topic Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing in Collaboration with other software

ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 22:02:44 GMT

It is my understanding that Graphisoft is developing the means to export information directly into SketchUp. Does anyone know what the current status of this project is?

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 22:41:58 GMT

Zobi wrote:
It is my understanding that Graphisoft is developing the means to export information directly into SketchUp. Does anyone know what the current status of this project is?

I am not aware of any project specifically for exporting ArchiCAD information into SketchUp.

All you have to do is export as 3DS from AC (or dwg if you do not want textures, etc.) ... and use the import 3D command in SketchUp.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 23:05:09 GMT

That does indeeed worked..but the poblem I am seeing is that everything becomes meshed...and more complicated than I really want to be seeing in in SketchUp. Is there a way to let the slabs just be slabs and so forth? I'm looking for an auto-simplification at the translation. Also, I'm shooting for smaller file sizes. Any hints?
Thanks,
John

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 07:56:19 GMT

There is a specific plugin taking files directly from SketchUp into Archicad which was previewed at the Archicad Europe University. I understand that this is free!! and will be available mid October.

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 20:37:38 GMT

Zobi wrote:
That does indeeed worked..but the poblem I am seeing is that everything becomes meshed...and more complicated than I really want to be seeing in in SketchUp. Is there a way to let the slabs just be slabs and so forth? I'm looking for an auto-simplification at the translation. Also, I'm shooting for smaller file sizes. Any hints?

Stefan or someone with more experience in other 3D formats may have an idea for getting non-triangulated planes.

The 3Ds format does indeed triangulate everything. You can hide the offending edges in SU (select edge, Hide). I'm not sure how to get the file size down ... there are just a lot of surfaces in a complex AC model... It might be that the 3DS file is not optimized - duplicate common edges/etc - so again I defer to Stefan or someone else who may know of a 3DS (or other ) optimizer.

Do note that you can draw new SU geometry onto your AC model in a new layer(s), and then export ONLY the new geometry out of SU and bring it back into AC as an object (3DS) and have it appear in your AC model...

Karl

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 20:38:09 GMT

3D DWG also will get an Archicad model into SketchUp.

Textures don't cross over, but the geometry is not all "meshed up".

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

stefan — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 08:40:31 GMT

Have you tried the "options..." for the 3ds import into SketchUp?

There is an option to merge coplanar faces, which might clean the model up quite a bit.

Combine this with the "smooth/soften edges" option in SketchUp and you get a pretty clean model imported.

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 01:48:12 GMT

Has anyone had some other experience with importing SketchUp models? Do things need to be created in SketchUp in specific ways to help the translated be more seamless with less cleanup? Is what Stefan noted all we need to know?

Kevin

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

Djordje — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:08:04 GMT

kjanik wrote:
Has anyone had some other experience with importing SketchUp models? Do things need to be created in SketchUp in specific ways to help the translated be more seamless with less cleanup? Is what Stefan noted all we need to know?

Kevin

Check this topic http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=8876

Re: ArchiCAD and SketchUp interfacing

stefan — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 09:00:43 GMT

kjanik wrote:
Has anyone had some other experience with importing SketchUp models? Do things need to be created in SketchUp in specific ways to help the translated be more seamless with less cleanup? Is what Stefan noted all we need to know?

Kevin

Let's not mix up two different things:

The first question asked was about importing an ArchiCAD model into SketchUp in a clean fashion. My answer was only referring to that.

Your question is the other way around: getting a SketchUp model into ArchiCAD, for which there is a dedicated ArchiCAD-addon and for which the other thread answers some questions.