Sketchup for use with SoM

[Madison Lastrega]

I am sure many of you have heard of Googles FREE awesome modeling software Sketchup?, If not please visit google to see how easy it is to make models in skethup........... The beauty of sketchup is , that already has an army of impressive models ,including houses and other great goods as models ...ALL free with unlimted use..... PROBLEM......Sketchup FREE version only handles it own files, and the ones you make canNOT be exported in OBJ format.Very sad....... But Not for me ....And now not for my SoM friends.......... Sketchup Free can howerver export in its' own KMZ format (google Earth4) and if you extract the files in a KMZ file using Almost any software, IE WINRAR, WINZIP......you will see that sketchup actully is a form of Collada....... and in fact MOST skethup models can be downloaded in DAE. format......... So now How does one use this power for SoM ?.................... if the stetchup model you want to convert has the download option of DAE......Download that version, if not follow this guide to extract the DAE file(s) from the KMZ version ‎  https://sites.google.com/site/alexvaqp/sketchupblender ......Now once you have the DAE version of the file you want to use with SoM........... Open blender(free of course) and import the model in Colloada 1.4 it will open and be ready to then EXPORT as an OBJ file to use in meta......... or you can just use it in blender like I do then save as an OBJ, then save as an .X file......the rest is every should know how to do......... ‎  Examples below......................Happy Modeling..............ML

[Holy_Diver]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sketchup

I normally say avoid all things Google like the plague. I'm not sure what the goal is here for Google... are there no licenses attached to the "warehoused" models? If you read the fine print it probably says something like Google owns everything including the stuff you upload as soon as you upload it.

The MDL exporter I used to make that unanimated Irrlecht Dwarf MDL file can import DAE afaik. I still haven't been able to get a hold of my thumbdrive which has pretty much all of the stuff I use to work with Som on it.

EDITED: According to some posts in the Wikipedia talk page the free version is 8hrs trial only. Is there a way to search / download the models off of a Google website without dealing with the software?

[Madison Lastrega]

Well I have had sketchup installed for the last 7 months......Still runs free........ So There is no 8 hour trial for the the free version......And as for ‎  the PRO version...the only real difference I can tell between the two is the ability to export in to other file formats like OBJ DXF .X ect. ‎  And boy do they charge ya for it........199.00 to be exact,,,,,, Google justifies it by saying the plugins used are third party and they need the Dough...If that IS the case then that is reasonable... What ever the reason, You can export in DAE in the free version, if while the models made on Sketchup look kinda bland in sketchup....They look awesome if you spruce them up...... I found a really good grandfatherclock I want to use in Mytrosia.......... it looked pretty bad in sketchup.......... and was super high poly...... but after some tweaks , it now way less than a tree.and looks AWESOME........ I am just bummed I did not make it from scratch.............Anyway and to answer your question. NO you dont need skethup installed to use the models prebuilt, however making your own models is superfun..and Sketch up is HANDS DOWN the easiest modeling software EVER to learn..... I mainly posted this because Ben said he had not added his trees yet, and since he used blender anyway, The warehouse has over 2 thousand different low poly trees ready to import............Only wish I had known about this MONTHS AGO when I spent HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS on Damb TREES............ Anyway.........just thought it might help some folks out...........Happy modeling............ML

[Verdite]

Thats incredible. It really is. Thanks Joe, thats saved me hours. Though im still not sure about it i mean, free?! People spent hours on those models, are you certain there are no hidden ties? For example monitoring behaviours? We are too used to just taking free things. ‎ 

Speaking of free ‎  i found a website online called "makehuman" its free software, with again alot of time spent! (im starting to worry a bit ‎  ) and yeh. Free human 3d models, which is absurd because!! I spent about five hours making a face about a month ago, and a few days ago i realigned a model and UV mapped it, and it took a long time.

Website:
https://www.makehuman.org/

Dont ask me why theres a picture of a bottom as you enter the site, there just is.

[Madison Lastrega]

Your Welcome Ben, Anything for you sir I came upon it just recently myself, and has Vastly helped me although I still love making models......So That will remain my passion.I mainly use the models as stencils and only for hard to make stuff......But as an aid it is awesome and I think will get more people involed in modeling and such........and maybe aven more folks to make SoM Games......for OUR community....... And as far as I can see, that is what the warehouse is for........ all models are free.Some however DO have strict redistribution guidlines......IE ones made by google CANNOT be used in a game that you would sell... But most are from nerdy guys like me who like to show off thier stuff......... I have also seen alot of companies that show thier latest products as models...... Good advertising method infact........ So I think ( i could be wrong) that it is just a community (like ours).......... and as long as you give credit to who ever made the model they are ...Well free......... Just check the read me on each file...use the one marked for all uses........And thanks for the link on human faces..... I don't feel using these services are cheating in ANYWAY, because they are tools.......We share what we make, others do too, and as a collective , we as a community can make awesome stuff....... Happy modeling ...............ML