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SketchUp/Unity users, you'll love this :-)

Discussion in 'Formats & External Tools' started by Yann, Oct 22, 2008.

  1. Yann

    Yann

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    Have a look here :

    http://www.light-up.co.uk/index.php?t=gallery&p=3

    It's Google SketchUp in realtime OpenGL, with lightmaps baked in a few minutes (sometimes a few seconds) by the LightUp plugin, without leaving SketchUp. You can now, within Sketchup itself, navigate inside your textured and lighted model with such a display quality. Switching back to SketchUp's standard mode for modelling is done with a simple keystroke, as the baking task itself. And it even supports the SpaceNavigator, so you have the feeling to be in a real game scene already. Thanks to this setup, modelling/texturing tasks have never been so accurate, easy and fun to me. But there's much more... read carefully what follows :

    Next version will be released in a few weeks and will allow exporting all your SketchUp models to FBX, together with (TADA !) their baked lightmaps. It will also support image based lighting, material-based lighting controls, etc.

    No more headaches with third-party 3D apps, no more reconstructing UVs because SketchUp models came into Unity with a strange look, etc.

    SketchUp having become my modelling/texturing app of choice for Unity, no need to say I'm pretty excited :D
     
  2. Scrat

    Scrat

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    Wow, very cool indeed!

    I checked the videos on their website and it seems very easy yet powerful to light a scene.

    Thanks for the link!
     
  3. Yann

    Yann

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    In fact I bought the plugin, and it's indeed very easy to manage. Still have a lot to explore - since it is also really powerful, as you say.

    btw, you're right to mention the videos, they're even more convincing than the stills. Here's the link :

    http://www.light-up.co.uk/index.php?t=resources
     
  4. Zante

    Zante

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    I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see an example created by a forum user here. I'd like to see if creating a lightmap inside sketchup comes out clear enough to be used inside unity.

    Anyone already completed something? Even it's a few blocks?
     
  5. Yann

    Yann

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    The 1.3 update is supposed to be released by the end of November. As soon as I get it, I will post some example lightmaps.
     
  6. Zante

    Zante

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    Thanks very much, I look forward to seeing how it comes out.
     
  7. Scrat

    Scrat

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    Yeah me too actually. I'm considering buying it if it's worth it. Being a very bad modeler myself, SketchUp and LightUp could make my life much easier!
     
  8. DaveyJJ

    DaveyJJ

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    I am a HUGE SketchUp fan going back to the days of the first OSX version from atLast!. This is very exciting news.
     
  9. Zante

    Zante

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    Just voicing my support for this, again. Sketchup is really quick to model with and, combined with Unity, I'm sure we can bring about world peace in the near future.

    Looking forward to seeing some lightmaps of justice. :p
     
  10. Dakta

    Dakta

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    Wow. Amazing!

    Only like $150! I might get this so I can go from SketchUp to Unity with lightmaps, because LightUp is cheaper than SU Pro, and easier for me than learning Blender. There is also the 3D Warehouse, for almost anything generic you can think of.
     
  11. Zante

    Zante

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    Right, it seems like a win/win scenario to me.

    Having to do my lightmaps in 3dsmax (adding 2 wrappers to every object, reset uvs, channel 2 blah blah), as well as changing the 'up' position (for reflective objects) in the exporter is driving me mad.

    I hear there's a V-Ray plugin for sketchup as well, that could be really interesting, if able to produce maps.

    Anything to speed up the work flow...
     
  12. Dakta

    Dakta

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    Totally agreed. Also adding the FBX exporter would be good. Actually getting SketchUp models to Unity on an Indie budget!
     
  13. Zante

    Zante

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    Just an example of the lighting the 'lightup' plugin is capable of doing. We're doing an architectural visualization of a few buildings on campus and using max is extremely time consuming (for modelling and baking).

    This was imported into sketchup pro as a 3ds.



    Ambient Occlusion: True
    Sun: True
    Point Lights: 2
    Rendering time: 15 seconds

    You can also move about it in real-time.
     
  14. Dakta

    Dakta

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    Nice.
     
  15. DaveyJJ

    DaveyJJ

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    Sketchup 7 is out today as well.
     
  16. Yann

    Yann

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  17. Yann

    Yann

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  18. antenna-tree

    antenna-tree

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    Can you please post the screenshot here... I'm not going to register there just to view an image :wink:
     
  19. Yann

    Yann

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    Oh yes, sure. Didn't remember you had to register to browse the forums. Here it is :
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Zante

    Zante

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    Yeah, just noticed it. It's looking fantastic, like a dream come true.

    -Arg, it's december and still no 1.3 version. :[
     
  21. Yann

    Yann

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    Hey, look at THAT ! Fresh news from the LightUp forums by the author himself :

    It's begininning to look a lot like Xmas... :D:D:D
     
  22. AdamB

    AdamB

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  23. Zante

    Zante

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    Thanks Adam, your work is brilliant. :) We can't wait for the release of v1.3

    Hip hip, hurray! XD
     
  24. ken m

    ken m

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    So LightUp will add fbx export to SU without having to own SU Pro?
     
  25. AdamB

    AdamB

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    Well LightUp adds the ability to export the geometry LightUp is interested in at runtime as an FBX file, yes.

    Adam
     
  26. AdamB

    AdamB

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    LightUp v1.3 available

    Exports direct to FBX and Unity just picks it up in your Assets folder.

    If you need an example Editor script that does the shader assignment, PM me.

    Adam
     
  27. Yann

    Yann

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    Waooooow !!! Thanks Adam :D :D :D
     
  28. billyzelsnack

    billyzelsnack

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    When I click on the button in the "Export Lighting" section nothing happens. It looks like the button is disabled. Is exporting a feature not available in the demo?
     
  29. AdamB

    AdamB

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    Yes, the demo disables Exporting FBX files with lighting.
     
  30. Joe ByDesign

    Joe ByDesign

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    Just finding this. This looks amazing, and SketchUp seems to be increasingly shaping up as a progressive alternative to the antiquated bloat of Max / Maya; at least for basic modeling.

    Will definitely take a closer look! :)
     
  31. Yann

    Yann

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    Yes, I encourage you to taste it. I for one can say that it has literally revolutionized the way I work with Unity. Adam is really concerned with our needs as Unity developpers (see his "little" import script, which spares hundreds of repetitive manual material assignments on large models), he does a fantastic work and improves the plug-in constantly.

    I'll soon post a few examples of what you can get in a matter of seconds, right from SketchUp to Unity.
     
  32. LucindaMcNary

    LucindaMcNary

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    Hi, I am an animated filmmaker -- you can view my films at http://omdb.us

    I am also an artist and modder. I never thought I could mod until I started using Sketchup but I have had years of experience with graphics arts programs and once I got around the fear of painting in 3D, I find it easy. So I am very happy that Sketchup can be used in combination with Unity. I am a PC user and I was so impressed with Unity that I was about to go out and buy a MAC when they wrote me that Unity is coming out for the PC. I made a movie using a Sketchup model of New York City within a couple of weeks. Now I am creating my own buildings, props and characters with Sketchup.

    I am absorbing and learning a lot from all of you and am very excited about what Unity can add to my movies. Well more like revolutionize my movies. Below is the Fantasy/castle set I made to use with animated movies and games. All original mods and artwork by myself.
     

    Attached Files:

  33. Joe ByDesign

    Joe ByDesign

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    Welcome aboard! Adding, perhaps post a hello message in the Gossip forum, and you'll likely find similar greetings; we're a helpful lot! :)

    Delicious! Looking forwarding to seeing the output!
     
  34. String

    String

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    Sorry if this a daft question but I'm new to this.
    Say I create a large map in sketchup, a number of streets with buildings that a person can enter when in a game.
    I then use lightup to render the scene, then export to unity.
    Does all the map get rendered with lightup and then exported to unity? That is indoor scenes, outdoor scenes, scenes on the other side of the map etc?
    Then when in unity can I walk about the map, even indoors and all will be rendered etc?
     
  35. Yann

    Yann

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    Absolutely. LightUp generates all the maps with a one-click procedure. A second click will export them, together with an FBX model and all the used textures. Then, when you switch to Unity, the dedicated importing script creates/updates all materials automatically.
     
  36. String

    String

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    Thanks for the reply.
    I was hoping this was the case, Sketchup once learned is a very fast way of producing maps/areas and I think with the aid of lightup and unity simulations can be very quickly realised.
     
  37. RHD

    RHD

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    Hi,

    I've just bought the LightUp plug in and it's really, really, brilliant - when it works.

    I've got the new version and I'm having all sorts of issues with textures coming into Unity and their lightmaps showing in the Inspector but not on the model. Also some parts of the model come through in the wrong places which is weird and I can't figure that one at all. My FBX export function from SketchUp is also on the fritz - one of the reasons I bought LightUp. Can you suggest any work arounds? Have you had this problem?

    I agree Adam is great and LightUp is the answer to a prayer but I can't figure out why it's fritzing so much.

    MacBook Pro, SketchUp Pro 7.

    Thanks.


    Update. Adam is on it. I've sent him a file. He is a star!
     
  38. Yann

    Yann

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    OK then, I was just about to suggest you get in touch with him when I saw your edit :)
     
  39. RHD

    RHD

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    Adam is on it.

    I've a suspicion it's something to do with the way SketchUp names files you've made individual textures and edited. It goes for example: "plaster #1" "plaster #2", and you can edit that name in the material inspector but when you open it again in Photoshop to edit the texture again you see it's still called "plaster #2" or whatever as far as SU is concerned and I think that carries through to wherever you export it.

    In progress.

    LightUp is great! Just got to figure this bug which may be to do with how I set up the file in SU. Which has been well buggy on the Mac since Leopard which is a while now and Google should sort it.
     
  40. Yann

    Yann

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    It's true that SketchUp for Mac needs more attention. I have been experiencing more and more serious bugs since the latest versions, and some older bugs (like a strange graphical behavior on iMac alu with ATI Radeon HD2600) persisted from V6 to V7.

    I had a few talks recently with some Google representatives, and they seem to be aware of these problems.
     
  41. RHD

    RHD

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    Aware isn't the same as doing anything. It crashes once an hour now. My hard drive is littered with autosaves. I must clean them out, I'll regain gigabytes. I don't like to do it during a project in case I need them.

    The ThawUp plugin (free on one of the SU forums, run a search) speeds things up and addresses an issue Google is aware of but still not fixing, but weird graphic affects and instability seem to be the norm now. (pre ThawUp)

    SketchUp is my main tool and it's great! But I've got so used to the bugs and crashing it seems normal, but it's such a shame that a company with the resources of Google, who have been taking SU in the right sort of direction artistically, can't get the basics right.
     
  42. Yann

    Yann

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    Very true. Thanks for the link, I'll try this plugin.
     
  43. RHD

    RHD

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    Update.

    Just got a reply from Google to whom I had sent the file and they can reproduce the issue and they are sending it to their engineers for investigation.

    Look forward to the results.
     
  44. RHD

    RHD

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    Yup. That seems to be the thing. How the maps are rendered seems to relate to how you set up the SU model and theLightUp settings but that is what one wants.

    With a modal as big as that sounds you might want to export it in sections but it depends how you set it up.

    You need the LightUp javascript file in an Editor folder in your assets folder for the import function to work but that is a freebee from the LightUp forum which works when you buy the SU plugin.

    I'll post some before and after pics later.
     
  45. Yann

    Yann

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    LightUp 1.6 is out, with lots of improvements - including a 30 day trial version with FBX export enabled, which means Unity users will be able to experiment it at its full power : http://www.light-up.co.uk

    Congrats to Adam Billyard for such a tremendous support of his already great product :D
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2011
  46. RHD

    RHD

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    Adams tech support is the best!
     
  47. Yann

    Yann

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  48. reset

    reset

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    Not quite Yann :)
     
  49. KillerSneak

    KillerSneak

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