SketchUp Importer

Command entry:

Application menu

Select File To Import dialog

Files Of Type

Google SketchUp (*.SKP)

The SketchUp importer enables direct import of scene files from versions 6, 7, and 8 of Google^™ SketchUp. It supports multiple cameras and scene materials, and can keep objects intact even if they reside on multiple layers. When bringing an SKP file into 3ds Max, all objects are imported, except (optionally) hidden objects, and existing 3ds Max-scene contents remain intact.

The objects in 3ds Max that result from importing an SKP file depend on how the SketchUp scene is organized into groups, components, and layers. The following rules apply:

All imported geometry from SketchUp takes the form of editable poly objects in 3ds Max. If an imported group, component, or layer contained multiple objects in SketchUp, the resulting 3ds Max object will contain multiple elements corresponding to those objects.
The importer retains the original names of groups, components, and layers, and appends an underscore character (_) and a three-place number (for example, _001) in case multiple objects result from importing the entity.
TipTo rename a group in SketchUp, use the Window menu Outliner feature. You can also rename a component with the Outliner, but the imported name is always the one specified when the component was created.
If a scene contains only layers (no components or groups), all objects in each layer are imported as a single object named after the layer. In this case, the Split Objects By Layer import setting has no effect on the results. Split Objects By Layer takes effect only when different parts of objects in a group or component belong to different layers. For details, see Split Objects by Layer.
Groups and components have priority over layers. For example, if a layer contains four objects, two of which are in a component, the two componentized objects will be imported as a single object with the component name, while the other two (non-componentized) objects will be imported as a second object with the layer name.
The pivot point of each imported component or object group is retained from SketchUp. For objects not part of a component or group, the importer places the pivot at the geometric center.
With multiply nested groups and components on the same layer, only the lowest-level grouped objects are imported as a single object. For example, say you group Box A and Box B, then group that group with Box C, and finally group that group with Box D. The result in SketchUp is a three-level nested group, but the importer recognizes only the first group. Thus, when you import the scene, Box A and Box B will come in as a single object, and both Box C and Box D will be separate objects. This behavior applies to components and mixed groups/components as well.
Components and groups contained within components are imported as instances, when possible. However, no instancing occurs when components of the same type have different numbers of materials.

Interface

Skip Hidden Objects: When on, objects hidden in SketchUp are not imported. When off, such objects are imported.

NoteThis switch also applies to objects in hidden layers.
Cameras: When on and the imported SketchUp file contains one or more scenes, the importer creates a target camera for each scene replicating its point of view; each camera’s name derives from the respective scene name. If no scenes exist, and Cameras is on, the importer creates a camera named skpCamera that replicates the point of view in the file.

When off, no cameras are created on import.

Whether the Cameras switch is on or off, the current point of view in 3ds Max at import time is retained; no camera is activated automatically. Also, the importer supports the Zoom Extents On Import setting (Preference Settings Files panel Import Options group).

TipTo create multiple cameras in SketchUp, use the Scenes feature available on the Window menu.
Split Objects by Layer: When on, objects in groups and components are broken up into different objects by layer. When off, groups and components remain intact and layer information within groups and components is disregarded. Applies only to groups and components.

Normally, each layer in the SketchUp file is converted to a separate object containing all objects on the layer. However, in SketchUp it’s possible to have different parts of an object belong to different layers. For example, one side of a box could be on Layer1, while the other sides are on Layer2. If you simply import the scene that way, the geometry belonging to different layers will be split up among the resulting objects, so that the Layer1 object will contain a separate, “floating” polygon and the Layer2 object will contain an open-sided box. However, if you place the split-up box in a component or group and turn off Split Objects By Layer, the entire box will come in as a single object, or as an element in a multi-element object.

For best results, before importing, ensure that all polygons in each object are on the same layer in SketchUp.
Daylight System: When on, creates a 3ds Max Daylight system consisting of a Sunlight and Skylight in the imported scene. The importer derives the Latitude and Longitude settings of the Sunlight from information in the SketchUp file as well as the date and time. The Daylight system compass is placed at the center of the imported object, with Z (vertical position) set to 0.

TipIn SketchUp, you can set the location data with Google Earth, if it’s installed, or on the Model Info dialog Location panel.
Extract Embedded Textures to Folder: Displays the folder to which the importer extracts embedded textures. By default, this is the \sceneassets\images\ branch within the active project folder.

Image files used in materials in the imported SketchUp file are simply copied to this folder, using the original file format. Because the images are embedded within the SketchUp file, the original files need not be present on your system.

NoteImages in Targa (TGA) and PSD formats are converted to PNG format.
Front/Back Materials as Double Sided 3ds Max Materials: When on, if a polygon in the imported scene has different materials applied to both sides, the importer creates a corresponding Double Sided material containing both materials. When off, the importer creates materials only from the “outside” surfaces of any double-mapped faces.

TipTo see the “inside” textures in 3ds Max, you need to render the scene.

The front material uses map channel 1 and the back material uses map channel 2. If a material is used on both sides of a surface, it is not instanced upon import, but instead is assigned to both channels. Also, when no texture is assigned to a polygon, it has back-side texture mapping upon import assigned to map channel 2.

If imported geometry contains multiple polygons mapped with different materials, the importer generates corresponding Multi/Sub-Object materials. If this switch is on, the importer uses a Double Sided material as the sub-material for each double-mapped polygon.

If different polygons contains the same texture or pair of textures, only one such material is created, and is applied to each corresponding polygon.