How Do You Set Up The Export For a .3ds From Sketchup To 3D Crafter 9?

[TheKman]

I have a problem making objects in the .3ds format.

My model was made in Sketchup 2015 then exported into 3D Crafter in the .3ds format.

In 3D Crafter all goes as it should. The .igs is exported with no errors.

However, once I go to make the blueprint in the sim, the sim is telling me it can't find the ACE files. I get that error saying to make sure the file exists.

Well, the ACE files are there. All are correctly formatted as .PNGS and all are sized correctly. The names of the ACE files are all 8 characters or less (DOS 8.3 format which I've read is required for a .3ds file)

I have also tried making the ACE files as 24 bitmap and still get the same error.

I think my problem is that when I export out of Sketchup I am not selecting the correct boxes for .3ds....

Enclosed are two pics. First is the error message I get in the blueprint editor. The second shows my model and the menu under options showing the setup for export.

Thanks

[mrennie]

Where exactly have you placed the .ace files? They should be in the textures folder.

By the way, I use a Photoshop plugin developed for Railworks that allows you to "save as" a file into .ace format. It used to be on the old TS website, but I don't know where they put it now.

[TheKman]

Where exactly have you placed the .ace files? They should be in the textures folder

The ACE files are in the textures folder. I have made several items exporting as .obj into 3DC. Never had issues with ACE files in the blueprint editor.

[TheKman]

I also read something this morning on the Sketchup Forum. The person said exporting the model as a .obj presented no issues with the 3D program he uses. Did not say which one. But export as a .3ds and he had issues with the whole model.

He was told to reinstall SU and run as admistrator. The guy said it was not exporting correctly for .3ds.

Well, I don't if that worked or not... Guy with the problem never followed up..... No further posts.

[mrennie]

Just a hunch ... try removing the space from the pathname (I'm not sure if it matters, but I never use spaces in my pathnames because they're known to cause problems with some programmes that stop parsing when they encounter a space).

[TheKman]

Just a hunch ... try removing the space from the pathname (I'm not sure if it matters, but I never use spaces in my pathnames because they're known to cause problems with some programmes that stop parsing when they encounter a space).

That could be indeed the problem. The ACE files need to be in DOS 8.3 format. (8 characters or less)

The file name has a space and is longer than 8 letters.

I'll rename the file, export and try another blueprint.

[TheKman]

Just a hunch ... try removing the space from the pathname (I'm not sure if it matters, but I never use spaces in my pathnames because they're known to cause problems with some programmes that stop parsing when they encounter a space).

That could be indeed the problem. The ACE files need to be in DOS 8.3 format. (8 characters or less)

The file name has a space and is longer than 8 letters.

I'll rename the file, export and try another blueprint.

UPDATE: Well mrennie that idea didn't work either... I'm still getting the error about the ACE files. It does not even read past the first ACE file. And it does not matter if I replace the first ACE with something different. Never gets by the first ACE file.

You helped me out when I first started building stuff for TS. Would you be willing to take a look at everything and tell me what's wrong?? I still have your email address.

[mrennie]

[quote="TheKman"]
That could be indeed the problem. The ACE files need to be in DOS 8.3 format. (8 characters or less)
/quote]

There's also the folder name "WPY Roundhouse". Try making it "WPY_Roundhouse".

[mrennie]

You helped me out when I first started building stuff for TS. Would you be willing to take a look at everything and tell me what's wrong?? I still have your email address.

OK, send it over and I'll take a very quick look.

[mrennie]

I just realised that you've put the scenery blueprint in the wrong place. You put it directly into your Scenery folder, when it should have gone into the "WPY Roundhouse" folder, so that the "Textures" folder is directly below the folder containing the blueprint. In your case, the texture folder (with the .ace files) is three levels below, which doesn't work.

I found another problem in the files you emailed me. The clue was in the error message given by 3DCrafter when (after importing the .3ds) I exported the model to .igs format. 3DC said "This export may be invalid due to a group exceeding the maximum number (24) of child groups". It is indeed invalid, and even if you manage to build it without errors, the model will be invisible.

When you import the .3ds model, every individual object gets put into a separate group, so you end up with as many such groups as there are objects. So, the first thing you should do is to select all the objects (in your model, they're all called "Mesh...something") and then drag them all into a single group (or click on the "group" button in the Properties and Information pane, which will group all the selected objects together). After that, you can export them to the .igs format successfully.

[TheKman]

I just realised that you've put the scenery blueprint in the wrong place. You put it directly into your Scenery folder, when it should have gone into the "WPY Roundhouse" folder, so that the "Textures" folder is directly below the folder containing the blueprint. In your case, the texture folder (with the .ace files) is three levels below, which doesn't work.

I found another problem in the files you emailed me. The clue was in the error message given by 3DCrafter when (after importing the .3ds) I exported the model to .igs format. 3DC said "This export may be invalid due to a group exceeding the maximum number (24) of child groups". It is indeed invalid, and even if you manage to build it without errors, the model will be invisible.

When you import the .3ds model, every individual object gets put into a separate group, so you end up with as many such groups as there are objects. So, the first thing you should do is to select all the objects (in your model, they're all called "Mesh...something") and then drag them all into a single group (or click on the "group" button in the Properties and Information pane, which will group all the selected objects together). After that, you can export them to the .igs format successfully.

OK. so the textures folder was in the wrong place.

When I exported to make the .igs, I didn't get that "This export may be invalid due to a group exceeding the maximum number (24) of child groups" It exported OK. But when I exported into 3DC the model was all black, but probably in reality it was invisible.

I did select all the objects and I then hit the group button at it grouped. However when I clicked on "Create unique names" under plugins it said nothing had been renamed so I wonder if that's an issue as well.

I still think I don't have the boxes for a .3ds checked right when I export out of Sketchup...

[TheKman]

mrennie, is this the way the folders have to be put together? (Pic enclosed)

[mrennie]

I did select all the objects and I then hit the group button at it grouped. However when I clicked on "Create unique names" under plugins it said nothing had been renamed so I wonder if that's an issue as well.

The names of the objects were already unique immediately after importing the .3ds model.

[mrennie]

mrennie, is this the way the folders have to be put together? (Pic enclosed)

It depends on where you put the blueprint. The "textures" folder has to be directly below there. So if your blueprint is in that "WPY Roundhouse" folder, your "Textures" folder is indeed in the correct place. Where did you put the xml blueprint (I couldn't see it in the zip file you sent me, so I created my own, in the "WPY Roundhouse" folder, by right-clicking on "WPYRoundhouse.IGS" in the Blueprint Editor and then selecting "Create scenery blueprint" from the drop-down menu. That's the easiest way to create a scenery blueprint.

[TheKman]

Here's a better diagram of the tree structure mrennie. (Pic enclosed) This shows how it looks in the source folder within Railworks. This is how I have done all my models which are all .obj format. Never have had a problem in the blueprint editor. However, for a .3ds model I have problems....

I also have a pic enclosed on what this section of my round house looks like in 3DC. From the outside it looks like only the window frames are there. I rotated it around and it shows a faint outline of model. Now, from the inside I can see that the whole model is solid.
In the pic I highlighted the model for people to see. Don't know if that helps or not.

I have another pic of a different model. I exported out of SU with the same settings as for the roundhouse. This is in .3ds In this case I can see the building. (It's a warehouse) I have not tried a blueprint of this one in a .3ds format. Doing that after I send this.

I am thinking I got something wrong with the roundhouse model within SU.... I'm doing this model for a friend. He made the initial design. I cleaned it up because some of his geometry was whack (The angles on some things were not the same like they should have been.) I wonder if when he emailed the model (or when he first built it) if the SU file is perhaps corrupt?

UPDATE: I can see the whole model in 3DC when I export as a.obj. But as 3DC starts to process the model, the program crashes. Maybe that info will help.