Topic Title

Yuk...
So DataCAD can import SU8 files, but exports SU6??
The appearance of the model in SketchUp (from a DataCAD export) sucks.

I have a flat site model containing nothing but polylines with materials...grass, concrete, etc.
Looks okay in DataCAD...I'm not concerned with that so much as it will all be rendered in Artlantis anyways.
However, in SketchUp (where I was hoping to piece the site and several buildings together) only random pieces of the polylines have any materials.*
Each polyline should look just like it did in DataCAD and each polyline should be a Group.

*SketchUp exports to Artlantis.

DC 14 exports to both SU V7 and SU V8.

(Shameless plug to encourage you to upgrade now or soon to DC 14!)

So does that mean that my problems/annoyances with the exporting are fixed in DC14?
How 'bout I send you a DataCAD file...you export it to SU8 for me. Eh?

I can't say for certain if ANY thing's fixed - but so far it seems to be working pretty slick in DC14.

PM the file to me and we'll give it a try it certainly can't hurt!

Part of the problem and cause of frustration in the Exported file is that the material assignment was inconsistent and random.
This forced me to drill down into the SketchUp Groups and Components to assign materials so that an export to Artlantis was even useable.
That was very time consuming.

I think there needs to be more options when exporting to SketchUp files.
For example, I would like an option to export materials used in DataCAD OR export to SketchUp's default material.

Hello [echo echo echo]
I see this thread is a bit old, but I thought I would add my post to it, because the topic is the same.
My question has to do with how to best prep an AEC file before exporting it to SketchUp. Yeah, purge.
But what I am wondering is how 'layered' should the file be prior to export?

I don't use a lot of layers. Seems like things always end up on the wrong layers anyway.
But I'm learning that SketchUp wants everything on separate layers.
When I try to render things I import into Sketchup, I have to explode them first, and then pieces and parts get deposited on different layers, even though they started out on one layer (I get pop ups saying that stuff is happening on turned off (hidden) layers).
Any computer whiz out there know why? So my question is, how can you prep for this stuff in advance in DataCAD prior to exporting to SketchUp?

I haven't been assigning materials to things prior to exporting. So its just 3D polygons & slabs. Hatching seems to get messed up, with diagonal lines running through them, so I leave them out.

Any of your experience would be insightful.
--
Richard

Layers act differently in Sketchup than in CAD. Experienced SU users know to always draw on layer zero and use groups and components to organize visibility in your model.
I often have very complex models with under five layers.

Robert

Hi Robert,

Thanks for your comment. I've seen some articles re the 'layer' difference, but haven't dug deeply into them.
My question has more to do with the DataCAD AEC file exported to SKP format.
The SKP file then has the AEC layers I set up, but everything that was on a specific AEC layer seems to be distributed across different SKP layers, at least when something is exploded. I get warning msgs that stuff is going on in hidden layers.
So I am wondering if there is a wise way to set stuff up in layers prior to export so when I explode a component (BTW, these are not symbols that become components. In SKP the whole file seems to be a component, that once exploded, seems to become a bunch of components.
Can anyone who has written DataCAD code (love to have Mark chime in here) shed some light on what is actually going on, and how to set things up advantageously before hand?

BTW, I prefer building 3D in DataCAD first, either because it's a whole lot simpler to stretch, move and copy things without all that SKP stickyness, or because I'm more familiar with it.

Or, if anyone knows a rendering program that dovetails nicely with DataCAD, with plenty of online 'how to' documentation, I'd love to hear about it. The problem with most software is that there isn't adequate explanations available to assist you over the humps. So unless you are sitting next to a guru, you are USCWOAP.

The Sketch-Up forums have several interesting methods for processing Sketch-Up images using Photoshop via manipulating and editing layers. It might work for your model as-well. The forums have several cogent explanations...I just forget their name the use for the method....several Sketch-Up users developed it to create marker-colored and traditional watercolor renderings.

I used it with Photoshop Elements 3.0 with excellent results...