Using Google Sketchup

[Stridor]

In my search to find you cheap and easy tools to allow you to mod the game I found a way to make google sketch up work.

see http://sketchup.google.com/

This is a free tool. Is incredibly powerful, has a huge library of pre-existing models to play with or import into PCK, a huge user group supporting it. It is also designed to be incredibly easy even for rank novices to use. After all it is *GOOGLE*.

Now at the moment (I am still learning) I think what you will be able to do is use it to make new trees, buildings, fences, bridges, etc, etc. I don't know if it will be able to do entire maps (I will look into it) but for the moment if you wanted to do addons and not use MS3D it seems possible.

For those people out there who have no idea about 3D modeling software this is where to look.

There are plenty of video tutorials on the google site which show you how you can make a new building in about 5 minutes flat!

The only extra thing you will need is this free plugin http://edecadoudal.googlepages.com/sketchupwithdirectx To make it so that sketchup can export to direct X. Use the metric 3D preset in SU and just prior to directX export scale your model to 0.01 so that it scale matches with the rest of PCK and there you go. No MS3D needed!

Now all I need to do is find a way to make it work with maps.

Regards

S.

[Stridor]

Oh just to show you that it works ok here is a SS of the "Google Sketchup Guy" imported into my colo_river map

Enjoy

[Stridor]

If you haven't tried sketchup (I hadn't) do yourself a favor, download it and run through some of the tutorials that pretty much take you by the hand in designing buildings. When I said you could make a new building for PCK in 5 min (design time). I may have been overstating it [:D] Essentially the time the exporter takes will be longer than the time you can make new stuff [;)]

The whole "Google Warehouse" thing means that you can easily download models and textures all in one place.

Once I crack how to do maps with this thing it will be amazing!

[rickier65]

Stridor -

Thanks for the tip! I appreciate the heads up.

Rick

[bardolph]

Very cool Stridor, I like Sketchup a lot for sheer speed of modeling. Fantastic to hear that it will work to at least some extent with PCK.
Sketchup is about as easy as it gets. Also good to hear there is some way to export, I know one of the limitations of the free version was exporting files. And the full version puts you in some serious $$.

[Mraah]

Stridor,

Pretty cool. I'll have to check this out.

One thing comes to mind though .... for building design, can it do the bones that's needed for infantry placement?

I know you haven't messed with it that long ... Maybe bardolph might be able to see if it has the ability, or any restrictions that might come to mind.

Thanks!

Rob

[Stridor]

Yes for the moment it can only do non-enterable buildings, tress, fences, bridges, etc, but I am working on it [;)]

[junk2drive]

Bump

[junk2drive]

just prior to directX export scale your model to 0.01 so that it scale matches with the rest of PCK

Any quick tips on how to scale?

[murkz]

Hi all,

First post and a new owner of this title, I have no idea how I missed PCK as I have played CM from the very start and enjoyed it.

My question, can we now use Sketchup for creating tanks. I really enjoy Sketchup and like to mess about making things in it

[junk2drive]

Nice models. If I remember, the problem with Sketchup is that the free version does not do animations so it was only recommended for houses and such.

Keep in mind the 2000 poly limit.

What specific questions do you have for adding models?

[murkz]

Hi Junk,

Is the 2000 polys the limit for vehicles? Is there an export path from SU to PCK?

[junk2drive]

In the first post it mentions a DX export tool.

Yes, 2000 poly limit for vehicles. You can go higher for your own use but I'm not sure how the game will play for you.

Look at the existing folders in the game. There are folders for the 3D model pieces and outside of that are xml files that tell the game what to use.