Topic Title

If you use SketchUp to create models, you can import them directly into your DataCAD projects. You can insert or externally reference SketchUp files. DataCAD will automatically extract materials and bitmap textures from the SketchUp file and embed them into your DataCAD drawing. You can also convert SketchUp files to o2c format for raytraced views.

To insert a SketchUp file into your drawing:

1. Select SketchUp from the Insert pull-down menu. The Insert SketchUp dialog box appears.
2. Go to the folder that contains your SketchUp files and highlight the one you want to insert into your drawing.
3. Check the boxes that you want to activate:
   • Extract textures – takes the textures that you applied in SketchUp.
   • Overwrite existing textures –places textures that you used in the SketchUp file into DataCAD. If you select this option, specify the folder where you want to store the extracted textures.
   • Extract front material(s) first – materials are extracted from front to back of the SketchUp drawing.
   • Preview – shows the SketchUp file.
   • Isometric – shows an isometric view of the SketchUp file.
   • Object Viewer – shows a 3D raytraced view of the SketchUp file.
4. Click Open. The SketchUp drawing is attached to the cursor (similar to the way a symbol is) in your DataCAD drawing window and the Ins Symbol menu appears.
5. Make decisions about the way you want the SketchUp drawing to appear by using the options in the Ins Symbol menu. This menu allows you to set the X, Y, or Z enlargement factors, dynamically rotate or explode the drawing, change the line factor and Z offset, toggle Fix Text to control legibility, and alter the symbol scale and maximum lines.
6. Position the cursor in your DataCAD drawing window where you want the SketchUp drawing to appear. Then click the left mouse button. If you want to place additional copies of the SketchUp drawing into your DataCAD drawing, reposition the cursor and left-click where appropriate. When you are finished place the SketchUp drawing(s), right-click.

To insert a SketchUp file as an XREF:

1. Select SketchUp XREF from the Insert pull-down menu. The Insert SketchUp dialog box appears.
2. Go to the folder that contains your SketchUp files and highlight the one you want to insert as an XREF into your drawing.
3. Click Open. The SketchUp drawing appears as an XREF box attached to your cursor and the Insert XREF menu appears.
4. Make decisions about the way DataCAD should treat the SketchUp drawing based on the options in the Insert XREF menu.
5. Position the cursor where you want the SketchUp drawing to appear as an XREF and left-click.

The layers you create in SketchUp are retained in DataCAD when you insert the .skp file into your drawing. If you insert your SketchUp file as an XREF, you can manage the on/off layers via the Reference File Manager.

If you use the Insert menu to add a SketchUp file to your drawing as a symbol (versus an XREF), you can later use the Symbol Explode command to create original layers. SketchUp groups and components convert to symbols in DataCAD.