Import of vertex-colored Collada (.dae) models

The attached Collada model will import successfully to SketchUp, but without the colors. The file can be imported correctly colorized into MeshLab or Open 3D Model Viewer.

Please extend the Collada import to support models having vertex colors instead of textures.
I think vertex-colored models are quite common when meshing pointcloud data, if no additional photos are available for hi-res texturing.

Here is the file (“chair_orig_vertexcolors.dae”): Dropbox - chair_collada.zip - Simplify your life

In SketchUp, Sketchup::Vertex objects are not a subclass of Sketchup::Drawingelement, so do not have a material property. Only edges and faces have material property in SketchUp. Vertices are themselves just a geometric “helper” property of edges and faces. They are basically invisible to the user. But the styles can be set to put “Endpoints” where the vertices are. This is just rendering output, though.

Currently, there is no “real” geometric object that could be assigned a “vertex color”. But perhaps in the future, there could be a new render mode called “Color By Vertex”. (SketchUp does currently have a “Color By Layer” mode.)


There are some plugins (extensions) that can create individual gradient textures for the faces that “appear” to radiate from the vertices.

Well, maybe, but only that which is compatible with SketchUp’s target core functionality.

Please read: SketchUp > Feature Requests: Vision and feature requests

There has been a new Collada revision since SketchUp’s importer and exporters were written.

We had discussed this (SketchUp’s DAE import / export handling) in another thread (in the my.sketchup category.)

See: MySketchUp should be able to open/edit/save and/or import/export COLLADA (dae) files


So for example, just because Collada has a bunch of nifty animation attributes, does not mean SketchUp must become an animation studio, because it has a DAE importer.


So, you need to make a valid “use case” for this vertex color data. Is it just for passing through ? Ie, DAE > SKP > some editing > DAE ?

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My use case is to get a meshed pointcloud into Google Earth. So the “some editing” step is aligning the model geographically.
The Sketchup feature for alignment with a satellite image looked handy to me, so I wanted to use it. Also, SketchUp seems to be the preferred software to prepare models for Google Earth.

It used to be. Google no longer accepts SketchUp models for populating Google Earth. You can create KMZ files from SketchUp that can be opened in your local GE installation or sent to others for that purpose but Google won’t add them in.