I need to download some trees from 3d warehouse and they are for 2019 and later? What’s the story and the fix? Is there a legacy 3d warehouse?
G
Nope. The 3D Warehouse supports the three most recent versions of SketchUp. You can go to the 3D Warehouse in your internet browser and download the Collada version of the components you’re after and import the included .dae file into your model. The other fix would be to get the current version of SketchUp.
Pity. I bought this version because I had used the free version for so long, I thought I’d share some love with them. Shrug.
What is a .dae file and how do I use it?
G
A .dae file is included in the Collada file which downloads with the .zip extension.
Open the Zip file…
…and extract both the folder and the .dae file to a new folder or your desktop then go to File>Import and set the file type to Collada files and import the .dae. Whatever materials might be included with the component will be in that folder and will be automatically applied if you’ve extracted the folder and put it in the same place as the .dae file.
Hum. Well, I will give it a try. I have a question though. Since this is a 2d plan view of the 3d model, which is a deck on a hill side. ( oh, that took some doing - learning how to convert a topo into 3d and use sand box, stamp and drape, and a host of new to me extensions, and the majstair extension locking up and bug splatting ) I don’t need a 3d tree. Just a top view. I tried to import the image of a tree, but SU insisted in drawing a box around the image. Is there a way to import a 2d image and eliminate the box? Wasn’t there some trick with a png file that eliminated the background / box?
Thanks G
But I can’t import the tree into 2018 su pro. I don’t get the logic behind the 3 year limit. If it is a tactic to force us to upgrade, I can’t say it’s well thought out - it only creates animosity. I can see having 2 versions - a legacy 3d warehouse, and the 3 year one.
G
Why not? It’s exactly the same as importing a 3D tree. Download the Collada file, unzip it, and import the .dae file.
I expect it’s because converting and storing multiple versions of every SketchUp file costs money. Users who are continuing to subscribe are paying to keep the 3D Warehouse going and are subsidizing those who aren’t.
In this case it isn’t a 3 year thing. To bring more advanced features to 3D Warehouse it now requires a minimum version of Chromium that is later than the one in SketchUp 2017 and 2018. I would expect 2019 to continue working well after it is more than three years old. Having two versions of the web site would solve the problem, but then you do get into the problem of there being extra work needed to support older versions, and the older version of the site would need to have a different interface, to make sure it didn’t attempt to use the more advanced features.
Don’t some of those people who design the models sell them? This cuts their income. And many who spent hours drawing them have their labor, or companies that paid employees to put their product line in the 3D Warehouse they now have to pay employees to redo them in the later version.
I really think this is short-sighted on Trimble’s part.
G
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There’s nothing for sale in the 3D Warehouse. All that content is available for free.
No they don’t. The 3D Warehouse converts files for later versions.
Uploading any version model will get it converted to the later versions.
If you are thinking about manufacturers, and how if they want to post their own models they would need to start again, I guess they could track down the best of the models that others have done, and pay them for the model. I feel sure that a lot of people model based on the way the product looks, and hopefully manufacturers have access to the 3D models that went into creating the physical product. That can lead to its own issues, in that an Autocad file of an appliance may be unreasonably complex compared to what really is needed for SketchUp. Hopefully manufacturers will see SketchUp as being a worthwhile platform, and will produce optimized models that are still authentic.
You may be right, I don’t know. I remember going on there and seeing about 10 or 15 different toilets by Kohler. My assumption was that they hired someone to draw their product line and posted them as promotion. So does the SketchUp update all of the 3d models each year?
G
They surely hired someone although in most cases the manufacturers aren’t having people actually create models of their products from scratch. Most often thy’re SketchUp files created from some other file type they already have.
They aren’t selling their models through the 3D Warehouse. Consider it more like free advertising.
Due to changes in the file structure with SketchUp 2021, the Warehouse won’t have to convert files made in newer versions to work SU2021. Won’t help users of older versions, though.
On the updating of models question, generally I think they are left alone. Any new uploads are converted at that time. The recent change where 2017 and 2018 were dropped may have led to some updating as well. There are upcoming things I can’t tell you about that will lead to more updates!
Remember that no matter how unsupported any version becomes, the models will download ok in an up to date browser. In Collada if need be.