How would I import a SketchUp model into Cities: Skylines?

[CityKord 0]

58 minutes ago, Bad Peanut said:

My general workflow: 

1. Model in sketchup, taking care of how you model
   • no intersecting lines that create unwanted vertices - although you can fix it in 3ds Max if there are
2. explode any groups in sketchup
   • again not essential but it will show how your different elements are intersecting and if you need to fix anything
   • you can import unexploded groups into 3ds max but that requires a bit of messing around with all the new pivots that are created in each group
3. export finished model as a collada file (*.dae)
   • this format is read well by 3ds max and the export function for *.dae is in the basic version of sketchup without any plugins needed or extra licenses
4. Import that collada file into 3ds Max environment
   • say OK to any dialogues
5. With everything selected (ctrl+a) go to the Utilities tab on the right panel and hit collapse
   • 
   • then hit collapse selected and find the camera that's left in the environment (it's from sketchup's saved view) and delete it.
6. Now you can use the modifiers in 3ds max to properly paint vertex colours, unwrap UVW to export your UV map template and start working on your textures.
   • you can find plenty of tutorials about each of those things and how to do them, specifically try using the education site for autodesk as it is official documentation on how to use 3ds max, but don't be scared to look on youtube as well, it's just best to have a more specific search query to find help rather than "3ds max modelling tutorials" as there are lots that don't necessarily apply to what you want. Better to search for "how to apply vertex colours in 3ds max" or "collapsing my model in 3ds max"

• Do note that when i exported my model from 3ds max to import into CS i did have to get the rotation right and the scale etc but that's pretty basic and specific to how you've set up your 3ds environment - look up how to do that on youtube or the autodesk site
• also before you start texturing you may want to convert your model to editable poly (don't just use the modifier) and select all vertices and weld them together - again tutorials online on how to do those specifics - this will get rid of any overlapping vertices and help your model be better for optimising - which is another handy little feature to delve into when you feel confident

Cool, I'll try it. Thank you so much for the reply! One more question: What if I have textured my model in SketchUp?

[Bad Peanut 826]

2 hours ago, Darf said:

Why just not save in Sketchup8 format and import directly? No need to do all that, just import and attach all groups in 3ds, than readjust the pivot of the total model. 3ds will recognize your groups as components, scale and rotation is as they are in Sketchup.

I don't really like saving backwards (because it eliminates certain new things sketchup team implements in their builds) and sketchup still doesn't really like being imported into 3ds max for me at least, and I keep updating my 3ds max to the latest versions as soon as they're released, and at one point it just won't support sketchup 8 and I'd rather avoid that wall then set up camp behind it so to speak... - so i like to strip it back to *dae and work with that. But hey it's just my workflow - each to their own

1 hour ago, CityKord said:

Cool, I'll try it. Thank you so much for the reply! One more question: What if I have textured my model in SketchUp?

Well I used to texture in sketchup but if you're using native texturing it really is ridiculously bad - I've had 10+ years of using sketchup and I still think it's soooo bad unless I've missed something all these years.

I think you can save sketchup textures coordinates when you go to export as collada, before saving go to options in the save dialogue and make sure you uncheck everything except for export texture coordinates in theory I think that should save them and load them in 3ds max (as long as you don't break any file links with the model, the export, and the texture map file).

BUT and it's a huge BUT: make sure you once you're in 3ds max and you've finished tidying your model. USE THE UNWRAP UVW to view the mapping coordinates like this:

all the coordinates MUST be inside this box, if it goes outside you may find it breaks the textures like you first saw. If you need to move coordinates inside the box but want them aligned to the same position then select them, and use the move function and then type in either +1, or -1 in the U: or V: coordinate slots down the bottom left of the edit UVWs dialogue - this will move the selected coordinates 1 whole box worth up or down the associated direction. (test it out and you'll see what i mean)

[CityKord 0]

1 hour ago, Bad Peanut said:

I don't really like saving backwards (because it eliminates certain new things sketchup team implements in their builds) and sketchup still doesn't really like being imported into 3ds max for me at least, and I keep updating my 3ds max to the latest versions as soon as they're released, and at one point it just won't support sketchup 8 and I'd rather avoid that wall then set up camp behind it so to speak... - so i like to strip it back to *dae and work with that. But hey it's just my workflow - each to their own

Well I used to texture in sketchup but if you're using native texturing it really is ridiculously bad - I've had 10+ years of using sketchup and I still think it's soooo bad unless I've missed something all these years.

I think you can save sketchup textures coordinates when you go to export as collada, before saving go to options in the save dialogue and make sure you uncheck everything except for export texture coordinates in theory I think that should save them and load them in 3ds max (as long as you don't break any file links with the model, the export, and the texture map file).

BUT and it's a huge BUT: make sure you once you're in 3ds max and you've finished tidying your model. USE THE UNWRAP UVW to view the mapping coordinates like this:

all the coordinates MUST be inside this box, if it goes outside you may find it breaks the textures like you first saw. If you need to move coordinates inside the box but want them aligned to the same position then select them, and use the move function and then type in either +1, or -1 in the U: or V: coordinate slots down the bottom left of the edit UVWs dialogue - this will move the selected coordinates 1 whole box worth up or down the associated direction. (test it out and you'll see what i mean)

Thanks again. Will try this out. And I'll update on how it went.