Sketchup into ArchiCAD

[Anonymous]

I would like to import a Sketchup component from the 3D Warehouse (a modeled piece of furniture) into ArchiCAD 13 but don't know how. I am reading various answers - do I need the Sketchup Add-On for ArchiCAD, or a Goodie? I don't really know much about Sketchup. By exporting the item as a .dwg I was able to bring it into ArchiCAD as a line drawing but I'd love to have the whole model.

[Anonymous]

There are a number of ways to do this, but in you case I would:

1- Export from Sketchup as a .3ds file.
2- Open ArchiCAD, go to Help Menu and click on ArchiCAD xx Downloads
3- Download and install the 3D Studio In Add-on
4- Follow it's instructions

[NCornia]

I would use the Google Earth Connections add-on as it requires fewer steps and does not require the pro version of Sketchup (free version does not export to 3ds file).

The GEC add-on allows you to directly import models from the Google 3D warehouse. It also allows you to open .skp files directly in ArchiCAD. Once the add-on is installed, when you go to File>Open you will notice that .skp has been added to the available filetypes to open. The add-on also allows you to import and export from/to Google Earth, etc.

Here is the link to watch demo videos download: http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/addons/google_earth/

Nicholas

[Anonymous]

It also only works on a Windows platform, and RobinT does not tell us what his is...

[NCornia]

True, I forgot to mention that. Thanks Miguel.

[Anonymous]

Ah, and if you are using the free version of Sketchup, you have to use Blender (also free) to convert the exported COLLADA file into a .3ds file that ArchiCAD can read.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this input. The process with the exported 3ds file worked. The objects came in grossly overscaled but I was able to resize them in ArchiCAD. Many thanks again and Happy New Year.

[Anonymous]

RobinT wrote:
The objects came in grossly overscaled...

This is usually a units problem. Most commonly at the mm/inch ratio of 25.4 or its reciprocal. I have also seen some things from the Google warehouse that are way out of scale in SketchUp, presumably due to modeler error or unit conversions at another level.