Problem with exploding

Extensions
1

Hello everyone.

I’ve downloaded an extension for SketchUp, named “Cities Skyline Tools”, which allows you to export a 3d model in a .fbx file suitable for being imported in the game.

The extension warns you if there are any options that aren’t compatible with the game. In my case, it says that all instances must be exploded before exporting the file.
Problem is, I select all and then click on “explode”, but when I go press “export asset” I still get the message “Cannot export asset. All instances must be exploded”. I don’t know what to do, I reached the creator of the extension, who is a member of this community (@thomthom ) and he said to try to share the model here on this forum and see if anyone can help.

I’m trying to recreate Stockholm in this game, so I’ve downloaded some models of Stockholm’s buildings that I’ve found on 3dwarehouse: Search for stockholm | 3D Warehouse
Before looking for help I tried to import the Parliament, the Globe Arena and the Royal Swedish Opera and I got the same error with all of them.

Thanks in advance.

2

Perhaps you have some nested components or groups. They won’t get exploded with the first explode operation because it only explodes at the top level. Maybe you could post a screen shot of your model after the first explode operation and while everything is still selected.

3

Reading @DaveR suggestion that it might be caused by nesting, Bomb came to mind.

This extension will explode all nested components/groups in one click.

4

This was the problem, exploding with Bomb solved it :slight_smile: Really thank you, both of you

1 Like
5

after using Bomb and finishing your export, it is often worth using ‘Edit’ >> ‘Undo Bomb’ to return the model separation for future changes…

alternatively:
‘Save’ before Bomb, ‘Revert’ after export…
or
Close the model, ‘Save Changes’ >> No, will do the same thing…

john

1 Like
6

thanks :slight_smile: I’ll keep it in mind.

I have another question, if you don’t mind, another condition for the asset to be exported is not having different materials in the model.
Do you guys know an efficient way to change all the materials to the same one? It’s probably a very stupid question, but as I said, I’m dealing with all of this just because of a game :stuck_out_tongue:

7

do you need a texture map or just a single color?

what game engine?

john

8

There are various extensions in the EW and over in the sketchUcation plugin store that let you globally manipulate materials. Maybe one of them will serve your needs?

9

john, the game is Cities Skyline and a texture map, yeah.

slbaum, I will look into them! thanks

10

The textures for CS assets is probably the most challenging - since you can have only a single material per asset (or per channel per asset). You probably want to look into utilities that can bake multiple textures into a single one. I would expect there are tools out there for that - but I’m afraid I’m not familiar with them.

You might look at Dale Marten’s SketchUV which has a feature to export models to external UV utilities and then import the new UV map back in.

https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/sketchuv