United3dArtists Archive

SketchUp 7 (Free) **CAN** export textured OBJ

If you didn't yet download the new version yet of SketchUp 7 because you may have been concerned that the 3rd party hacked obj export plugins for SketchUp 6 may not work with the latest Sketchup 7, I am pleased to let you know that I just tested one and it works fine... so go ahead and grab the vastly improved new SketchUp 7 and grab the following plugin for it as well.

Sketchup 7 (FREE VERSION) Features Link:

http://sketchup.google.com/product/gsu.html

SketchUp 7 (FREE VERSION) download link (select WIN or MAC platform for download):

http://sketchup.google.com/download/gsu.html

3rd Party Sketchup PLUGIN Link (necessary for exporting OBJ from SketchUp 7) :[/b]

http://jim.foltz.googlepages.com/ObjExporter.rb

This Plugin is a modified version of zbyls' X exporter hacked (by Marten van der Honing) to export wavefront .obj files with materials.

Simply install SketchUp 7, then download that Plugin file directly to the default SketchUp 7 Plugins folder (not to a subfolder).

To export a SketchUp model to OBJ format using it, first save your object in SketchUp 7 format (in case you may wish to change the original file after the first export), then while your original object is loaded in SketchUp 7, simply select the (downloaded and installed) OBJ Plugin from the Sketchup Plugins menu bar and make a name and destination for the new OBJ version export in the dialog window that will open and click "export."

PS: Thanks and Props go to Peter (RAYMAN) for his original heads up in the Caligari Forums about this exporter for earlier versions of SketchUp.

Here is an example I just exported from SketchUp 7 as an OBJ and imported into Vue d'Esprit for rendering:

Hi 3dvisuals dude,

Thanks for the links ... but I have a question: You wrote that the plugin is "hacked" but your link doesn't provide any further information (it just starts the download). Is the original plugin a commercial product or is it freeware? (We don't want to contribute to bootlegging if it isn't available under a GNU or similar license.)

Thanks again.
~FL~

First Light wrote:Hi 3dvisuals dude,

Thanks for the links ... but I have a question: You wrote that the plugin is "hacked" but your link doesn't provide any further information (it just starts the download). Is the original plugin a commercial product or is it freeware? (We don't want to contribute to bootlegging if it isn't available under a GNU or similar license.)

Thanks again.
~FL~

Ah my bad (terminology) I simply copied the term off the download page which is at the following link:

http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... rials.html

The term "hacked" in this case simply meant modified not illegally "hacked" like some illegal thing.

I should have not used the term at all, but you will see it is also on the page linked above and in context merely meant modified.

I believe the term was used in that page because the person referring the plugin for download had also made his own version which doesn't include texture export and he may have been somewhat jealous of the result achieved by the other programmer, lol.


Here is the other plugin author's page:

http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2007/0 ... orter.html

Both versions have been online for a long time and are not illegal, but thanks for your dilligence.

The version of the X xporter which was modified and made available above is in fact freeware and is available at the following link where the author made it a freely available download to all.

Note that this plugin exports to X Format from Sketchup free version 6, and i have not tested it.

ZbylsXExporter

http://www.scriptspot.com/sketchup/scri ... sxexporter

Also worthy of note...

there are a great many EXCELLENT full featured free scripts available at that scripting site, here is the whole bunch for Sketchup:

http://www.scriptspot.com/sketchup-plugins

Enjoy!

I just discovered that the respective authors of both the OBJ exporter with textures linked above and the ZbylXEexporter plugin have their email addresses commented atop the RB script for the OBJ with textures plugin... not a thing they would do if both versions weren't free and legal.

Here is the comment from the actual rb script:
So it's all good, enjoy

Plus may I ad that the free version of Sketchup also exports in the google earth file format which is nothing else then a zipped collada file format(collada file+ textures)...
So you have Collada too !
thanks Mark !

I just skimmed this page, so sorry if I repeat something another has said. The full version of sketchup allows 8 hours of demo use. If you are worried about plug-ins and legality, just do your work in the free version and your exporting in the demo. You should be able to export many models in 8hrs' time.

This plugin 3d visuals dude posted isnt illegal he just used the wrong words....
It isnt illegal to use free Truespace either....
I´ve been showing lots of tutorials on how to use both together...

RAYMAN wrote:This plugin 3d visuals dude posted isnt illegal he just used the wrong words....
It isnt illegal to use free Truespace either....
I´ve been showing lots of tutorials on how to use both together...

I'm not sure how the licenses are worded. When some programs remove features it is because they are not permitting commercial use. To use the Pro version simply to export models made in the free version could be seen as a work around. Although in SketchUp's case it seems to be a deliberately provided loophole, and one I hope they do not plan closing.

Just like the way XSI's Mod tool originally seemed to be aimed at modders of a very specific handful of titles. But then they go and release a Collada export and it is now possible to use the Mod tool with Unity to make a commercial game. But is it legal, and if so, is it moral?

Sketchup belongs to the Google group now and is it moral to use google search engine for free ?
I am a Sketchup pro user and bought the package and with that i am also funding it but its my own decision......
There is realy a lot of people who dont even use it although its free ! Blender is free is that immoral to use same as Kerkythea.......
Truespace is free now....

Just like the way XSI's Mod tool originally seemed to be aimed at modders of a very specific handful of titles. But then they go and release a Collada export and it is now possible to use the Mod tool with Unity to make a commercial game. But is it legal, and if so, is it moral?

I think you may have issues with the mod tool making a commercial app, as the license never covered it. I may be wrong. If it is legal, even if only technically, my advice is to go nuts. Morality doesn't exist on the business side of things, look at truespace, so why should you lose sleep?

Back OT, Sketchup is pretty cool for making quick architectural mdels, but there are caveats, including woeful triangulation of exported objects. Luckily for ts users, LUUV seems to like them.

RAYMAN wrote:Plus may I ad that the free version of Sketchup also exports in the google earth file format which is nothing else then a zipped collada file format(collada file+ textures)...
So you have Collada too !
thanks Mark !

Hi Peter, good to see you bro!

Very cool on the Collada export, I never knew that!

It's nice when you are a struggling artist to find tools that are powerful and free and usable in your workflow with your other existing tools, even if the method employed wasn't originally forseen by the author in making their free versions available. In the case of SketchUp they simply made the Plugin Development wide open to all, and apparently they have no large concern about the development of an OBJ exporter for their free version by third parties, because it has been going on for a very long time without the slightest murmor of displeasure on their part.

Another case in point (but without a plugin in this case) is Curvy 3D http://www.curvy3d.com/info.html whos' Demo download (although their page says it doesn't save or export) actually does export OBJ too!

@Mark good to see you !
@Benji ....I never had any great problems with the triangulation of Sketchup and I export to Vue and to
Kerkythea...

Of course there is nothing wrong with using free software. Some people feel it is wrong to use demo versions for more than evaluation. I can use SketchUp for free by saving with the demo version, and some would say I am violating the spirit of the demo.

I would not worry too much about it.

If I ever get rich from using a demo or free version of something, I'll be sure to upgrade.

RAYMAN wrote:@Mark good to see you !
@Benji ....I never had any great problems with the triangulation of Sketchup and I export to Vue and to
Kerkythea...

Peter... your Sketchup 7 booleans in that "holes" thread here got me wondering...

I decided to play with the freehand drawing tool in Sketchup 7 and see how well Sketchup 7 works with freehand drawn edges when creating surfaces to be used for normal push-pull tool booleans, and I am happy to say it works flawlessly, it only took me about 5 minutes on my first attempt to do the following object in Sketchup 7 with the freehand tool (and circle tool) and push pull tool for the odd shaped booleans, then 5 more to export it with the Textured OBJ export plugin (mentioned ealier in this thread), load it into Vue as an OBJ object, assign better materials, a water surface and a sky, and toss in a Poser cat for fun, lol.

Works great guy!!!
Like you, I too prefer Moment of Inspiration (moi3d.com) for anything boolean and for all around ripping fast modelling from scratch, but this multi-tool pipeline is still pretty fast, and it sure beats pulling what little hair I have left out working with the trueSpace boolean tools, lol.

Fun stuff. I don't care if i use 50 tools in my pipeline as long as each tool has a valuable functional advantage, and this certainly does in this case.

Nice image Mark !
Yes Sketchup starts to shine when youve got something like 150 to 300 windows....
it takes a LONG time in TS ! But only takes a few minutes in Sketchup...
but there´s still lots of people who think its a much more basic tool then Ts which it isnt.
I guess its only a few who will get it.....
but thats not my problem.

it's good to see tS being integrated into a workflow with other apps like Vue.
BTW the Workspace OBJ package imports triangulated models just fine as well; faster than LUUV. Textures too.

Froo your right ! I am stilll working on moving sequences too !
didnt have success yet...