[NEW]Sketchup 2 Vue

[d12dozr]

Thanks Kristoff...looks like Espirit's on sale for $99 right now, so with the SU exporter, $128.95 - not bad

[Krisidious]

so this means you could go from Google Earth to Google Sketchup and then to Vue and rework the terrain? hmmmm.

[Gaieus]

I believe Vue can directly import GE Terrain (if I remember reading/watching a video? correctly).

[dale]

Can anyone tell me what it is capable of exporting? Is it possible to take it to other rendering engines, Thea in my case?

[Krisidious]

scenes can be exported in .3ds format... also lightwave files types can be exported.

[Krisidious]

ok... this is the most kick ass program I have seen in ages... it's like finding SketchUp all over again...

5 minutes in Vue

Beach3.jpg

who needs anything else besides SketchUp and Vue?

it's incredible... it's fast... it's powerful... it's intuitive... it's like someone stole my brain and squished out all the dreams I ever had for rendering my houses and put it all in a program....

best of all it makes me look like a fricking genius.

[dburdick]

Hi Guys,

Dave Burdick here - VP of Marketing at e-on Software. I met some of you at Training Camp. I just want to claify a few things and let you know about some special offers we have just put out for the Sketchup crowd:

1. The new Sketchup to Vue Exporter plugin will not work with the low-end, Enthusiast versions of Vue (e.g. Pioneer and Frontier). It requires Vue Esprit or above.

2. We put together a couple of very nice architectural solution package deals which combines Vue Studio or Vue Complete with the new Sketchup to Vue Exporter plugin. The prices are really attractive 50% off the standard price. You can find out more about these solutions here:

http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/?page=archi

This is a short time offer that will probably only last until the middle of next month(sorry for the shameless plug).

[coulteri]

How is it with "face-camera components"? Is this plugin able to convert them into "face-camera" entities in VUE?

[Krisidious]

Coulteri.... I don't know that you would ever need or want face me components again with Vue...

it's such a complete ecosystem designer... there's no reason for faceme stuff.

you don't need to have any trees or plants in your model when you export it to Vue.

simply design the land as a mesh... then when you export to Vue you can change that mesh into an entire eco-system of your choosing.

[dburdick]

How is it with "face-camera components"? Is this plugin able to convert them into "face-camera" entities in VUE?

Hi Coulteri. We haven't implemented what you call "Face me" billboards in the exporter but Vue has the ability to do this with what we call "camera billboards". Our thinking was that most SU users would want to convert things like trees and veg to into actual 3D ecosystems in Vue. If you think this is important, we can add this.

[Krisidious]

Our thinking was that most SU users would want to convert things like trees and veg to into actual 3D ecosystems in Vue. If you think this is important, we can add this.

yes that would be very cool...

[Krisidious]

dburdick

I noticed someone on youtube with Vue and their's said 16cpus at the bottom... where my lowly computer says 2cpus... what CPU is he running?

[solo]

Dave,

I have not had much time to play with this, I did finally install it this weekend and give it a whirl.

I'd like to see Vue open up on export or at least a dialogue asking if we want to open Vue on export, that way the whole python sync can be automated.

[solo]

what CPU is he running?

Dual Xeons

[dburdick]

Dave,

I have not had much time to play with this, I did finally install it this weekend and give it a whirl.

I'd like to see Vue open up on export or at least a dialogue asking if we want to open Vue on export, that way the whole python sync can be automated.

Hi Pete,

Good idea on the launching of Vue after export. We are looking at the idea of perhaps allowing a .VOB file to auto-load a Python script (or include an embedded Python script)as well. Thanks

[Burkhard]

Hi dburdick, I purchased, but get an endless loop by trying to register.
I have an account but can't get the synchronisation to run because it ends into the Authorisation code, which seems not possible to generate...
and back... One of the messages: # This product has already been activated on another user account.


" Please feel free to contact technical support " if you have any trouble....but how?
No forum available, no mail available to get feedback. Any other suggestions?

[EarthMover]

How is it with "face-camera components"? Is this plugin able to convert them into "face-camera" entities in VUE?

Hi Coulteri. We haven't implemented what you call "Face me" billboards in the exporter but Vue has the ability to do this with what we call "camera billboards". Our thinking was that most SU users would want to convert things like trees and veg to into actual 3D ecosystems in Vue. If you think this is important, we can add this.

I would find this invaluable as I use a mix of 2D and 3D plants when doing actualized landscape design. There is just not enough 3D available to meet the thousands of plants in my design repertoire.

[Krisidious]

I've seen your work EarthMover... you're the only one here who doesn't need this program... that being said... you're gonna absolutely love it.

if you look at my render above, the only thing in there plant wise that came from SU is that palm tree coming out of the house. and it was 3D...

[d12dozr]

Relighting...coming in Vue 9!
YouTube - Relighting Vue 9

[dburdick]

Hi dburdick, I purchased, but get an endless loop by trying to register.
I have an account but can't get the synchronisation to run because it ends into the Authorisation code, which seems not possible to generate...
and back... One of the messages: # This product has already been activated on another user account.


" Please feel free to contact technical support " if you have any trouble....but how?
No forum available, no mail available to get feedback. Any other suggestions?

Hi Burkhard,

I'm not sure I understand what the problem is so forgive me. Are you saying you purchased the Sketchup to Vue Exporter Plugin but can't get it registered? The Plugin does not require registration. It only requires that you have a copy of Vue. Can you be more specific about exactly what the problem is. Please feel free to e-mail me at dburdick@e-onsoftware.com

Thanks

Dave

[EarthMover]

Bought the plugin and it's definitely a time saver.

My wish list would be -

1. Convert Sketchup "Faceme" components to Vue Billboard Face Camera
2. Translate Sketchup Layers to Vue Layers
3. Convert Sketchup Scenes to Vue Cameras
4. The ability to create Vue lights within Sketchup. Perhaps by creating a Sketchup Sphere and naming is Vue_Omni, this could be read by the exporter and the sphere replaced with a Vue light. I just find it easier to navigate and add things in Sketchup. Adding 30+ lights in Vue tends to be a tedious task.

Great job otherwise and thanks for thinking of us lowly SU users!

[dburdick]

Bought the plugin and it's definitely a time saver.

My wish list would be -

1. Convert Sketchup "Faceme" components to Vue Billboard Face Camera
2. Translate Sketchup Layers to Vue Layers
3. Convert Sketchup Scenes to Vue Cameras
4. The ability to create Vue lights within Sketchup. Perhaps by creating a Sketchup Sphere and naming is Vue_Omni, this could be read by the exporter and the sphere replaced with a Vue light. I just find it easier to navigate and add things in Sketchup. Adding 30+ lights in Vue tends to be a tedious task.

Great job otherwise and thanks for thinking of us lowly SU users!

Great suggestions - thanks for this.
(1) Is absolutely doable and in the plan
(2) Layers in Vue work a bit differently in Vue than in Sketchup. In Sketchup, you can spread a model across different layers. In Vue, Layers are used to manage scene elements (e.g. multiple models, lights, vegetation, ecosystems, etc). So typically, a single model will only exisit on a single layer. We could build a script to distribute the model elements by layer in Vue but I'm not sure that would be useful to you.
(3) Doable and already in the works. We are going to have a very nice automated animation interface between Sketchup and Vue in the next version of the plugin.
(4) We thought about this, but felt that it wouldn't be too useful unless we could provide some real-time preview in Sketchup of how the lights would look in Vue. Otherwise, you could spend a lot of your time going back and forth between the apps to "tune" the lighting. Thoughts?

[Krisidious]

I've gotten a few errors when trying to import a SU model... Vue says can't read the file.

so removed all the materials. and tried again... the model came in with ease.

I wonder what Vue doesn't like in way of materials? maybe if the material that was on the model when it was made is not found? Vue has said that before but it also asked if I wanted to locate and did so with out error.

anyway no biggy...

I think I'm gonna delete all my renders now.

[Krisidious]

also... in Vue there is an Option to set your preferences to that of your favorite 3D modeling program... is there any plan to include SketchUp settings? moving around in Vue is very awkward. a middle mouse button rotate would be great. or the ability to set your navigation buttons like zoom and pan and rotate.

[Krisidious]

so I got smart and started exporting my house and land out of SU separately, however when importing the separate models in to Vue, they don't come in the same place. each is moved from it's original location... this is frustrating. anyway to stop it?

[jpalm32]

so I got smart and started exporting my house and land out of SU separately, however when importing the separate models in to Vue, they don't come in the same place. each is moved from it's original location... this is frustrating. anyway to stop it?

Someone of your talent should download the Infinite version. (You must remove other version) It work for 30 days then still works with water marks. But it has ALL the import/export for 3ds, obj, lightwave.....and more.

It does amazing things.

[Krisidious]

yeah I'm still on my trial I was thinking of buying the "Complete" kit they have... but I already bought the plugin.

what's the difference? besides price tag?

[dburdick]

I've gotten a few errors when trying to import a SU model... Vue says can't read the file.

so removed all the materials. and tried again... the model came in with ease.

I wonder what Vue doesn't like in way of materials? maybe if the material that was on the model when it was made is not found? Vue has said that before but it also asked if I wanted to locate and did so with out error.

anyway no biggy...

I think I'm gonna delete all my renders now.

Hello Kris,

Any chance you could send me the model you're having texture problems with? I'll give it a good looking over and see if we can find the problem. You can send it to dburdick@e-onsoftware.com

Thanks

Dave

[Krisidious]

Hello Kris,

Any chance you could send me the model you're having texture problems with? I'll give it a good looking over and see if we can find the problem. You can send it to dburdick@e-onsoftware.com

Thanks

Dave

I just e-mailed the VOB file and was looking around in the folder and noticed the material folder, and was going to send it along when I noticed it's empty. I think that could be the issue. trying to re-export does nothing. for some reason it's not reading the materials in my model.

when importing the land area of that same model I get an error that says "corrupt JPEG data: 37 extraneous bytes before marker 0xd4" but the land does import.

[Krisidious]

I went back into the model in Sketchup and with the idea that a material was at fault, I looked atr what could be removed. of course being what Vue is the plants were the first thing I deleted. after exporting again it seems to have fixed the issue. one of the plant's textures is at fault I feel.