Disappointed in '18 (for my use)

When I use SketchUp, I import AutoCAD models, all floor plans. I recently upgraded to '18 but do not like the results. First, when I import an AutoCAD file it comes in as a Component. In '15, it imports as Groups. After import, I simply apply materials (in '15) to the objects and I’m done. I cannot figure out how to apply a material to imported objects in '18. I can explode the object all the way down to faces but then have to select all the faces and apply the material. Too much work.

A workaround, which is kinda nice, is to use Color by Layer and assign the material colors to the layers in the template. Once the object is imported it’s automatically colored.

However, the other disappointment in '18 is the “halo” surrounding the objects. For example, I have walls on a layer and the floor on a layer. The walls are blue and the floor is gray. I noticed more of a halo in '18 than '15 creates and when I turn off the Floor layer, WOW, a nice bright gray halo outlining the blue walls, only on the bottom of the wall. No, edges are turned off so that’s not it.The problem is these halos are still visible when the floor layer is turned back on.

I currently have to do some touch up in '15 for these halos but I think it’s too much work in '18 to consider the move.

Any ideas? Thanks.

One idea is to upload the file or at the very least a screenshot. I have no idea what these so-called halos are.

Really? Select All then apply material. How hard can it be? Or if all faces are to have the same material and you want to be really fast, don’t bother exploding, just apply material to unopened Group/Component (it’s not the same thing as the other way as it would not be carried through to other instances.

All you have to do is select the Component, Explode, and whilst still selected, Make Group. But why bother? A lot of seasoned SU users never use Groups.

Yeah, pics would help a lot.

Not as easy as you make it sound. Exploding the import then creates “components” of each closed polyline from AutoCAD, could be a hundred. Then those have to be exploded.

Also, the Entity info shows the object has a material applied but the object is still white.

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The “halos” may be more intense because the entire image looks brighter. Those two screenshots are from the same monitor though. It’s like they brightened the UI.

I can probably deal with that but how do I apply materials to imported AutoCAD objects? That’s the biggest problem I have. I’m assuming there’s something I’m doing wrong but I do notice the Entity Info shows the object as a Component when '15 shows them as Groups.

Might be worth taking a look at this:

Especially “When you explode CAD objects into block entities, they import into SketchUp as components. If you explode the CAD block entities into polylines, the polylines import into SketchUp as lines or polylines.”

when you refer to “halos” , do you mean the profile showing at floor level?

Profile rendering did change in v17 [if I remember correctly]

john

Thanks Dave. Didn’t really hep. I extrude closed polylines in AutoCAD and then import them into SU. Never have any issues with the objects themselves. SU just decided to change the way they’re handled I guess.

Yes, John, the profile at the floor level. It’s basically a light colored line along the bottom of the wall. If you look at the side-by-side images I posted you can see that the overall image looks brighter. I have noticed over the years that different monitors/video cards/resolutions etc produce different result but those are from the same computer/monitor. I export the final image as a png and clean up these “halos”.

I just hope my '15 version never quits working unless this can be resolved.

turn profiles off or set them too 1 with color ‘By Material’ in Styles…

maybe

john

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Are there any moderators or SU admin folks who can explain the Component vs Group thing and tell me how to apply materials to an imported ACad object?

if you can post an example dwg or dxf, plus your import as a .skp and an image of your final output, then we can see exactly what your facing…

the importers component/group assignment should have little bearing of being able to apply materials to the ‘wrappers’…

john

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The current importer applies a material directly to the faces of imported AutoCad components, so painting the component wrappers will not show unless you paint the insides with the SketchUp default material. The quickest way is to delete all the imported materials from the In Model section of the Materiials browser.

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that’s exactly what suspected and an ‘In Model’ cleanup is what I was planing on doing with the test files, if they were ever posted…

for me a simple ruby script could sort it out in a flash…

john

Here are the test files.testfloor.skp (332.1 KB)
testfloor.dwg (164.9 KB)

Here’s 2015 versiontestfloor_2015.skp (224.4 KB)

I can Color By Layer and get the results I want but the brightness is much higher in 2018testfloor_2015

Those “halos” are, I think, just the perspective camera getting a look at the sides of walls. Completely normal and expected behavior when looking down at something in perspective.

walls

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They are there in '15 too but I think the increased brightness in '18 enhanced them. This looks bad to me, if this upload appears the same way as my monitor shows.