SKETCHUP ADVICE FOR MODELERS

[eyein12]

Hi,

As you are aware I do alot of my modelling from sketchup. I chose sketchup because it was easy to learn, and above all great value for the quality you can actually get. There are 1,000s of plugins that make sketchup's useability, and functionality much more comparable to other modelling programs like canvas, and max; people just didnt know of its capability for RW. In fact auran modelers can import direct from sketchup. Now with that said, some have heard the major drawback of sketchup is the fact that it has a weird way of creating geometry, and you have to export that geometry to a modelling program that is compatable with RW.

My advice to those who are using sketchup. You should conform to this basic principle, one that is used in other modelling programs. Keep the shape design"intelligent." the 2 major pitfalls of sketchup is the push/pull modifier, and the circle tool. Basically the concept is make groups as much as you can so that mostfaces retain their minimum triangle count. when i pull out a face, I "unknowingly" create more triangles on the adjacent face a pulled from. if i delete the background face i pulled from and redraw that face now it will only have 2 triangles versus many. so take care to seperate those faces by making groups. You wont know any different, except WAY lower poly count. This is what caused the c40-8 to stutter a bit because of the weird arrangement of triangles. the gp60 runs super smooth in the game with the same detail level as the dash 8.

last tip, circles that will make pipes, tubes, etc, do not need to be comprised of 24 segments to make up a circle. This is default in sketchup. But using a simple plugin tool called "pipe from path" or "cylinder" you can adjust segments to be as low as you or as high as you want. So in summary theres absolutely NO reaso nwhy you cant get a sketchup model into the game and have it run super smooth! Its all about what you know, I've made a dash 8 in sketchup that was 130K at one point with just using the usual tricks. Now that i know how to be intelligent with my modelling I was able to keep my next model below 20K fully done.


So keep modelling if your using sketchup, it works fine!

[jpetersjr]

I guess I'll have to try to build a building without using the push pull tool and see what I get. In the past I've used push/pull for at least half of the model. I'll just have to change my ways a bit.

[SCLALINE]

ive used the push pull, but the model needs to have a smoothing group applied to it at least in 3dsmax, else it gets a weird look to it, saw that on some building models from one of the routes out there

[RAILSOHIO]

I just erase extruded/push-pull shapes a line at a time,then re-draw between the points. This will usually get your polys back down to 2 a plane. Yes it is a little work but you should have a lower faces/poly count after.

[eyein12]

I just erase extruded/push-pull shapes a line at a time,then re-draw between the points. This will usually get your polys back down to 2 a plane. Yes it is a little work but you should have a lower faces/poly count after.

exactly what i said. you can still use the push/pull, I do its vital. just erase the inside face of the extruded face, and make it a new group, then i delete the surrounding face and reapply it.

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

Ooh, thanks very much for this advice! I was wondering how you managed to pull off the Dash-8 without going totally over board with the poly budget. Thanks for sharing your secret with us!

If I may add another advice, especially for creating houses and buildings: do not use the draw tool to paint details on a facade! Creating windows by drawing rectangles on a wall may be simple, but it really causes a major "polycount explosion". It should really only be done on very small high-detail buildings, or for insetting windows for the trackside LOD. There are two alternatives: you can either do it all by painting the details only on the texture, or you can can create seperate parts in your model for these details which must "hover" a tiny bit in front of the wall faces.

Two screenshots to illustrate the difference in triangle count:

1) Push/pull from connected face -- Push/pull of seperated/not connected objects (no intersecting lines or points)


2) Windows and facade. The left one is texture-only and has two triangles.


Cheers,
Michael

[simer4]

I have been using the group method for a while now. I realized that putting 3D extrusions on flat faces would split up the base face. So I started creating groups so the faces are never really one thing, but rather a bunch. It also means you have groups ready to go for blender, or 3DCrafter Pro.

[eyein12]

@greatnortherner: at first i didnt really pull it off. I had 130K poly count at first. I had to go back and rethink this thing. then I got it down to 27K without having to re-do it. but i basically did re-do most of the offending sections.

[Hawk]

For whatever it's worth, the extrude option in 3DC does the same thing to a face as the push/pull option in SKU does.

[eyein12]

For whatever it's worth, the extrude option in 3DC does the same thing to a face as the push/pull option in SKU does.

yeah 3dsmax has the same function too. its just quicker to access all the useful functions in SKU. even with making groups, and watching how you model still is quickest in sketchup. the only thing thats qicker in max is chamfer, fillet options. thats a 2-3 step process in sketchup so to each their own.