Google Sketchup to 3D Canvas

[johnybgood]

Hi everyone,

I haven't seen this posted under RW categories so here goes.

I have been fairly succesfull in creating buildings with Google Sketchup and then transfering them in 3D Canvas.

What you will need for this, should be interested in trying it out, is a plugin called "LTplus sketchUP PlugIN". The current version is v9.1 and it works really well with GS7.

You have to install it in GS7 main directory by double-clicking the ".exe" file.

The plug in can be found here: http://www.icad2000.de/

It is under the Download section, 3rd item in the list.

Once you are ready to export your object, click on "Plugins" in GS, then choose LTplus AI... and use the DXF Converter. 3DC can read DXF files and it's not a problem.

Hopefully, this will get stickied has I've been searching for quite a while to find something like this!

Cheers,
Christian

P.S.: My knowledge of 3DC is very limited at the present time, so if you have problems, I won't be able to help you! Sorry!

[madoke]

I downloaded and installed this plug-in yesterday and it works great. This will be very useful. It does not allow export of textures, since dxf files are not textured, but it is still a great find. Getting the design work out of the way in Sketchup, however, is a big time saver, easier than most CAD programs, and 3DC is more than capable of adding any needed textures, and has the ability to finish the job by exporting to RW.

Thanks again for bringing this great plug-in to our attention!

Doug

[jpetersjr]

Thanks, I use sketchup myself to make loco's, but so far haven't been able to figure out how to transfer it over to use it on the game. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get Canvas to work, I probably have to buy the actual version because for some reason the free version won't work on my computer.

[jpetersjr]

Any news when Google Sketchup might release a set of steam engine wheels and parts that we could use to build up our designs into an actual engine. So far, they seem to be missing several parts, like the steam engine boiler interior part, the trucks, and the correct seats that would be found inside a steam train.

I'll keep working on my designs, though, no guarantee when I'll be able to put it here on trainsim.com.

How do you make a cab anyways.

So far I had made a second version of a cab and copied it as a cab, but I don't know if that's how you do it, if that would work. Basically I recopied the engine file again as the cab file. Is that how you do it???

[Tro1086]

Why would you model the boiler internal parts? You will never see them in the game, they will just hog polys. Most all of these things you want Google to release would be custom to every steam loco you create. You are supposed to create these yourself and add them to your model, not just put a bunch of pre-made parts together. Its not like playing legos where you just put a bunch of parts together, you model every part yourself, wheels, trucks, boiler, cab, seats, every little detail, you make.