SKetchup to Trainz - again

[wiggy1]

I really need some way of converting my Sketchup 7 models to a trainz format. It's a really useful program as most of you know and i was wondereing if anyone knows a direct converter for sketchup models.
Or if you have to put it into Gmax or something please explain, because im not any good with the technical terms.

I havn't got Sketchup Pro, I've got the free one if that makes any difference.

 

[johnwhelan]

Please have a look at Blender. Sketchup doesn't give you sufficient control for Trainz to create efficient models, its not designed to create models that render in real time.

Cheerio John

 

[PerRock]

no not with the free one. As John suggested go look at Blender, its free & much more powerful.

However even with the Pro version of Sketchup you are still going to need to know your way around either blender or GMAX (or 3ds). so you might as well start playing around with Blender now.

peter

 

[steamboateng]

Try this here http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=67623. The file first must be converted to Colada 1.4 in ScetchUp, then imported to Blender as a Colada file. The imported mesh needs to be converted in scale and lots of cleanup on stray vertices. I dont think the texture files import well. Blender will export to Trainz.
For all the work involved,it's easier to do as suggested above, just build it in Blender!

 

[wiggy1]

Blender is just a black space. What the hell?
What am I supposed to do?

 

[Len12]

I really need some way of converting my Sketchup 7 models to a trainz format. It's a really useful program as most of you know and i was wondereing if anyone knows a direct converter for sketchup models.
Or if you have to put it into Gmax or something please explain, because im not any good with the technical terms.

I havn't got Sketchup Pro, I've got the free one if that makes any difference.

Using Sketchup is just fine. In fact I'd recommend it because it is much more intuitive than Gmax and Blender and is far easier to make models. Blender also has a method of reducing the polygons as well once you've imported the model. If you had the pro version you could simply export the model in 3ds format otherwise you will have to go the export to collada format. Follow this instruction:

http://www.katsbits.com/tutorials/blender/import-google-sketchup-kmz-models.php

As noted, you have to get it into either Blender or Gmax to convert to Trainz format. And while I certainly recommend Blender I cannot for animation - so far no solution to the models in Trainz being black (ok in preview mode but when placed in Trainz show up black). In all other respects with ordinary models all is fine.

As noted as well you can't import into Blender the textures made in Sketchup on your model without stripping them off completely.

 

[bnsf50]

Yet another reason for Auran/N3V to get an exporter made for Max 2011 since it will import .kmz files directly, textures and all.