Skins in Google Sketchup

[Human]

Hi Guys.

Can you make skins in Google Sketchup and export it in some or other format. And then use it in TM?

[The Doctor]

Good question.
I know that you can make a 3D object in Sketchup that is in the 3DS format that can be imported into the game. You can "paint" the object with textures from inside Sketchup. I have tried doing this by making a Tardis(the police call box in my avatar). I have not been able to get it to work correctly because of lack of time to fiddle with it. I did discover that I needed to go into Gmax(a free 3dsMax alternative) to place some of the necessary features such as lights and set rotation upon movement, make the diffuse skin file, create a Prelight Map for realistic shading ect... It became complex really fast.
But in a nutshell you will need a working model in 3ds format because as far as I know a ManiBody High.gbx is not open able in Skecthup. If you do have it then you need to re-import it into the game using the game Launcher's custom data utility. I don't think that you will have any better results than if you just edit the Diffuse.dds outside the game in a photo editor and quite possibly worse.

[Human]

Thanks for the reply.

I'll see what i can do. Because i've got alot of cars that i've made in sketchup that i want to use.

I'll keep you updated.

[Gording]

Hi Guys.

Can you make skins in Google Sketchup and export it in some or other format. And then use it in TM?

Not easy (and why would you try to using a 3D application to make a 2D "skin" anyway?) and I've only tried Sketchup for a few hours a while ago, so I'll likely be out of date by now.

Sketchup did not export 3DS files, and it's own SKP format doesn't appear on many 3D apps import options. Gmax by the way was (it's been a few years since GMax was dropped by Autodesk) in the same leaky boat. Gmax could only export it's own native format, that virtually nothing except it's big brother 3D Studio Max supported, but if you had that you wouldn't be using Gmax! Anyway, only Sketchup Pro (not free) can export 3DS files, although there was an 8 hour demo that could allow you to export as many free Sketchup models as possible to 3DS in that time.

So you have to find workarounds for the free version of Sketchup.

It can export Google Earth's KMZ files, but here's where it gets a little tricky. This isn't really a 3D file, it's a compressed file just like a....well...a zip. If you even change the KMZ file extension to ZIP you can open it to find a fully usable 3D file. It's a DAE, and this (sound the fanfares) is a Collada 3D format...and Blender (free) can import those, and with a little tweaking of it's 3DS export script it can make 3DS files for Trackmania.

Also, TM Nations does not send out custom content, so only you will see and hear them. Cars, avatars, engine sounds, and horns (klaxxons) require a Trackmania United game/account, which can send custom content to all other versions and players.

[T.O.M.]

only PRO version of Google Sketchup can export in .3ds