3D Max Replace Multiple SU Components

[gtrplyr]

Hey Adam, been awhile, hope business is treating you well.

I am still trying to get a solid work flow from Sketchup to 3dm.

My process is:

Design 2D plans in AutoCAD (I use this for my presentations and construction plans)
-These plans contain Blocks (i.e. components) of symbols for my plants/trees
(this will play into my workflow problem)

Import .dwg Cad file into Sketchup

Draw my 3D design in SU

When I get to the plantings, the Blocks that I imported into SU are all preserved as components.
-This makes things REAL easy if I am to stay in SU and render with Twilight
-In SU, I just modify one of the instances and replace it with a 2D Face-me picture of the plant/tree

When I import the SU file into 3dm, the tree/plants pictures do not import

I think my problem can be addressed one of two ways:

(1) Figure out a way to have the pictures import to 3dm with the rest of the SU file
-then I just have to get the pictures to face the 3dm camera

(2) Keep the original symbol components that imported into SU from Cad and replace them with pictures in 3dm
-Currently the original symbol components (no pictures) import to 3dm correctly, but they are no longer blocks/components in which I can rework one and have the rest automatically change
-Or maybe there's a command in 3dm that I can use to select and replace all like components/symbols?

This is (currently) the only problem that is preventing me from "graduating" to 3dm for my rendering.


You can check out some of my SU/Twilight 3d’s at www.outdoormosaics.net (forwards to FB page under photos tab).

Thanks for any assistance,
Aaron H

[MuirView Landscape]

Aaron,

First off, the portfolio looks amazing. Great rendering and particularly the use of lighting, pool water and caustic reflections. I'm curious why you feel the need to leave the SU/Twilight workflow? It seems that you have a nice niche.

I have a solution for you regarding Max, if you can get the plant components to import. I'm not sure why they are not importing as they always have for me. I use the .3ds extension to go from SU to Max, even though I use 2011 Max with the built in SU importer. I prefer the .3ds extension because I can sort the model based on materials, which makes life easier when rendering.

Anyway, if you can get the faceme plants to import into Max, you just need to do the following to get them to face the camera before you render -

1. Put all the plants on their own layer in Max
2. When you need to rotate them, right click on the layer and choose select. (This will select all of the geometry on that layer)
3. Choose rotate and switch the orientation to "Parent" instead of "Local" and rotate the plants
4. Repeat for each render view.

This should rotate all of the plants on their own individual axis. I prefer to right click on the rotate button and use the slider menu, moving the Z axis slider to spin the plants until they are facing your new camera view. I do this because depending on your viewport, you may not be able to see the rotate gizmo as it centers itself between the outer bounds of all the selected geometry.

Hope that helps.

[gtrplyr]

Thanks Adam. I am "okay" with the current workflow using SU and Twilight; but I am always wanting to push through to the next level and I know that 3DM does not have any limitations.

I am not using Sketchup Pro, do you know of a 3DS export plugin? I searched and the only one I could find is: http://www.sycode.com/products/3ds_export_su/index.htm, but it costs $125.