D modeling programs? Is it possible to disable inference in SketchUp?
 
I have created a number of houses in Sketchup (free), and it IS real easy. But I'm also still waiting for decapod to finish the exporter :sleep:

As far as I know only SketchUp Pro (very expensive), lets you export to a format that can be used in Gmax :confused:

I keep hearing about Blender too, but am rather exhausted at the thought of having to learn yet another program, AND start all my models all over again:'(
 
I have created a number of houses in Sketchup (free), and it IS real easy. But I'm also still waiting for decapod to finish the exporter :sleep:

As far as I know only SketchUp Pro (very expensive), lets you export to a format that can be used in Gmax :confused:

I keep hearing about Blender too, but am rather exhausted at the thought of having to learn yet another program, AND start all my models all over again:'(

Flux studio will import sketchup .kmz files, and export .3ds files that GMax can read. It's a long way round, but it's one way to get them into Trainz while you're waiting for the direct exporter.

Paul
 
I have created a number of houses in Sketchup (free), and it IS real easy. But I'm also still waiting for decapod to finish the exporter :sleep:

As far as I know only SketchUp Pro (very expensive), lets you export to a format that can be used in Gmax :confused:

I keep hearing about Blender too, but am rather exhausted at the thought of having to learn yet another program, AND start all my models all over again:'(

Have a dig on the internet but Blender seems to have an exceptional number of importers and exporters so there might be one for sketchup which would work whilst you wait.

Cheerio John
 
Well... Flux is good (and free). It exports my .kmz files from SketchUp to .3ds files that Gmax will read. Now my problem is, that I can't seem to save/export it from Gmax (Trainz Asset Creation Studio). So I set out to learn some more about that. I went step by step following the tutorial from Gary's Trainz pages, but half way through I'm done for, cause his tutorial is for an earlier version (I have 1.2) and does not work for the new version. I did figure out how to create it though, but the tutorial isn't for 2006 either, so the directions for exporting doesn't work either.

I looked at the World of Trainz Tutorials, but they don't start from the bottom up. Can someone please direct me to a tutorial that will give me the starting points for Trainz Asset Creation Studio for TRS2006??? I just want to create a simple box, to see how all this works. Please?

EDIT: Whatayaknow, I actually managed to make a nice little box with texture and put it in trainz. Just admired it in Surveyor. By now I lost track of where all the help came from, but I want to thank each and every one anyways.

Now I'm back to figuring out how to "translate" my models, and I'd still very much like pointers to good tutorials (for dummies) on Gmax/TRS2006.
 
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Not successful. Sketchup only exports the shapes and basic colours, no textures. And even more content is lost in the further "translation" between SketchUp-Flux-Gmax. Even if I do get my basic creation into Gmax, I then have to import all textures and start all over adding them to the house or whatever. Then I might as well create it in Gmax to begin with. What a drag.
I think I might be getting to the point of throwing in the towel here, and set out to lear to create with Gmax, SIGH.
 
GMax isn't bad once you get the hang of it, especially for basic shapes. The route via SketchUp and Flux might be worth using when the mesh is harder to create than the texturing. I've used the same method to convert Autodesk Inventor to GMax via Flux for these:



Paul
 
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