Sketch up model import to max and Vray work flow

[joelotieno]

Someone help... When i import Sketch up model unmapped to max... I get The Skp_defaulf_front material on scene materials... so when i map Vray materials on it it transforms to a multi/sub object with the vray material as the second material.. so i dont see it on view port thus.. UVW maping is not easy... but when i render i see the vray material this takes alot of time.

[SkylineArch]

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking. You can export from SketchUp by material (if you apply map in SketchUp, then your UVW's will be set in max) or by group or whatever other method you choose, this will split up the model better inside Max, making it easier to apply materials.

[M V]

MAke sure your faces are front facing when exporting or you will have a nightmare on your hands. Best to do this consciously while modeling but there are plug-ins on SketchUcation that can make the reversing easier to do.

[Chris MacDonald]

I always model with extensive use of grouping in Sketchup, this way objects come in separately in max, and of course making sure normal are correctly facing. I generally try to make sure that within each group in Sketchup is only one material; this prevents objects coming in with lots of crazy multi-sub-object materials.

 

I then export as .3DS format - purely because this is how I did it long before max had an .Skp import function, but I still find that it imports the model in a far nicer way than the .skp import.

 

Once in max I replace all the Sketchup materials (which will come in as Standard materials) with VRay ones, and begin to UVW map everything. It is of course possible to texture within sketchup, and these UV's will be brought through on the 3ds import as long as you have "export texture maps" ticked.