[Plugin] OBJexporter v3.0 20130131

[TIG]

I see the issue - if you have some raw geometry that is hidden or ill-advisedly on an an OFF layer, then it can merge with ON stuff being exported in the next coding... I can fix this though...

[TIG]

Here's v2.2 viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Resolved the issue of raw geometry, either hidden or ill-advisedly placed on an off-layer [either within the model or inside groups/components] inadvertently merging with exported geometry.

[Bazza]

Hi TIG I'm new to sketchup only had it installed a week some one on another site recommended it for modeling in.. It seems ideal except I need to export obj files.. I found your plugin for this (as well as a couple of others on this site for other things). Problem is being a nub to all this plugin stuff I am not sure if I am installing this one right or I am missing something.. The others I installed ok (I think) as had no problem when starting but this one came up with load errors as follows..

Error Loading File OBJexporter.rb
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:262: syntax error, unexpected '}', expecting ')'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:276: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:280: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:801: syntax error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
end#class OBJexporter ###########...
^
C:/Program Files (x86)/Google/Google SketchUp 8/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:816: syntax error, unexpected $end, expecting ')'

Not sure what to do now am running windows 7 64 bit system I placed the OBJexporter.rb in the Google8 plugin file where the others were installed.. C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins..

Am I fighting a loosing battle here

[chrisjk]

TIG,
Got this from the latest version:-

Code: Select all

Error Loading File OBJexporter.rb
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:262: parse error, unexpected '}', expecting ')'
            }
             ^
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:276: parse error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:280: parse error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:801: parse error, unexpected kEND, expecting ')'
end#class OBJexporter ##########################################################
   ^
/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 8/SketchUp/Plugins/OBJexporter.rb:816: parse error, unexpected $, expecting ')'

[TIG]

Here's v2.3 viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Sorry about that = my fault...
There was one silly last-minute typo in the file I initially uploaded [rushing to get it out before bedtime!]
Please try downloading the latest version again...
The errant single '(' is now correctly a ')'

[gzotti]

I had seen the error following the Ruby message and fixed it, thanks.

My model may indeed have ungrouped geometry on a hidden layer, most likely some ungrouped edges without faces used during construction only, and also typically hidden. Also there are real construction lines, on a usually hidden layer. I am still learning, and may have made some mistakes or things not recommended but possible. However, from the 2.2 export, still one face in a non-mirrored component inside a locked group is missing, and the reported message and behaviour persists. The Pro export in this case has no problems. I can PM you the model to try/bugfix/bulletproof your exporter, if you like.

Again the queation, is there any chance the model itself gets modified during the export, as the intermediate message seems to imply?

[TIG]

Have you tried v2.3?
Can you PM the SKP so I can test it.
Something is adrift...
To ensure that any mirrored instances are correctly UVmapped and the faces correctly oriented the latest versions do change the model BUT only temporarily because it 'aborts' the whole operation at the end so any changes are 'undone'.
If the exporter fails before completing, then you should close the SKP without saving as there might be un-aborted changes...
The change it makes is that the group/instance is exploded to get the orientation/UVmapping the right way round in mirrored cases, and the results are then exported. To avoid clashes with existing geometry, all 'loose' faces are processed first, then erased, together with any unneeded edges. It also erases all 'loose' faces that are either 'hidden' or on an OFF layer [note that it is ill-advised to layer 'raw' geometry - only give layers to groups/instances! Raw geometry belongs on Layer0] before it looks at groups and instances. Therefore there ought to be no faces to 'clash' ? After each instance is processed its faces are erased too, so any exploded instances should always arrive in a 'clean' context ?

[TIG]

Here's v2.4 viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
It has again been recoded.
The processing time is now back to very near v1.8's, but the flipped-instance face-reversal is still fixed...
Feedback please...

[gzotti]

OK, the missing face is now here, but some components are misplaced. Getting close...

[TIG]

v2.5 is underway...

[TIG]

Here's v2.5 viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
It has again been recoded - to resolve nested [flipped] group/instance transformations and other multiple-group-instances glitches etc. The speed is also much improved...
Feedback please...

[Bazza]

Hi TIG,

I have installed v2.5 and there was no error message on load up so I tried exporting a test model I had made and it exported fine and textures were ok also..
Thanks so much for this plugin and also for the speed fix.. Much appreciated

Barry

[TIG]

I also have a few more tweaks almost ready - including a ~5% speed improvement and a more Pro-like MTL, with default specularity presets etc.
I am currently looking at a weirdness created if you have mirrored [scale -1] instances/groups nested inside mirrored instances/groups, that are then rotated etc - these OBJ faces can be incorrectly 'reversed' and the UVmapping messed up... It's unlikely to affect many users BUT I'd like it fixing...

[TIG]

Here's v2.6 viewtopic.php?p=294844#p294844
Recoded for a speed improvement ~5%.
Flipped/rotated instances' transformations resolved for consistently correct face orientation...
The MTL now defaults to match the Pro exporter generally - specularity=0.333, but now ambience=color etc.
I am hopeful this now fixes the major issues

[gzotti]

Yess, finally, a really good exporter - Huge models (forget Pro!), difficult models, I can remove all other half-baked solutions!

I rarely get emoticonal, but Three Cheers to You!

[michaliszissiou]

Great work indeed. TIG, I thank you so much!
Here a test, downloaded from 3dWH. It's a ~1.5M faces mesh, ~20 mterials.
Imported in blender/cycles. Just playing, nothing serious. (yes, I forgot to add transparency on windows glass material)
A great free solution for rendering BTW. Having the support of blender editor, excellent solution for more organic adds.

CyTestSU.jpg

A question to TIG. Now we're able to export tri meshes only. Obj supports n-gons as well. Will be possible to export like this? As b-mesh is the new implementation to blender. (the new n-gons editor-support)

I mean, SU UI seems to support flat n-gons. Is this true? I'm not convinced. Braking flatness results to tris (show hidden geometry)

[SketchWithHaza]

THANK YOU, you are a life saver. SketchUp is the simplest 3D program I know how to use, finally, ARMA II modding here I come!

[jpalm32]

Thanks! Works great!

[goentiki]

I use a Mac OSX 10.7.3 with SU 8.0.11751. OBJexporter.rb is in the 'Library/Application Support/SketchUp/Plugins' folder. When I start SU 8 I get a pop-up window "Load Errors" which says:

Error Loading File OBJexporter.rb
undefined local variable or method `book' for main:Object

Did I miss something, I am really new to SU? I see people here having OS X and SU8 without problems, so it should work.

[TIG]

You did not give the full folder path.
It should be the 'Mac HD...' root one - not the 'User...' one.
That said I don't think that's the issue.

The word 'book' doesn't occur anywhere in the code within the ObjectExporter.rb file, so the 'load error' is coming from either another file that's loading just before it which is itself causing an issue... OR the fact that the contents of the ObjectExporter.rb file have become 'corrupted' - have you put the .rb file directly into Plugins?, perhaps you have opened it with a wordprocessor and then saved it when closing [always use a plain-text editor], using a wordprocessor can reformat the file and cause issues, or perhaps the download itself was messed up - so does your browser download other .rb files OK, how did you download it exactly ?

There is no reason that this and many similar scripts should not work for you on this OS and Version...

[goentiki]

Mea culpa, this is really embarrassing: accidentally I placed an Alias into the plugin folder instead of the file itself. Now with the script in place it works well and I can import the obj into modo.

I also realized that the word 'book' doesn't occur anywhere in the script, but having no idea about SU programming I was confused.

Thanks a lot for your quick help and this great script!

[dakota95]

Ok I have version 8 of sketchup and when I installed this nothing happened. I can still only export to dae or google earth.

[TIG]

Ok I have version 8 of sketchup and when I installed this nothing happened. I can still only export to dae or google earth.

Reread the instructions. It isn't an 'Exporter' in the sense of being a 'dll' which would appear in the Exporter's dialog list of types... rather it IS a script [it goes in the Plugins folder], and on a restart it adds a new item to the 'File' menu 'OBJexporter'...

That runs the tool...

[Alain]

Great work indeed. TIG, I thank you so much!
Here a test, downloaded from 3dWH. It's a ~1.5M faces mesh, ~20 mterials.
Imported in blender/cycles. Just playing, nothing serious. (yes, I forgot to add transparency on windows glass material)
A great free solution for rendering BTW. Having the support of blender editor, excellent solution for more organic adds.

CyTestSU.jpg

A question to TIG. Now we're able to export tri meshes only. Obj supports n-gons as well. Will be possible to export like this? As b-mesh is the new implementation to blender. (the new n-gons editor-support)

I mean, SU UI seems to support flat n-gons. Is this true? I'm not convinced. Braking flatness results to tris (show hidden geometry)

BTW maybe this could be interesting for you as well if you use Blender (Cycles) to render:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthr ... g-material

Kind regards
Alain

[Alain]

Older versions with Sketchup 7 worked perfect.
But since I use the latest version of the OBJ exporter with Sketchup 8, then Sketchup always freezes while the exportprocess.
Tested it on Window XP 32 Bit and Win 7 64 Bit.

Then when I kill the Sketchupprocess in the Windows Taskmanager then a (sometimes) usable but incomplete new created OBJ-File is created anyway.

Does anybody know what could be wrong ?

Kind regards
Alain

[TIG]

Nothing similar reported.
Can you post [or PM] the SKP for testing...

[Alain]

Just wrote you a pm.
It's a File which was created in Sketchup 7 and then continued modelling in Sketchup 8.

I found out that when I explode groups then everything works fine.

Kind regards
Alain

[TIG]

The handing of instances/groups etc does take it a long time to check and compensate for it in UV-mapping and face orientation.
It does work... eventually - just have patience...

[flyto4]

Hi i dont know how to insert the plugin if i put it in the plugin folder nothing happnes but if i open it with sketch up 8 also i cant import that

[TIG]

Hans

To install a script it needs its file [or for some other more complex scripts, its files/subfolder[s]] to be put into the Plugins folder and then to restart Sketchup, it auto-loads thereafter.

Questions to answer...

You are a MAC user ?
Are you putting the .rb file into the Macintosh HD/...Lib.../plugins folder, and NOT some other spurious ...User... folder ?

Have you read the tool's usage instructions and understand how it works ?

The 'OBJexporter' is found under the File menu and NOT under Plugins...