[epix]

How do I exchange my 2D components in SketchUp with 3D components in Maxwell Render?
I have never done this before. I have read the manual but I cannot find how/where to make the connection.

[Half Life]

Are you meaning in Maxwell Studio or in SketchUp?

In Maxwell Studio I would probably use MXS referencing.

In SketchUp I would use SketchUp Component Proxies.

Best,
Jason.

[JDHill]

If you are referring to the use of Proxies as described in section 6.5.5 in the manual, then the switching is based on the names of Component definitions: at export time, definitions with names ending in "_proxy" will be replaced with ones that match, except for the "_proxy". Though the mechanism is generic, it was originally designed to work with a 3rd-party Ruby plugin called proxy.rb, which you can find if you google sketchup proxy.rb. Last I checked, that plugin replaced the original definition with a simple box -- you would then need to edit the definition of the box, replacing its geometry with your 2D geometry.

[epix]

If you are referring to the use of Proxies as described in section 6.5.5 in the manual, then the switching is based on the names of Component definitions: at export time, definitions with names ending in "_proxy" will be replaced with ones that match, except for the "_proxy". Though the mechanism is generic, it was originally designed to work with a 3rd-party Ruby plugin called proxy.rb, which you can find if you google sketchup proxy.rb. Last I checked, that plugin replaced the original definition with a simple box -- you would then need to edit the definition of the box, replacing its geometry with your 2D geometry.

I´m sorry, -I still don´t understand where to point to(path)the 3D model which is in another place on the HDD..

[Half Life]

The way proxies work is both the high-poly component and low-poly component must be loaded into the SketchUp model -- and both must exist within the component browser, named as JD outlines (above).

Once the high-poly component exists as a definition within the SketchUp component browser, you can delete it from the scene -- the definition will remain in the browser for future use (at export time).

There is no way currently to reference a model existing outside of SketchUp within the SketchUp plugin right now -- for that we would need to have MXS referencing, which does exists in Maxwell Studio, but has not yet been implemented into the SketchUp plugin.

Best,
Jason.

[epix]

O.K I will try sort it out. I have a big terrain model and hundreds of trees.
I am used to ShaderLight which points to models on the HDD or model in 3D Warehouse.
Thank you both of you for fast response

[Richard]

Mate I would do your self a favour and create a layer "high poly" and keep this turned off in all scenes, use this layer to store the higher poly version of your tree (not the proxy).

Jason's suggestion is correct that you can delete the high poly version of the tree, however if you ever do a "purge" the high poly "in browser" version will be lost!

[epix]

Yeah Richard I noticed that. I put it on a hidden layer as you suggested. Problem is the exporter seem not to handle the model quitting in the parsing process at 64%. I have 16GB of RAM but maybe it is not sufficient? I have about 500 tree proxies in the model. I also tried to export to studio with no success.
This image is an earlier test that worked fine except I forgot to link proxies. After linking it failed to export.

[Richard]

Actually I take back my comment on the hidden layer idea. It used to work but since the plugin update the high poly components it seems have to be on a visable layer though can be hidden geometry!

JD was this change purposeful? It's bit of a bummer if one flicks back and fourth hide / show hidden geometry! Being able to have on hidden layer was IMHO preferred.

[JDHill]

Sorry, but I'm not following you Richard. Say that I:

• 1. draw a cylinder, which will represent my hi-poly geometry
  2. draw a cube, which will represent my lo-poly geometry

Rendering, I obviously see a cylinder and a cube. Next, I:

• 3. make the cylinder into a component with definition name cylinder
  4. make the cube into a component, with definition name cylinder_proxy

Rendering again, I still see a cylinder and a cube; switching on Output > Export > Proxies, though, and re-exporting, I now see two cylinders. Next, I:

• 5. create a layer named hi-poly
  6. create a layer named lo-poly

I then:

• 7. put the cylinder on layer hi-poly
  8. put the cube on layer lo-poly

Hiding layer hi-poly, my cylinder disappears from the viewport, so I make a copy of my cylinder_proxy cube and move it where the cylinder previously was. Re-exporting, though I am looking at two cubes in my viewport, I see two cylinders in my render.

So I'm not clear on the nature of the problem: hi-poly geometry on hidden layers is substituted for low-poly proxy geometry on visible ones.

I have 16GB of RAM but maybe it is not sufficient?

SketchUp can use an absolute maximum of 4GB (or 2GB, if you are not on SU8 M1/M2), regardless what you have on the machine. So, to know what's going on, you need to open Task Manager and monitor how much memory is being used.

[Richard]

JD

Mate to date that has been my usual approach to a tee! Though with 2.6.10 now I have to have the high poly layer turned on and hide the high poly components.

If I turn the high poly layer off the components don't show in the render.

Though the funny thing it works with components used this way previously just not newly created ones.

Maxwell 2.6.10.0 x 64
Sketchup 8.0.11752
Windows 7 x64

[JDHill]

Well, please repeat the steps I gave above exactly, and let me know where you see a failure. Or upload a (as simple as possible) scene where it fails so I can try to reproduce it here.

[Richard]

Shall do mate! I'll try some varied ways of input too as these components were dragged in externally - could have something to do with it!

[Richard]

AH!

One of those I'm a dickhead moments maybe? Though something strange also popped up!

I dragged in a component "HEDGE" that contained a high poly (HEDGE) and low poly proxy (HEDGE_proxy) > exploded and then didn't realise when trying to rename the high poly component HEDGE this bought up issues with renaming as HEDGE already existed in the browser - though then when exporting to FIRE it crashed SU each time.

Doing a purge after exploding and prior to renaming the high poly object to HEDGE fixed all! As it should have because I'm a dickhead!

So I just need to be careful with the naming of components in the original file so this double up doesn't occur. Though the complete crash is weird.

Sorry JD for jumping the gun, though I'll keep an eye on this and report back any issues.

[JDHill]

No worries, Sir, I highly prefer false alarms to real ones. Though the crash seems odd; there is no rule you have to follow to avoid crashing -- it should just not happen -- so if you find that to be reproducible, be sure to let me know.