Hi everyone,
I have just joined up so hello! Apologies as the first thing I have to do is ask for help.
I have imported a 3ds. file from Vectorworks 2011. When I try to render it, I get a white screen as if the camera can see nothing. I even imported it into an existing model I made in SketchUp and when I render it I can see the original sketch up model, but not the imported 3ds.
Any advice much appreciated.
Some images of the model at least would help.
Are there faces? Are they reversed? Many renderers wonât render faces that are reversed in SketchUp.
Hi Dave,
Can you see the file attached? Right in the middle of the model is (at a much smaller scale) my sketch up model from another project. Some of the faces have come in reversed but the majority seem to be the right way around. All I am trying to do is to work out if we can use the BIM features of Vectorworks without buying the render package that goes with it, so the models are nothing to look at themselves.
I donât see anything.
Perhaps you can upload the SKP file with the problem geometry using the Upload button near the middle of the row of buttons across the top of the posting window. (or hit Ctrl+G)
It is a skp file but it wonât upload. I get an error message like this 
I will try to work out why this now doesnât work
I see screen shots but no SKP file. Are you sure you werenât trying to upload the SKB file by mistake?
Most of the model appears to be below the the ground plane although Iâm not sure that would cause the effect youâre seeing.
My father would have described your render as a âcow eating grassâ. Whereâs the grass? âThe cow ate it.â Whereâs the cow? âYou wouldnât expect the cow to hang around if there wasnât any grass to eat, would you?â 
your zoom on the framebuffer (render window) is 800% you are zoomed in too far to see anything.
Perhaps zoom out?
Good catch. I didnât open the image.
VW-Sketchup.skp (1.7 MB)
Did you see Joseph Kimâs reply?
Hi Dave,
I did see Josephs reply but I donât understand how I could be zoomed in too far. You can see how close I was to the model and I canât see why it would not be an acceptable distance. Same goes for the cow and the grass. Never been an issue before. There isnât a ground plane, so there is nothing that could be getting in the way.
use your scroll mouse wheel on the framebuffer.
your viewport and framebuffer can have different zoom ratio.
btw, I love this joke.
lol
Hi guys,
So, the programme crashed several times during this conversation and when I re-opened it just now it rendered it fine. The zoom not making a difference so It wasnât that. Whilst this is good Iâm a bit at a loss as to what was the problem.
now you have zoomed out on your viewport, and your framebuffer has enlarged in size (you can tell by the scroll bar size on the right and bottom)
I reckon zoom was the issue, but glad you got it now.
Thank you both for your time! Have a nice day
On the issue of âreversed facesââŚ
Viewed in Monochrome mode your SKP shows some reversed faces - doors, kitchen units etc.
Itâs always best to have all back-sides [default style color blue-gray] of all faces âinsideâ your objects.
Most renderers wonât render them properly - especially if textured-materials are usedâŚ
