Topic: Animated skinmesh in Sketchup - tutorial please (Read 2138 times)

acegard · « **on:** April 05, 2010, 04:47:28 PM »

Could anybody give me a tutorial or point me to a thread where there is one (I have already searched) on making an animated skinmesh in Google Sketchup? Specifically tank treads. What I have found has not been very helpful...

Thanx in advance.

Dart · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2010, 04:49:33 PM »

the only animation sketchup can do is frame by frame, so if you can turn your treads little by little and export it as you do, it should work, but treads are hard to turn without messing something up lol

acegard · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:09:03 PM »

yeah i know lol but my problem is how to actually export it, what to name the exports, etc.

chebob69 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:23:44 PM »

what the name the exports?

000_mesh.x, 001_mesh.x, 002_mesh.x, .....

maybe you mean something else cos I'd think you'd have known that?

acegard · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:36:35 PM »

No, this is what I meant: when I import it to 3DRad, should I use the sketchup plugin? if so, how? Or should I export them as a generic.x file using the plugin and from there use RadImp to import those different files? the exporting is what I am having the most trouble with. sorry, I should have clarified: Could anyone give me a tutorial on how to export the different frames of an animated skinmesh from sketchup?

Dart · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:42:27 PM »

export the first one as the skinmesh
then every frame after, export as generic directx and name it the number_mesh.x

acegard · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2010, 05:59:43 PM »

ok, thanks dart. Sorry for the noobish question. if I wasted your time, please accept my apology.
Thanks for your help!

chebob69 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2010, 06:41:54 PM »

Lol don't be stupid. If you've never used FBF animation, it's no surprise you didn't know. I quite like fbf myself, it allows realistic shadows and cloth simulation etc in 3ds max.

acegard · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2010, 07:08:28 AM »

ok, thanks. ok, here we go...

open in sketchup. export. move 1/36 inch. export. move 1/36 inch. export. get a drink. move 1/36. export. Great! the first tread moved around the drive wheel! w00t!

thanks guys.

psikotropico · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2010, 12:54:25 PM »

your technique looks cool, but only if you have a lot of drink

looks like the google's little brains are not capable to develop a really cool 3d app

3DSimulant · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2010, 01:04:51 PM »

I'm sure you could do this with a little ruby-script?!
maybe we we can donate for this third party option?

acegard · « **Reply #11 on:** April 12, 2010, 03:08:15 PM »

sounds good! I'd donate!

just something that allowed you to "pull" an object around a set point.

wait... maybe sketchyphysics could help. anybody know anything about that?

Dart · « **Reply #12 on:** April 12, 2010, 04:02:41 PM »

save your animation and export it as .skp files then just load, export, load, export, etc...

acegard · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2010, 07:29:49 PM »

hmmm, not knowing if you understood me there, because the answer you gave me was exactly the same as the rest of them.

P.S. I have about 1/8 of my track done, fluidly animated. It is a total pain. I NEED a better way to do this, especially since I am going to be making at LEAST 6 different tracks for 6 different tanks... >:p

Dart · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2010, 08:41:04 PM »

this is what i was talking about

don't you only need it to turn a slight bit where it can be looped and look seamless?

if we ever get physX support, then you wouldn't have to even animate, make it pure physical tracks

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Author Topic: Animated skinmesh in Sketchup - tutorial please (Read 2138 times)

acegard

Dart

acegard

chebob69

acegard

Dart

acegard

chebob69

acegard

psikotropico

3DSimulant

acegard

Dart

acegard

Dart