SU allows you to edit image files used for textures/materials by using an external editor. I have Gimp set up in my preferences, but clicking on the external editor button in the materials palette does not launch it. Am I doing something wrong?
The workaround seems to be that the texture needs to be in the Colors in Model section before you can use an external editor. However, the problems don’t stop there. Gimp will edit the image but won’t then save it in a format that SU recognises. I had to export as a JPEG and then import the new texture. It worked but it was quite a faff.
In Model materials,when you right click on a material and and chose Edit Texture Image, you are sent to the image. There you right click and chose Open with- Gimp. You edit the texture, then you save it.
Then you get inside sketchup and the texture should be already replaced. Now if you want to keep this texture/material in the library, right click and Save as/Browse the the Sketchup’s Materials folder and save it where you want.Otherwise the material will be kept only in your model.
ely862me - I was with you up until “you edit the texture”. When you try to save, Gimp wants to save it as a native Gimp file (xcf extension). So what you describe is exactly as I expected it to work. Except that it didn’t.
When the texture is shown to you if you navigate to the directory folder you will see that the program created a temporary jpeg file for you to edit. If you save your file as a jpeg file in the same folder with the same name what happens ? This should work.
I think that comes under my definition of “faff”! It sounds as if that is more or less what I did eventually. I was rather hoping that, once edited in Gimp, you could simply hit Save and everything would be there and ready to use. Maybe SU should have a better inbuilt image editor of its own?
Try another editor. I use Paintdotnet for editing textures from SketchUp and it works easily as it should. It doesn’t try to save the file as a different file type.
You might also try using File>Save as… in Gimp and saving the edited image with the original file extension.
Well, I believe it’s a problem of Gimp not Sketchup. I am editing the textures with Photoshop and when I save it automatically save it as the original picture. You just have to make sure you save as, not just save.
I learned that the gimp versions under 2.8 used to save files in their natural format, maybe you can install an older version.
It may be Gimp. It doesn’t seem to like Save As either, you have to do an export.
Have just looked at Paintdotnet but it looks like PC-only software and I use a Mac. I may be stuffed!
having ‘mac’ in your title may have gotten an answer quicker…
the problem is that SU adds a temp file in a temp folder that Gimp or Preview, and some others can Open, but can’t Save to…
the work-around has been posted on other threads, but basically require finding the temp folder and adding it to your Finder sidebar to simplify future use…
after editing the file use ‘Save As’ navigate to the temp folder and click the ‘originals’ name and overwrite it when prompted…
If you can’t find the threads on ‘Preview’ issues I’ll see if I can dig it up…
john